390 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



also distributed in plate and ready-print. The plate service enables 

 the department to reach with its informational material millions 

 of readers of small newspapers which are unable to set the type in 

 their own offices. In IDlb — the 1919 figures are not yet avaihihle — 

 more than G2,000 columns of this material, nearly all of it furnished 

 by this department, were used by the newspapers. Our part in this 

 form of distribution is only in furnishinfj the material. The plate 

 and ready-print matter is sold by the news agency at a moderate 

 price. 



MIMEOGRAPH SERVICE. 



News matter requiring immediate distribution is issued in mimeo- 

 graph and sent generall}^ or locally, according to its applicability 

 and interest. By this means the Office of Information supplies 

 " spot " news to press associations, Washington correspondents, agri- 

 cultural journals, trade journals, and newspapers. 



NONCOMPETING SERVICE. 



Attention has been given during the year to extending this service 

 and making it more effective. The preparation of articles for dis- 

 tribution to noncompeting publications was initiated two years ago 

 to meet the demand for special stories and to enable the department 

 to present more thoroughly and completely the results of its more 

 important lines of work. The service has proved to be very popular 

 with editors, and from the department's standpoint it is one of the 

 most effective ways of reaching tiie public with detailed, authorita- 

 tive stories of its achievements. For the agricultural press a num- 

 ber of noncompeting lists of journals liave been made up from corre- 

 spondence with editors, and the lists are used in rotation to give 

 equal opportunity to each group of publications. The obvious ad- 

 vantage of noncompeting distribution is that each publication, hav- 

 ing the story exclusively in its own territory, will gladly feature it 

 prominenth\ And since each list covers the entire country, wide 

 distribution is assured every article. The noncompeting lists also 

 have been used successfully for placing photographic layouts, picture 

 pages, and cartoons. The service has been extended to include trade 

 journals, popular science magazines, and Sunday newspapers. 



SPECIAL ARTICLES AND STATEMENTS. 



The Office of Information prepares a great many articles, most of 

 them on request, for the exclusive use of certain publications. It 

 also acts as a medium for securing such articles from department 

 specialists and other officials on the request of editors. Special 

 articles by writers in the office have been accepted by leading pe- 

 riodicals in greater number during the year. 



POSTERS AND CIRCULARS. 



The preparation of posters and circulars for use in support of the 

 various educational campaigns carried on by the department is an- 

 other feature of the informational work. The pulling power of 

 posters was conclusively demonstrated to the department during the 

 war. In the last two vears the Office of Information has made ef- 



