388 ANNUAL P.KrORTS OF PKPAUTMKNT OF AGRICULTURE. 



AVliile quantity i)r()(]iK"ti()n is not in itself a true measure of effective- 

 ness or success, it indicates the broadening; field of the department's 

 informational activities and an enlarjzoment of its service. 



In developin*; the special service to noncompetinjij publications, 

 the office has not onlj' increased the amount of material furnished 

 to agricultural journals, but has also extended -it to include Sunday 

 ne\vspaj)ers. trade publications, and periodicals usinf; popular science 

 mateiial. It has compiled data for addresses and special articles 

 by the Secretary of A<;riculture bearin<i^ on the work of the depart- 

 ment and has made them available and secured their publication in 

 the interest of a<zriculture. Increasin«>: use has been made of photo- 

 •rraphic material in the rotogravure sections of Sunday newspapers 

 and in "picture pages" for the agricultural press. As a result of 

 these activities in new directions, unquestionably a wider use has 

 been made of information about the department's activities during 

 the year than ever before. 



Tlie efforts of the Office of Information during the year have been 

 directed toward the following informational services : 



WEEKLY NEWS LETTER. 



This journal is both a news service and a house organ. As a news 

 service it carries official statements by the Secretary and by the 

 various bureaus of the department, and stories reporting the prog- 

 ress of the department's investigations. As a house organ for the 

 department's large staff of employees and official cooperators, it 

 strives to keep them informed of new work begun and the progress 

 of various campaigns, and to present ideas that will help them in 

 their w^ork. The Weekly News Letter prints only such matter as 

 is of wide interest. While most of the items are prepared in a 

 form suitable for publication, the chief value of certain articles 

 to editors is to present the department's views on various subjects 

 and to provide information for such use as the editors desire to 

 make of it. 



The Weekly News Letter is sent free only to employees, official 

 cooperators, and the press. It may be obtained by anyone, how- 

 ever, at the subscription rate of 50 cents a year. Because of limited 

 funds for printing and increasing costs of mechanical work and 

 materials, the circulation of this journal was reduced by 9,000 during 

 the year — from 142,000 to 133,000. The size of many issues was 

 limited to eight pages for the same reason, thereby preventing the 

 use of much valuable material. 



As the department's official organ, the Weekly News Letter should 

 be more liberally supported. With adequate funds for its publica- 

 tion it could be" much improved in contents, size, and appearance. 

 It should be more representative of the big organization for which 

 it makes contact with the public and the press. 



SPECIAL INFORMATION SERVICE. 



This is an illustrated weekly syndicate sheet of eight columns, for 

 dailv newspapers. It is issued several days in advance of its re- 

 lease. The articles in it are carried under four departments of two 

 columns each, as follows : " Growing Food — on the Farm, in the 

 Yard"; "Agriculture's Other Half— Marketing " ; "A Bird in the 



