REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 125 



copies f)rinted for distribution to fanners and others interested in 

 agriculture aggregated 27,594,877, which is 2,404,408, or nearly 10 

 per cent, more than during any previous year. This gratifying re- 

 sult was accomplished without any increase in the appropriation for 

 printing and with a slight decrease both in the appropriation and in 

 the force available for the division work. 



Of the documents mentioned above, 27,250,250 were issued through 

 the Division of Publications, and 344,627 were issued through the 

 Weather Bureau; 18,468,277 copies were of publications issued dur- 

 ing the year and 9,126,600 were reprints of publications which had 

 been previously issued, but for which there was still a considerable 

 demand. Of Farmers" Bulletins, 9,219,000 were secured with the 

 appropriation available, 2,054,000 of which were copies of new bul- 

 letins and 7,165,000 were reprints. Many of the Farmers' Bulletins 

 have long l)een in use by the farmers and a large demand still exists 

 for them. 



Inasmuch as the amount expended in acquiring the information 

 appearing in the department's publications is more than $16,000,000, 

 the appropriation of less than half n million dollars for printing and 

 binding, of which only about $360,000 is available for printing re- 

 ports, bulletins, and circulars for distribution among the people, in 

 order that the}^ may avail themselves of the results of this outlay and 

 these investigations, is small and inadequate. If the available in- 

 formation could be placed in the hands of every farmer, a fuller 

 measure of usefulness should be achieved by the department. 



POPULAR DEMAND FOR PUBLICATIONS. 



Even with the increased number of publications printed and dis- 

 tributed during the year, it was impossible to supply the popular 

 demand, which came from every section of the United States and 

 from many other parts of the world. The department would have 

 required at least 5,000,000 bulletins more than were at its disposal 

 to have met the demand fully, and it was found necessary to select 

 and send a few bulletins likely to be most useful to those whose re- 

 quest had been for many more, and by this course make it possible 

 to supply at least some bulletins to each applicant, instead of exhaust- 

 ing the department's supply in attempting to entirely satisfy a few. 

 The distribution of this reading matter widely diSvSeminates informa- 

 tion along agricultural lines and is productive of a higher yield of 

 better crops, better breeds of stock, new varieties of fruits, and im- 

 proved conditions on the farm, the financial value of which alone 

 amounts to millions of dollars annually, but the increase in comfort, 

 contentment, and cheer can not be estimated. 



