BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL, ECONOMICS. 167 



tions, in turn, distribute it to a wide circle of interested persons. 

 The complete national shipments of the commodities on which each 

 field station is issuing reports are telegraphed to that station for the 

 information of growers and shippers. 



Monthly reports showing stations of origin are received on 37 

 products from about 14,000 local freight and express agents. These 

 statistics are especialW valuable because they show the exact sources 

 of supply. 



UNLOAD REPORTS FROM TWENTY ADDITIONAL MARKETS. 



Daily reports on the unloads of the principal fruits and vegetables 

 from railroads and express companies, and similar information is 

 secured from boat lines in a large number of important central mar- 

 kets. During the past year arrangements were effected with agents 

 of the transportation companies in twenty additional markets and 

 the-se reports have been received regularly on the following com- 

 modities : 



The unload statistics for the past few years have been mimeo- 

 graphed on separate sheets for each city and have been used in the 

 preparation of bulletins. They are in great demand by transportation 

 lines, members of the trade, growers, and shippers, as the figures shoAv 

 the total annual supply and the sources of supply for these markets, 

 as well as the unloads by months throughout the year. 



SHIPPING-POINT INSPECTION SERVICE ESTABLISHED. 



The outstanding development in the inspection service during tlie 

 past year has been the inauguration of the shipping-point inspection 

 service. 



Congress authorized the shipping-point inspection work by amend- 

 ing the law under which this service is rendered, but provided no 

 additional appropriation to carry on the work. It was necessary, 

 therefore, to inaugurate this work through cooperation with State 

 agencies which had funds at their disposal or authority to use the 

 fees collected as a revolving fund for carrying on the work. Coop- 

 erative agreements covering inspection at shipping points have been 

 entered into with the following States : 



The larger part of this work has been done in a few States having 

 laws under which the fees collected for the work can be used as 

 revolving funds. It has been impossible to start the work in many 

 States, as no authority exists. 

 78007— AGR 1923 12 



