8 



commercial character of each nation may require, as well as to obtain more 

 complete knowledge of the agricultural capabilities of each nation, an agent of 

 this Department should visit the principal countries of Europe. 



The Commissioner of Agriculture, in this connexion, cannot but refer to the 

 courtesy of the Secretary of State, who has authorized him to call upon these 

 consuls for such agricultural information of the countries in which they reside 

 as may be desired by this Department. 



Essential to a correspondence necessary to the collection of statistics for the 

 reports of this Department is a restoration of the franking privilege given to it 

 by the act creating the Department of Agriculture. It declared that the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture may send and receive through the mails, free of charge, 

 all communications and other matter pertaining to the business of his Depart- 

 ment, not exceeding in weight thirty-two ounces. 



To obtain returns from correspondents furnishing statistical infonnation, he 

 has prepaid the postage, and, in consequence, had to limit the correspondence to 

 those whom he knew would certainly answer, when the want of information 

 demanded an extension of the correspondence to counties in which there was 

 no corrrespondent. Such as are competent cannot be procured often until after 

 several trials, and the prepaid postage would be lost. If the Department shall 

 be authorized to collect statistics of manufactures and commerce by circulars, 

 the present restrictions will necessarily result in a loss to the government until 

 the correspondence will be fully established, because persons to whom prepaid 

 envelopes are sent do not answer, for the reason that they do not desire to be- 

 come correspondents, and the war takes many of them from home. Very fre- 

 quently individuals who are not regular correspondents, wishing to aid the 

 Department, would send statistical information, but the restriction on the franking 

 privilege of the Department prevents them. Individuals having personal objects 

 to subserve ought to prepay their postage, but such have no communications to 

 make to the Commissioner. 



The nutnber of' cojjies o( the monthly report, or o{ one published every two 

 months, that should be ordered by Congress to be printed, is a subject in which 

 all are interested, for not farmers only, but those engaged in commercial, and 

 even those in professional pursuits desire them. All, too, want the annual 

 report, because agricultural and horticultural pursuits have an interest for all. 



When the plan on which .the monthly reports are based will be fully devel- 

 oped, the demand will be greatly increased. The Department commenced with 

 ten thousand copies, but soon had to inci'ease them to fifteen thousand. If the 

 wishes of all asking for them had been complied with, that number would have 

 had to be doubled. Fifty thousand copies of a report published every two 

 months would scarcely supply the demand. 



The English government sells its statistical compilations at cost, and, if Con- 

 gress would direct that individuals might order copies on like terms, the Com- 

 missioner believes that, through his regular correspondents in each county, a 

 large number of copies might, on this plan, be furnished to those who cannot 

 otherwise obtain them. As this correspondence is monthly, and the annual 

 report not published until in the summer, ample time to forward subscriptions 

 would be given before the copies for free distribution would be printed. No 

 objections can be made to a trial, at least, of this plan for increasing the circula- 

 tion of the reports of this Department. 



ISAAC NEWTON, Comi?iissioner. 



