COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPORTATION 277 



to-day, were : First, the periodical ; second, the public and semi- 

 public document, and third, the book, the three standing in this 

 order as to numbers distributed. Periodicals reach a larger au- 

 dience than either the proceedings of societies, some of which 

 are private and others semi-public documents, or books which 

 have a more limited circulation but perhaps a greater influence 

 upon those who are actually reached. 



As a conclusion of this hasty glance at the development of 

 agricultural literature, we find at the beginning of a new cen- 

 tury that periodical literature is most highly developed and spe- 

 cialized, and, in the opinion of many, commercialized to an ex- 

 treme degree which must sooner or later result in the consolida- 

 tion or transformation of many journals. With approximately 

 five hundred periodicals devoted to one or many of the phases 

 of agriculture and related topics, the field of periodical literature 

 may be said to be crowded. These numerous periodicals send 

 out literally millions of copies each week, and while a large pro- 

 portion of the rank and file of rural people do not read a 

 periodical regularly, all are touched directly or indirectly by the 

 ideas thus distributed. Were they properly distributed, there 

 would be several copies each month for each person engaged in 

 agriculture in the entire country. This consistent dissemina- 

 tion of literature, going on as it does without ceasing and with 

 growing force, constitutes the greatest agency for agricultural 

 improvement. 



Next in order of importance must be placed the public docu- 

 ments. They have increased in numbers within the last decade 

 with great rapidity, and within the past five years the quantity 

 of reliable free literature for the man on the farm has been al- 

 most doubled. There is little doubt that this increase will con- 

 tinue for some time to come. The recognition by the daily news- 

 paper of the importance of agriculture, and consequently the 

 regular appearance of departments concerning such matters is 

 one of the newest and most significant phases of this rapid in- 

 crease of printed matter on farm topics. 



For the books on agriculture there is less to be said. The 

 most valuable works now found in our libraries are the product 

 of the last decade. The tendency for more popular and attrac- 

 tive literature has unquestionably brought down the average 



