342 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



of 1899-1900," by James L. Watkins; " Wheat growing and general 

 agricultural conditions in the Pacific coast region of the United 

 States," by Edwin S. Holmes, jr.; "The cereal crops of European 

 Russia in 1900," by E. T. Peters; "Rates of charge for transpoi-ting 

 garden truck, with notes on the growth of the industry," by Edward 

 G. Wai'd, jr., and Edwin S. Holmes, jr.; and "Wages of farm labor 

 in the United States." Of these publications there were printed 

 93,000 copies, making the total number of copies of publications 

 issued by this Division during the year 1,527,000, not including the 

 reprint of the article on the "Influence of rye on the price of wheat," 

 by E. T. Peters, which appeared in the Yearbook of the Department 

 for' 1900, nor the reprint of the statistical appendix to the Yearbook, 

 which is mainl}^ the work of the experts of this Division. 



A SPEEDIER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. 



For several years past determined efforts have been made, with the 

 cooperation of the Public Printer, to expedite the publication and 

 distribution of the monthly crop reports, so that as little time as pos- 

 sible might intervene between the issue of the telegraphic summary 

 and the receipt in the most remote agricultural county of the com- 

 plete report. On May 31, 1901, however, at a time when the keen- 

 est interest was prevailing throughout the entire South as to the 

 extent of the newly planted acreage of cotton, a card containing the 

 most iinportant points of the Statistician's reijort on the subject was 

 mailed to 24,000 post offices in the Southern States within three hours 

 of the publication of the telegraphic summary, with a request that 

 postmasters would give it prominent display in their offices. This was 

 done largely as an exi3eriment, and so successful was it that within a 

 few weeks its operation was extended, with the most gratifying results, 

 to the grain reports. A farmer has now only to visit the nearest 

 post office to see the Statistician's latest report on the principal crops, 

 and the measures adopted by the Public Priiiter and the Postmaster- 

 General have reduced to a minimum the time necessar}^ for placing 

 this important information within the farmer's immediate reach. 



To attain this result the cards are addressed before they are printed, 

 and the reading matter, with the exception of the actual figures of the 

 report, is put into type. A branch printing office is established in a 

 private room connecting with that of the Statistician, and as rapidly 

 as the official figures are arrived at they are inserted in the card. 

 This is all done within the hour preceding the issue of the telegraphic 

 report, and during that time no employee having access to the figures 

 is allowed to leave the building or have communication with anyone 

 outside. Promptly on the first stroke of the hour — 12 at noon in the 

 case of cotton, and 4 p. m. in that of grain — a summary of the report 

 is handed to special operators of the Western Union and Postal Tele- 

 graph Cable companies, representatives of the press, and other appli- 

 cants, and only a few moments elapse before it is being read in all the 

 commercial centers of the world. Concurrently with the official pro- 

 mulgation of the figures the printing presses are set in motion, and 

 almost as fast as they leave the press the cards for display in the 

 77,000 post offices of the country, previously arranged by States, and 

 ranging in number from 149 for Rhode Island to 5,255 for Pennsyl- 

 vania, are sent to the Wasiiington post office, where special provision 

 is made for their prompt dispatch. 



