776 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLICATIONS. 



During the year 33,888,075 publications wcro received from the 

 Public Printer, making the total number available for distribution 

 38,510,460, of which 33,243,761 copies were distributed, leaving a 

 balance on hand June 30, 1912, of 5,266,699 documents. Of the 

 total number distributed 19,764,792 were miscellaneous publications, 

 and 10,207,969 were Farmers' Bulletins and 3,271,000 lists of avail- 

 able Farmers' Bulletins. 



The total number of Farmers' Bulletins available for distribution 

 durhig the year was 13,393,882. Of this number 7,351,262 were 

 distributed ui)on orders of Senators, Representatives, and Delegates 

 in Congress, and 2,856,707 were sent out upon requests of miscel- 

 laneous ap])licants, leaving a balance on hand at the close of June 

 30, 1912, of 3,185,913 copies. The increase in the congressional dis- 

 tribution of this class of publications durmg the fiscal year just ended 

 over that of the previous year was 1,877,183. The total number of 

 these bulletins sent upon requests of miscellaneous applicants was 

 193,930 less than the number distributed to tliis class of applicants 

 during the year ending June 30, 1911. During the past two years 

 the number of Farmers' Bulletms sent by the department to miscel- 

 laneous a])])licants has been restricted to approximately 10 numbers, 

 as they have been ad^ased that publications could be procured by 

 addressing their Senators or Representatives in Congress. This has 

 tended in a great measure to divert the demand toward these officials, 

 as is shown by the fact that there was an increase of about 30 per 

 cent in the congressional distribution. 



Although the total distribution is nearly 10 per cent larger than of 

 the ])revious year, tliis increase does not fully snow the extra amount 

 of work hivolved, inasmuch as under the j)resent practice Senators 

 and Representatives in Congress, by sending the list of Farmers' 

 Bulletins to individuals in their districts and allowing the people to 

 make their own selection, have mcreased the number of individual 

 orders that require separate and distinct handling and assembling 

 by 300 per cent. This work was so great during the past season 

 that for two months those engaged in this work were required to 

 work an extra half hour daily in order to cope with it. 



Probably the most important feature of the work done m the 

 Document Section is the handling of the great mass of correspond- 

 ence received from miscellaneous applicants in all parts of the country 

 In a great many cases the applicant re(juests information that is not 

 contained m the publications, necessitating the reference of the 

 request to other offices or the writhig of explanatory letters. During 

 the year 742,200 of these communications were received, involving 

 768,312 orders on the mailing rooms. Thirty-one thousand two 

 hundred form cards and circular letters were used in reply, in addi- 

 tion to the 68,172 specially prepared replies, and in the great majority 

 of cases the request of the correspondent was complied with by send- 

 ing tlte publications vrithout other response. 



The work devolving upon the force required considerable judg- 

 ment, a fuie knowledge of the publications of the department, as well 

 as rapid and legible penmanslup. 



Durmg the year enduig June 30, 1912, there were sent to foreign 

 addresses 42,325 packages containing publications of this depart- 



