REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 135 



utilizing the results of scientific investigations are given in the 

 smaller, popular publications, especially the Farmers' Bulletins, mil- 

 lions of which are annually printed and distributed. 



ADMINISTRATIVE PUBLICATIONS. 



With the growth of the Department there has been a corresponding 

 increase in what may be called administrative publications, compris- 

 ing rei)orts required by Congress, for the printing of which S78, 726.37 

 was expended, and food-inspection decisions, notices of judgment, and 

 other documents for the guidance of employees and for the enforce- 

 ment of laws, including also the necessary blanks for the transaction of 

 the public business. 



The great volume of the publication work of the Department, far 

 exceeding that of any previous year, has been secured with an expendi- 

 ture of S44 1,349. 94 for printing and binding. Inasmuch as one of the 

 functions of the Department is to disseminate the information it 

 acquires, and since publications constitute the most effective medium 

 of distribution to the people, the expense of such work is believed to 

 be fully justified. The fact that the results were achieved at a saving 

 to the Government bears testimony to the careful supervision given 

 to this important branch of the work of the Department. 



BUREAU OF STATISTICS 



The most important duty of the Bureau of Statistics is to estimate 

 the acreage of various crops at the beginning of each season, their 

 condition at monthly intervals during the season, and the produc- 

 tion after the harvest is gathered. Regular reports are made for the 

 first of each month in the year, except February — eleven regular 

 reports. In addition, reports on cotton are made for the 25th of 

 May, June, July, August, September, and November, the last being 

 the estimate of vield. 



These reports are estimates based upon replies sent in by many 

 thousands of voluntary but regularly constituted crop correspondents 

 in answer to inquiry scliedules sent out by the Bureau. During the 

 year the schedules sent out for the regular monthly crop reports 

 averaged about 65,000 a month, and the replies about 46,000 a 

 month, each schedule having an average of about 40 questions. The 

 schedules devoted exclusively to cotton averaged about 15,000 for 

 each of the six months in which they are sent out, and the replies 

 averaged 10,000. The tabulating, collating, and digesting of these 

 replies involves an immense amount of work, and the amount is grow- 

 ing greater each year, as the work expands. 



During the year several new lines of inquiry were added to the 

 regular work of the crop-reporting service and some changes were 



