BUREAU OF CROP ESTIMATES. 307 



CROP REPORTS BY COUNTIES. 



In undertaking special investigations and in planning future work 

 the Bureau of Crop Estimates is guided niainly by the number, 

 urgency, and purpose of requests which are received for special in- 

 formation. The increasing number of requests from all sources for 

 information by counties indicates clearly that the crop and live- 

 stock estimates would be greatly enhanced in value, interest, and 

 service if the estimates by States could be made to show details by 

 counties. Estimates can he made readily and published in this form 

 if the bureau can be provided with a relatively slight increase in 

 funds and equipment. 



In the spring of 1917 a cooperative arrangement was effected be- 

 tween the Bureau of Crop Estimates and the State department of 

 agriculture of Wisconsin, which provides for the utilization of all 

 State sources of information by the field agent of the bureau in that 

 State in collaboration with State officials, the preparation of a 

 monthly State crop report by counties in conformity with the totals 

 for the State, as determined by the Crop Reporting Board of the 

 bureau and telegraplied to the field agent as soon as the crop report 

 is approved and issued by the Secretary of Agriculture, and the 

 cooperative State county crop report is then immediately published 

 by the Wisconsin State department of agriculture. 



It is hoped that sufficient funds and facilities may be provided in 

 the near future as will enable the bureau to complete the organiza- 

 tion of the crop-reporting service on a county basis by the time the 

 next census of agriculture is taken, and that thereafter all crop and 

 live-stock estimates of the Department of Agriculture can be made to 

 show details by counties. 



