320 ANNUAL KEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the issuance of each publication. Part of this method of distribution 

 includes the sending in liberal quantities to county agents the publi- 

 cations adapted for distribution in their districts. It was in this 

 class of publications that the greatest falling off in the number 

 distributed occurred, as 24,943,456 less were sent out than the 3^ear 

 previous. 



CONGRESSIONAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Farmers' Bulletins were not called for in as great quantity as 

 the year before, although 17,159,294 copies were distributed. Of this 

 number 5,490,652 were distributed on orders from Members of Congress 

 and the remaining 11,668,642 were distributed by the department. 

 Included in the department's distribution were 1,118,000 sent ac- 

 cording to the regular schemes of distribution; 7,168,495 were for- 

 warded upon orders issued by various offices of the department, and 

 3,382,147 were sent in response to requests from miscellaneous 

 applicants. In addition to the Farmers' Bulletins, Members of 

 Congress were furnished with 3,280,000 lists of Farmers' Bulletins 

 which were used by th-e Members in distributing their allotments of 

 Farmers' Bulletins. The aggregate number of Farmers' Bulletins 

 distributed during the fiscal year ending June 30 was much less than 

 during the 3^ear 1918, which is the reason that it is possible to carry 

 over 9,009, i27 to be distributed during the current fiscal year. 



The distribution work involves the keeping of records of the dis- 

 tribution of the thousands of publications carried in stock; correspond- 

 ence with Members of Congress, officials of States and counties, 

 department officials, and the general public; the maintanence of me- 

 chanical labor-saving devices, such as folding, stencil, and bundle- 

 tying machines, etc.; the keeping of foreign mail records; and 

 furnishing information regarding publications to visitors who call 

 at the office. 



In conducting the distribution directed by Members of Congress 

 28,235 letters were received, and 25,053 orders were issued on the 

 Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office. 



In many cases the decision as to what is to be sent devolves upon 

 this office. Millions of Congressional franks are counted. Totals 

 are checked on Farmers' Bulletin lists returned by constituents of 

 Members of Congress. As an account is kept with each Member of 

 Congress, this work must be performed with great accuracy. 



In connection with this work 44,883 letters were prepared during 

 the year. Of this total 6,875 were dictated; 12,060 were composed by 

 the typist or stenographer, in accordance with general instructions; 

 22,359 were form letters; and 3,589 were reference slips. There 

 were also cut 1,374 dermatype stencils. 



CORRESPONDENCE UNIT. 



Daily several thousand requests are received from applicants from 

 various parts of the country for information on many phases of 

 agriculture. These requests are largely the result of the issuance 

 of the Monthly List of Publications and the publicity given the 

 activities of the department by the Office of Information. During 

 the year just closed miscellaneous requests for publications and 

 other information were received from 491,567 applicants. After 

 this mail matter had been sorted into classes, 124,583 orders were 

 issued on the Superintendent of Documents for miscellaneous pub- 



