EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY, 12? 



of the great mass of the department's correspondents. The informa- 

 tion they contain is necessarily couched in more technical and scien- 

 tific language than is desirable in popular pamphlets; hence the 

 bulletins are printed in limited editions as permanent records of the 

 achievements of the department in scientific research, and for dis- 

 tribution to libraries, collaborators, and scientists, both in this coun- 

 try and abroad, and to such persons as are likely to find then\ 

 of special value. Publications of this class represent only about 2. 

 per cent of the total output, but owing to their greater length, the 

 use of more expensive illustrations, and the necessity for more ex- 

 pensive paper, they use up about 20 per cent of the appropriation for 

 printing and binding. The advisability of securing additional funds, 

 for publishing larger editions of bulletins of this class should be 

 seriously considered, as it is believed that the publications should. 

 have a vt^ider distribution. 



ECONOMIES EFFECTED. 



The channel through which the department distributes the results 

 of its investigations and other information it desires to disseminate- 

 among the people, and especially the rural population, is its publica- 

 tions, the editing and distribution of which is the province of the 

 Division of Publications. It is the function of that division to meet 

 the department's requirements for printing and binding and ta 

 accomplish this with an almost always inadequate appropriation. 

 Hence the economies of the division tend in the editorial work to 

 the condensation of statement and improvement in form of the 

 printed documents, and in the distribution work to closer organiza- 

 tion and eiRciency and expedition. 



The extent of the work performed in the division is dependent 

 upon the grow^th of the department and the activity of its various 

 agencies, and this activity depends upon so many extraneous con- 

 ditions that it is not possible to even approximate at the beginning 

 of the year the amount of printing which will be required. Its opera- 

 tions, therefore, may be accepted as an accurate index of the depart- 

 ment's work. The magnitude of the work devolving upon the editors 

 is apparent when the large number of publications issued and the 

 enormous amount of miscellaneous printing required by the depart- 

 ment are taken into consideration. 



Perhaps the most striking feature of this division's work was its 

 success in promoting economy'. Many manuscripts were reduced in 

 size, illustrations were limited to those absolutely necessary to illus- 

 trate the text, and the tables were greatly condensed. 



In many cases large savings were effected in the cost by reduction 

 or other changes in the shape or size of blanks, eliminating waste iix 



