BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS. 135 



mating. The fundamental lines of research followed for a number 

 of years have been continued and strengthened and many new types 

 of studies have been introduced. 



Farm management studies have been expanded to include studies 

 of farm income on various types of farms, farm production in lo- 

 calities adjacent to cities, the organization of cane sugar farms; a 

 special survey of cotton farms in boll weevil districts, studies of the 

 earlier farm management records to develop facts of value in the 

 present period of readjustment, studies of how to measure farm la- 

 bor efficiency, investigations of the use value of land, and surveys 

 of regions on which studies have been made in previous years to 

 discover important changes in management. 



Cost of production w^ork has been continued and expanded along 

 lines which have been followed for a number of years and with a 

 wide variety of crops, including wheat, cotton, tobacco, fruits, sugar 

 beets, and sugar cane. The projects in studies of fattening cattle 

 have been expanded as have been field cost surveys on ranches. These 

 activities have been conducted without in any way restricting the 

 projects previously mentioned, but rather as an aid to them in that 

 the results from the many separate projects previously conducted 

 have been brought together in a manner to be of particular value to 

 the farmer in making readjustments in his business. 



The distribution of the field studies has been planned to provide 

 a constantly increasing number of farmers with specific information 

 in terms closely approximating those with which they are familiar, 

 upon which they may base readjustments of their own activities as 

 conditions change, in the light of results achieved by farmers in 

 situations similar to their own. The number of direct contacts with 

 farmers is large. Through example, extension work, and incidental 

 publicity the influence of this work is widespread, though at a given 

 time exact evaluation of its effect may not be possible. 



The crop and livestock estimating work has been carefully gone 

 over with a view to making the forecasts of the greatest value to pro- 

 ducers in determining future plans. Every effort has been made 

 to preserve the accumulated value of early statistics while adopting 

 the newer methods of forecasting. 



THE NEW BUREAU ORGANIZATION. 



The first step toward bringing the three related bureaus together 

 was made in July, 1921, when the Bureau of Markets and the Bureau 

 of Crop Estimates were consolidated. ■^Vhile this combination pro- 

 vided for establishing a central administrative control, the proper 

 interrelation of divisions required gradual changes in order to secure 

 a more effective organization. On July 1, 1922, the beginning of the 

 year covered by this report, the Office of Farm Management and 

 Farmi Economics was combined with the two bureaus previously 

 united, and the name was changed to that of the Bureau of Agri- 

 cultural Economics. 



In the new consolidated bureau the identity and the organization 

 of the various lines of work formerly handled in the three bureaus 

 has been preserved in the associated divisions under three groups: 

 (1) The production divisions, including farm management, cost of 

 production, and crop and livestock estimates; (2) the commodity 

 marketing divisions, or those having to do with cotton, grains, fruits 

 and vegetables, livestock, meats and wool, hay, feed and seeds, dairy 

 78007— AGR 1923 10 



