BUREAU OE^ PLANT INDUSTRY. 57 



dry regions of the Xorthwest, and will also aid the work of Seed and 

 Plant Introduction by securing data which can be used in the future 

 in the matter of ordering seeds which may prove of value for different 

 parts of this countr3\ 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The methods of preparing publications of the Bureau have been 

 considerably simplified since my last report. During the year twent^^ 

 bulletins were issued dealing with various topics; and in addition 

 there have been published six Farmers' Bulletins, prepared by the 

 officers or assistants in the Bureau. There were also jirepared six 

 Yearbook papers, all dealing with subjects pertaining to plant indus- 

 trial work. Under the present system there is onlj' one series of 

 bulletins in the Bureau, and these deal for the most part with technical 

 or semitechnical matter. The editions of these bulletins are more or 

 less limited, and wherever the subject is one of direct jiractical impor- 

 tance Farmers' Bulletins giving the main facts and their practical 

 application are prepared. The technical and semitechnical bulletins 

 of the Bureau are sent for the most part to libraries, experiment sta- 

 tion and college workers who are engaged in lines of work similar 

 to those being carried on in the Bureau. With a view to the greatest 

 econonw in the distribution of these i)ublications careful lists are 

 kej)t, and only a limited number of libraries receive everything that 

 is issued. The wide diversity of subjects handled by the Bureau 

 makes it necessarj^ to maintain separate lists, and in doing this 

 arrangements are made to have the publications reach those who are 

 most directly interested. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The correspondence of the Bureau grows from year to year and has 

 now reached* a magnitude little understood. The proper handling of 

 this work involves probably not less than one-fourth the time of the 

 entire Bureau force and deals with most varied subjects. It is, how- 

 ever, looked upon as a means of instruction of vast importance, and 

 every effort is made to give careful consideration to the subjects 

 brought up. Inquiries of most varied kinds are received, man}' of 

 which are accompanied by specimens of various sorts, which require 

 careful study before an intelligent answer can be given. Manj' of the 

 inquiries are of such a nature that they can be handled by sending a 

 Farmers' Bulletin or some other publication of the Bureau which con- 

 tains the specific information sought. Many, however, require special 

 letters, and in all such cases as full information as can be secured 

 is given on the subjects involved. The entire correspondence of 

 the Bureau will aggregate from 175,000 to 200,000 communications 

 annually. 



INCREASING CALLS FOR WORK. 



Notwithstanding the somewhat rapid advances made in the last two 

 or three years in the way of extending the work of the Bureau, the 

 calls for additional assistance are still greatly in excess of our ability 

 to meet them. A fact that is not generall}^ appreciated is that as the 

 struggle for life becomes more intense in this country, and the work 

 connected with the production of crops becomes of a higher nature, 

 the possibilities of injuries from diseases and the necessity for improve- 

 ments in order to meet the keen competition existing will become 



