REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 37 



and advice on agricultural methods also are used in more detail than 

 in other departmental news channels. 



Through its mimeographed news service, the Department furnishes 

 daily, or as the necessity for prompt distribution demands, timely 

 information regarding its activities to press associations, correspond- 

 ents, newspapers, agricultural journals, and specialized publications 

 generally or locally. By reason of its increased activities, the amount 

 of material supplied through this channel in the last year has been 

 approximately doubled. 



Conferences were held with agricultural editors to determine how 

 the Department could better aid them, to acquaint them with its 

 production programs and purposes, and to obtain their suggestions 

 and enlist their cooperation. The needs of the farm press also were 

 ascertained in an extensive questionnaire in which editors were 

 invited to indicate their requirements in detail and to give other 

 information useful to the Department in further developing its agri- 

 cultural press service. During the year a reclassification of mailing 

 lists was completed. The lists as now established provide for more 

 intelligent distribution of material generally and locally and make it 

 easier to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste. 



EXHIBITS. 



At present the Department of Agriculture is the only executive 

 department maintaining an Office of Exhibits. Its purpose is to cen- 

 tralize the administration of the exposition services of the Department 

 and to secure uniformity of practice in designing and displaying its 

 educational exhibits. During the past year this work developed 

 along lines connected with the stimulation of food production and 

 conservation. The demands for exhibits from fair associations and 

 similar organizations were so great that it was impossible fully to 

 meet them. 



During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918, the Department made, 

 through the Office of Exhibits, over 30 exhibitions and demonstra- 

 tions relating to food production, conservation, and distribution. 

 These exhibitions covered a wide range of territory, from New 

 England to Florida and California, and brought the work of the 

 Department to the direct attention of more than 3,000,000 people. 

 At a number of these fairs the Department's exhibits occupied areas 

 of 5,000 square feet or more, and the attendance ran from 150,000 to 

 950,000. 



