BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS. 163 



purchased. The inspection service resulted in great economies to 

 the Government. Furthermore, it increased the competition on the 

 part of dealers for the business and eliminated wide price spreads, 

 which had prevailed before the inauguration of the inspection 

 service. 



WOOL STANDARDS PROMULGATED. 



Establishment of official wool standards of the United States for 

 grades of wool was effected after several public hearings at which 

 leading representatives of all branches of the wool industry, includ- 

 ing i^roducers, merchants, and manufacturers, were invited to offer 

 their suggestions and recommendations based on the tentative wool 

 grades. Specifications defining the grades were prepared and pub- 

 lished as Service and Regulator}- Announcement No. 75, Official 

 Wool Standards of the United States for Grades of Wool. Studies 

 are now being made to determine the correlation between the grades 

 of wool and the different breeds of sheep, and plans are being made 

 to determine the amount of shrinkage from scouring in the various 

 grades and in the wool produced in different sections. 



Steps have been taken looking toward the establishment of uni- 

 versal standards for wool. Mr. G. T. Willingmyre, of this bureau, 

 was sent to Europe to confer with members of the wool trade in an 

 effort to work out standards for wool which will be universally 

 acceptable. Advices as to prospects are encouraging. 



Progress was made in the collection and analysis of market data 

 needed in the development of plans for the more orderly marketing 

 of livestock. The data obtained show the principal sources of 

 supply of the different classes and grades of meat animals, the 

 final disposition, the seasonal marketings, and such other informa- 

 tion as will be needed in forecasting probable future supplies of 

 jtneat animals and market movements. 



PRICES OF PUREBRED ANIMALS ANALYZED. 



Semiannual surveys were inaugurated to obtain information re- 

 garding the prices and number of purebred animals sold at auction 

 and private sales. The first survey was made to cover the calendar 

 year 1922, some 15,000 producers being sent schedules and requested 

 to report the number, sex, and age, and the maximum, minimum, and 

 average price received for the different classes of breeding animals 

 sold. The results of these surveys are being tabulated and analyzed 

 for publication and will provide the first authentic information 

 regarding actual prices paid for purebred stock. This informa- 

 tion will tend to check the exploitation of the purebred industry 

 and should encourage the use of better breeding stock, thereby in- 

 -creasing the value of all the livestock in the country. 



BETTER LAMB MARKETING DEMONSTRATED. 



Complaints regarding violent fluctuations in lamb prices at the 

 Jersey City livestock market resulted in an investigation to deter- 

 mine the reasons therefor and the working out of plans to encourage 

 raising of better lambs by the use of improved methods and better 

 breeding stock and dcA^elopment of more orderly marketing. A 

 •campaign was conducted among eastern sheep raisers urging the 



