REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF MARKETS. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Markets, 



Washington, D. C, October 1, 1918. 



Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the work of 

 the Bureau of Markets for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918. 

 Respectfully, 



Charles J. Brand, 



Cfdef of Bureau. 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, emphasis was placed 

 upon those phases of the work of the Bureau of Markets which would 

 be most directly helpful to the Nation in successfully prosecuting the 

 war with Germany. Projects of the greatest emergency value were 

 expanded by the use of emergency funds appropriated by Congress, 

 and the work of other projects was rearranged wherever it was pos- 

 sible to add to its immediate usefulness. Close cooperation has been 

 maintained with the Food Administration, the War Industries Board, 

 the Quartermaster's Department of the Army, the purchasing officers 

 of the Navy, Councils of Defense, and all other Government agencies 

 actively engaged in war work. 



Wherever possible investigational work was superseded by demon- 

 strational and service work, not because it was felt that these in- 

 vestigations were completed or should be discontinued, but because 

 emergency conditions demanded that the knowledge and experience 

 gained in previous years, especially that bearing on the more efficient 

 distribution and conservation of food products, should be made im- 

 mediately available. 



The market news services on fruits and vegetables and live stock 

 and meats, which had been established on a relatively small scale 

 before war was declared, were widely expanded by the use of emer- 

 gency funds. It was recognized that work of this character, valuable 

 in time of peace, gained in usefulness in time of war on account of 

 the imperative necessity of successfully conserving and making the 

 most efficient distribution of the food supply of the Nation so as to 

 make it adequate for our own needs and those of the Allies. 



With the assistance of emergency funds it has been possible to 

 build up a complete machine for the national interchange of market 

 information on fruits and vegetables and to extend the service on 

 live stock and meats, not as completely as desirable, but to a point 

 where it meets much more adequately the needs of producers, con- 

 sumers, and other interested persons. Market news services, financed 

 with emergency money, have been instituted to cover dairy and poul- 



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