460 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



these grades. Tentative classifications of western dressed fresh beef, 

 lamb, and mutton have been adopted and used in the daily reports 

 on wholesale prices of these classes of meat. 



DAILY REPORTS ON LIVE STOCK LOADINGS. 



Through the transportation project of this bureau, arrangements 

 were made with all the railroads west of the Allegheny Mountains 

 under which their division superintendents telegraph daily to the 

 Washington office the numbers of single and double deck cars of 

 each class of live stock loaded during the preceding 24 hours, with 

 destinations. This service was inaugurated January 2, 1917. From 

 300 to 325 telegrams showing loadings are received each night. The 

 information is tabulated by a night force and is released by telegraph 

 to the branch stations at T o'clock each morning, and is also released 

 in the form of daily bulletins, including Sunday. 



In addition to the daily loadings of live stock, arrangements were 

 made with the railroads to furnish statistics relative to tlie total 

 loadings of each class of live stock in 1916 at each station on their 

 lines. A large number of the railroads have furnished this informa- 

 tion for the year 1915, and these data are being compiled. 



MONTHLY REPORTS OF STOCK YARDS RECEIPTS. 



Officials of 58 stock yards companies transmit monthly reports to 

 this bureau showing the receipts and shipments of live stock at their 

 yards. In addition, officials of 37 of these yards report monthly the 

 number of stockers and feeders shipped or driven out to feeding 

 districts. During the past two months these reports have been tabu- 

 lated and a report on receipts at stock yards has been issued by the 

 bureau shortly after the first of each month. Thorough investiga- 

 tion has indicated that this information will be of material value 

 in determining the actual and relative movements, supply, and loca- 

 tion of marketable live stock in the country. 



WOOL. 



For the purpose of ascertaining and making known the available 

 supply of wool, schedules are being sent, under the direction of Mr. 

 L. D. Hall, to approximately 2,200 wool dealers and manufacturers, 

 or to all whose names can be obtained. 



QUARTERLY REPORTS ON THE SUPPLY OF WOOL. 



The first quarterly report on the supply of wool on hand was 

 issued as of June 30, 1917. This report covered stocks of wool, tops, 

 and noils on hand on that date, segregated into the various commer- 

 cial classes and grades. It is believed that this report constituted 

 the most complete inventory of wool supplies in the United States 

 ever compiled, and it is planned to make it the first of a permanent 

 series of reports. Hereafter these reports will give a comparison 

 with previous supplies of all classes of wool, tops, and noils, both 

 foreign and domestic, held by dealers and manufacturers. 



