624 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Division of Publications is aware of tlie domand for publications 

 because the requests — that is to say, the letters — are received by that 

 office. The Secretary will decide whether reprints should be ordered, 

 how many copies, and how long such reprints shall continue, it being 

 the policy to reprint and distribute those for which there is the 

 greatest demand. 



3. The printing of individual lists of publications of Bureaus, 

 Divisions, and Offices is to be discontinued, it being the Secretary's 

 idea that the general lists prepared by this Division aiul those that are 

 furnished by the Superintendent of Documents will suffice for the use 

 of the Department. All such lists are to be distributed only upon 

 request and by this Division. 



BRANCH PRINTING OFFICE. 



For many years, up to November 20, 1909, a branch of the Govern- 

 ment Printing Office was maintained in the basement of the Depart- 

 ment building for the purpose of printing blanks, letter heads, labels, 

 circular letters, and other miscellaneous job work for the Department, 

 and this office was from January 12, 1895, to the date above mentioned, 

 under the immediate supervision of the Chief of the Division of 

 Publications. On the date mentioned, however, the office was abol- 

 ished, consent thereto having been given by the Secretary, upon the 

 assurance of the Public Printer that the work could be more economi- 

 cally done in the main office. Although some inconvenience has re- 

 sulted, there has been no serious interruption to the public business, 

 and economy has resulted both in the w^ork of this Division and that 

 of the Printing Office. The Department officials have become ac- 

 customed to the change, understand that more time is required to se- 

 cure the printing of blanks, etc., and are cheerfully cooperating Avith 

 this Division in its efforts to give satisfactory service under the 



changed conditions. 



farmers' bulletins. 



The appropriation for Farmers' Bulletins was the same as for the 

 year 1909, namely, $125,000, with which 9,337,500 copies were pro- 

 cured from the Government Printing Office, while 7,755,000 copies 

 were secured wath the preceding year's api3ropriation. The cost per 

 copy for the year 1910 was 14 cents, as comj^ared with If cents per copy 

 for the year 1909. The increase in the number of bulletins procured 

 with the appropriation is due in a large measure to the decision to 

 reduce the size of the bulletins whenever possible. The manuscripts 

 submitted by the Bureaus have been carefully edited, all extraneous 

 matter being pruned, the illustrations limited to actual requirements, 

 and many of the bulletins reduced from 32 to 48 pages to 16 to 24 

 pages. The Farmers' Bulletin subseries known as Experiment Station 

 Work contains fifty-seven numbers, each number comprising from six 

 to a dozen short, condensed summaries of w^ork done in one or more of 

 the state agricultural experiment stations, and they form a library on 

 approximately 500 subjects of interest to practical agriculturists, pre- 

 sented in a comprehensive and intelligible way. During recent years 

 this series has increased in popularity, and there is every evidence 

 that the farmers generally are beginning to appreciate their value. 



