68 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



pleted by military demands, and to provide needed work animals. 

 Special efforts are under way to increase beef production. Stock 

 owners are urged not to be led by high prices into selling their breed- 

 ing stock, and aid is given in procuring and placing breeding 

 animals. 



It is evident that our main dependence must be placed on the 

 farms for an increase in live-stock production, and the advantages 

 of raising more animals are being pointed out to the general farmer. 

 There is every evidence that the shortage of live stock and their 

 products will continue for a considerable time after the close of the 

 war, and that the farmer who enlarges his stock-raising operations is 

 not only serving his country but is at the same time engaging in a 

 profitable business enterprise. 



Besides endeavoring to stimulate directly the production of live 

 stock, the bureau has sought indirectly to increase production by 

 combating animal diseases throughout the country in a more inten- 

 sive way than ever before. The greater efforts in eradicating the 

 southern cattle tick have resulted in the freeing of additional areas 

 which are now open to successful cattle raising. The more active 

 work against hog cholera has been rewarded by a marked decline in 

 the prevalence of that plague and the placing of hog raising on a 

 relatively safe basis in sections where losses usually have been heavy. 



Campaigns for greater production and fuller utilization of milk 

 and other dairy products also have been started. The work of the 

 cow-testing associations enables the dairy farmer to feed his cows 

 to better advantage and to get rid of those that do not give a good 

 return for their feed. 



The cottage-cheese propaganda is a good example of what has 

 been and is being done to bring about the better utilization of food. 

 It has been recommended that skim milk, which is often fed to pigs 

 or thrown away, be made into cottage cheese, a wholesome and nutri- 

 tious human food which may be used to replace meat to some extent 

 in the diet. Directions for making the cheese in the factory, on the 

 farm, and in the home, and recipes for its use, have been prepared 

 and widely circulated. Already there has resulted a pronounced 

 increase in the output and consumption of this cheese. 



These things have been brought to the attention of the people 

 by field agents, working usually in cooperation with other branches 

 of the department and with State and local agencies; by personal 

 conferences, addresses at meetings, cooperation with stockmen's and 

 dairymen's organizations, and by preparing and issuing numerous 

 publications and giving out information and advice through the 

 department's information service and the press. 



During the fiscal year 107 new publications, comprising 2,791 

 printed pages, were issued or contributed by the bureau. These in- 

 cluded 11 Department Bulletins, 17 Farmers' Bulletins, 9 articles in 

 the Journal of Agricultural Research, 12 articles for the Depart- 

 ment Yearbook, 2 books for congressional distribution, 13 issues of 

 Service and Regulatory Announcements, 25 miscellaneous pamphlets, 

 and 18 orders in the nature of regulations. In addition numerous 

 articles Avere furnished for the Weekly News Letter and to outside 

 scientific and technical journals. 



