REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE OFFICE OF FARM 



MANAGEMENT. 



United States Depakt;ment of Agricth.ture, 



Office of the Secretary, 



Office of Farm Management, 



Washington^ D. 6',, October i, 1917. 



Sir : I am submitting herewith the annual report of the Office of 

 Farm Management for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1917. 

 Respectfully, 



W. J. Spillman, Chief. 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



The emergency arising from the participation of this Government 

 in the European war has caused some realignment of work in this 

 office during the past year. Such projects as were of special value 

 during the emergency were continued and enlarged, while those hav- 

 ing less bearing on the present situation have been partly or wholly 

 discontinued until more normal times. 



FARM-LABOR PROBLEM. 



Shortly after our participation in the war began the responsibility 

 of handling the farm-labor problem was assigned to this office. Offers 

 were made to the various State Councils of Defense or to State com- 

 mittees on food production and conservation to furnish a man to 

 assist in organizing the State for dealing with the farm-labor situa- 

 tion. Nearly all the States accepted this offer. As rapidly as possi- 

 ble the various States were organized and the labor needs of the 

 farmer ascertained. The organization which was perfected supplied 

 these needs, in so far as it was possible, from those who were found 

 available for farm work in rural and village communities and in 

 agricultural schools and colleges. Wliere deficiencies could not be 

 met in this manner, they were called to the attention of the United 

 States Department of Labor, with which department an excellent co- 

 operative understanding had been arranged. There have been very 

 few cases where any material sliortage of labor has not been supplied 

 during the year. In some of the mountain States there was difficulty 

 because of the distance necessary to move laborers and the absence of 

 funds for paying their transportation. 



The organization formed in the various States did not provide for 

 an enumeration of the amount of help furnished farmers, and it is 

 hence not definitely known just how many laborers were supplied to 

 the farmers. It is known, however, that the number was very large. 



CROP ECONOMICS. 



For many years the office has been cooperating with a number of 

 farmers in the matter of farm records. Records covering the full 

 details of the farm business have been kept on these farms. The ex- 

 perience of the past year has given emphasis to the value of such 



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