22 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



for planting this fall and next spring. The Grain Corporation per- 

 mitted elevators to set aside special storage space and authorized 

 them to charge a slight advance over the established price to cover 

 extra charges. The Department located available stocks of seed, 

 inspected them, certified to their soundness, and notified farmers 

 where and on what terms they could secure such seed. 



THE MEAT SUPPLY. 



The task of increasing the meat supply, necessarily a slow one in 

 its production phase, is particularly difficult. Hogs and poultry 

 yield the quickest returns, and therefore urgent efforts were made to 

 increase their production. Special campaigns were conducted by the 

 specialists in animal husbandry, and the membership in the boys' and 

 girls' pig and poultry clubs was greatly increased. Press notices de- 

 signed to promote the raising of poultry were issued and later were 

 incorporated in a special back-yard poultry leaflet, which was widely 

 circulated. At the same time active steps were taken to stimulate the 

 production of beef and dairy cattle, and several specialists in sheep 

 husbandry were assigned to duty in the Eastern States to encourage 

 the production of sheep on farms. Funds have been set aside from 

 the appropriation made by the Food Production Act to employ a 

 force of 32 additional men to give their entire time to the task of 

 increasing the number of hogs, 39 to encourage poultry raising, and 6 

 to assist producers of beef cattle. 



The transfer of cattle from regions where there was a shortage of 

 feed to areas where feedstuffs were relatively plentiful has re- 

 ceived special consideration. This work was begun late in June and 

 is still under way. Field agents were assigned to Texas and Montana 

 to locate cattle likely to be unwisely disposed of, and at the same 

 time men were stationed in regions where there was an abundance of 

 feedstuffs to locate prospective buyers. It is estimated that by the 

 end of October this work had resulted in the transfer and saving to 

 the Nation of more than 100,000 cattle. 



On account of the severe winter and late spring in the West, the 

 live-stock losses were very severe in every range State. It was urgent 

 that the National Forest ranges be opened at the earliest possible 

 date in order to prevent further losses, especially of lambs and calves. 

 To meet this situation animals were admitted to the ranges earlier 

 than usual and the number grazed was increased by approximately 



