10201 . EDITORIAL. 603 



period under consideration. The number of publications issued was 

 enlarged from a little over four hundred to more than two tliousand 

 a year, and the agjErregate edition from six and one-half million copies 

 to nearly thirty-five million. That this increase was accompanied 

 by a corresponding grow'th in the call for them is shown by the fact 

 that in 1897 the requests for publications barely exceeded five hun- 

 (hvd letters a week, while sixteen years later such weekly applications 

 averaged more than fifty-two thousand. This reflects the extension 

 of the Department's contact with the farmers and other readers of 

 the country. 



A measure for which Secretary Wilson labored with much zeal 

 Avas the provision of a building plan to afford adequate facilities for 

 the Department. A beginning in that direction was realized in 190'i, 

 in the appropriation of two and one-half million dollars with which 

 two units of a prospective building were erected. Several large labo- 

 ratories and other buildings for the Department's special use were 

 also put up by private owners, to meet the need of its rapid growth. 

 The Arlington farm tract, an area of about 400 acres, w^as transferred 

 to the Department from the AVar Department in 1900, and improved 

 and developed as a field laboratory ; and another farm was purchased 

 and e<iuipped for experiments in animal husbandry and dairying, 

 thus greatly strengthening the facilities in these directions. 



These changes give a conception of the material growth of the 

 Department in his time, and suggest the enlarged scope of its ac- 

 tivities. They came as a result of increased demands upon the De- 

 partment and its initiative in attacking new lines of effort, and they 

 were made possible by the convincing manner in wdiich the require- 

 ments and benefits were presented. They could not have come with 

 any such rapidity if they had not been supported by public senti- 

 ment and confidence. That this was justified is evidenced by lack 

 of charges of extravagance or the feeling that more was being asked 

 for than could be warranted. It is a striking fact that apparently 

 nothing could have held back this grow^th after Secretary Wilson 

 had got his plans well under way and convinced the farming people 

 of his ability to lead. It shows the hold he had secured. They felt 

 that at last agriculture was coming into its own, and they demanded 

 support for their Department. That agriculture was prospering 

 and growing in productivity is indicated by the combined value of 

 farm products, which at the beginning of this sixteen-year period was 

 four billion dollars and at its end over nine and one-half billions, 



Katurally the tremendous enlargement and multiplication of the 

 Department's activities necessitated changes in organization to make 

 it more effective. Secretary Wilson found only two bureaus in op- 

 eration when he came, the Weather Bureau and the Bureau of Ani- 



