CII EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY OE AGRICULTURE. 



branches of the Department, and for this reason it is important to 

 observe that the extent of the work devolving upon it is dependent 

 entirely upon agencies outside of the Division and beyond the control 

 of its chief. 



It is obvious, therefore, that every step taken in the development 

 and extension of the work of the Department increases the work of the 

 Division of Publications, and yet it must be admitted that the provi- 

 sions made for the publication work and the distribution of the Depart- 

 ment publications have never been fully adequate to the task imposed 

 upon it. The result has been, unfortunately, that every year impor- 

 tant reports have been withheld from publication, either until a new 

 fiscal year has brought with it new appropriations, or until a resolu- 

 tion could be passed by Congress specially authorizing their publica- 

 tion and assuming the cost thereof. It is of the highest importance 

 that our publications should be timely and that the practical results of 

 investigations made — all useful information, in fact, acquired by the 

 Department — should be promptly given to the public. These delays 

 are not infrequently costly and are at all times vexatious. Again, in 

 the matter of distribution, the distributing force, largely underpaid 

 as it is, is frequently disorganized and demoralized by suspensions and 

 furloughs necessitated by want of funds, to say nothing of grievous 

 hardship thus imposed upon many hard-working and faithful employees. 

 Not less than 35 persons suffered in this way last year, in spite of the 

 fact that $5,500 of this year's appropriation was made immediately 

 available, and it has become necessary again this year not only to ask 

 for a very considerable increase^ in the force but to have a considerable 

 sum again made- immediately available in order to carry on the work 

 efficiently to the close of the present fiscal year. 



GROWTH OF THE PUBLICATION WORK. 



In spite of the restrictions thus imposed upon the work of publica- 

 tion, it has nevertheless grown wonderfully during the past ten years. 

 In 1893 there were issued from the Department 210 publications, 

 aggregating over 2,500,000 copies. In the year under consideration, 

 1901, there were issued 606 publications, aggregating nearly 8,000,000 

 copies. 



farmers' bulletins. 



Of the above publications 3,345,000 copies were Farmers' Bulle- 

 tins, of which 2,200,000, in round numbers, were distributed under 

 Congressional orders. The total number of Congressional quotas 

 drawn was 413. With the accumulated copies due to quotas undrawn 

 and the increased appropriation for the Farmers' Bulletins the quota 

 for each Senator, Representative, and Delegate for the current year 

 has been fixed at 15,000 copies. Under the present law four-fifths 



