130 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



for several years liave been limited to editions of 1,000 copies. In 

 many cases these bulletins have been of great scientific value, and the 

 inability to distribute them more widely among the colleges and 

 universities and in the scientific world generally has been a matter 

 of regret and has deprived many of valuable information. It is 

 hoped that the provision will prevail. 



USE OF OUR PUBLICATIONS BY SCHOOLS. 



The demand for the department's publications for use in schools of 

 all grades continues to increase and is far beyond our ability to sup- 

 ply. Of course an effort is always made to furnish to each school 

 making requests as varied and as large a suppl}^ as the limited 

 number at our disposal justifies, for it is believed that such distribu- 

 tion encourages agriculture and increases the prosperity of the Re- 

 public. An increase of the appropriation with the view of more 

 nearly meeting the demands of these young men and women is worthy 

 of serious consideration. 



BUREAU OF STATISTICS. 



The quantitative interpretation of the figures indicating the 

 monthly condition of those growing crops of which estimates of 

 production are made at the close of each year is an important feature 

 added this year to the crop-reporting system of the department. 



Since the significance of the monthly condition figures has been 

 interpreted by the department, the various private interpretations, 

 both by individuals and commercial organizations, differing in their 

 statements, have practically ceased, and it has been generally con- 

 ceded in all quarters that the interpretations emanating from the 

 Bureau of Statistics are the fairest and the most authentic fijrures 

 possible to be based on the crop condition report. 



All the leading crops except cotton are included in these quanti- 

 tative interpretations. With cotton, however, it is impracticable to 

 interpret the condition figures, as the amount of abandoned acreage 

 is lacking, can not be ascertained until the close of the season, and 

 is essential to reasonable accuracy in the translation. 



COST OF CROP PRODUCTION. 



The result of the investigation upon the cost of producing corn, 

 wheat, and oats, published in several numbers of the Crop Reporter, 

 made it evident that the cost of producing crops varies widely in 

 different sections of the country. The average cost per bushel of 

 producing corn was found to be 37.9 cents (including rental charges), 

 varying by States from 30 cents in Iowa and South Dakota to 72 

 cents in Maine; the average cost of producing wheat was 66 cents 



