538 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



indicate that our efforts to bring about improvements have been 

 effective. 



In addition to the preparation and distribution of the tentative wool 

 grades described in the first part of this report, eight expert wool 

 classifiers were engaged in the spring to conduct wool grading demon- 

 strations in Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, 

 and Missouri, from which States urgent requests for assistance had 

 been received. These classifiers graded wool which had been cen- 

 tralized by wool growers' associations, farm bureaus and agricul- 

 tural colleges as a demonstration and in order to test the practica- 

 bilit}'^ of the tentative wool grades. Demonstrations have also been 

 conducted in 16 States to suggest the most practicable, efficient and 

 profitable methods of preparing, storing, handling, grading, and 

 marketing wool and the value of giving due consideration to market 

 conditions at time of sale. 



The survey to determine the location of purebred herds of the 

 various breeds of live stock in this country, begun during the previous 

 fiscal year for the convenience of purchasers, both domestic and 

 foreign, has been continued. 



MARKET NEWS SERVICE ON LIVE STOCK AND MEATS. 



The division leader was assisted by Messrs. E. W. Baker, C. A. Bur- 

 meister, and W. C. Davis in the conduct of the Market News Service 

 on Live Stock and Meats. The discontinuance of emergency funds 

 caused a very heavy reduction in the funds available for this work, it 

 being necessary to eliminate the service at 9 markets and reduce the 

 force by approximately 155 persons. Although this recfuction was 

 made with the least possible disruption of work, it obviously narrowed 

 the scope and made it much more difficult to furnish as efficient service 

 as previously. Under emergency funds the bureau was able to 

 operate 17,000 miles of leased wires, which were available for the 

 collection and interchange of market information on such important 

 commodities as live stock and meats, dairy and poultry products, 

 and fruits and vegetables. It has been necessary to cut this mileage 

 to approximately 5,000 miles, which makes it impossible to serve 

 adequately such great agricultural sections of the country as the 

 South, the Southwest, and the Pacific coast. 



One of the chief problems considered was that of reducing the 

 length of the reports without greatly affecting the value of the in- 

 formation contained therein. Definite improvement was made in. 

 this direction. Weeldy reviews of the live stock market are now pub- 

 lished at all offices and have been well received by producers and 

 shippers who do not care to follow the market from day to day, 

 many of those formerly receiving the daily reports having re- 

 quested the weekly reviews instead. 



The institution of The Market Reporter made it possible to pub- 

 lish certain monthly and weekly reports in permanent printed form^ 

 and this has resulted in reducing the cost of the reports. The 

 Market Reporter has also provided a medium for the issuance of 

 weekly, monthly, and semiannual reviews of the live stock and meat 

 trade which could not be released before. These reviews are an at- 

 tractive feature of the market news service on live stock and meats 

 and have been commended by producers and members of the trade» 



