326 ANIiTUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



within a few hours or days upon telegraphic request to the field agents. 

 These requests, many of them urgent and without precedent, often 

 involved an enormous amount of work on the part of the field agents, 

 requiring them to work at all hours of the day and night, regardless 

 of Sundays and holidays, but in every case they responded without 

 complaint or hesitation, working conscientiously, efficiently, and loy- 

 ally to do their part to help win the war. The same is true of the 

 crop specialists, who are assigned to j)articular crops and collect in- 

 formation regarding their special crops wherever grown, without 

 regard to State lines. 



Not only did the war emergency develop the organization of tho 

 bureau to a high degree of efficiency of service, but it greatly stimu- 

 lated the interest and zeal of the vast number of voluntary crop re- 

 porters, who serve without compensation. These men reported to 

 the bureau on crop and live-stock condition's and in response to numer- 

 ous special inquiries more conscientiously and with greater regularity 

 during the war than before the emergency arose. In fact, one of tlie 

 most inspiring features of our participation in this war was the 

 universal readiness of every man, regardless of his situation in life, 

 to contribute his time, thought, energy, and money, or make any 

 other sacrifice required to help his country win the war against the 

 common enem}^ 



On June 30, 1919, the bureau had 129 employees in the Washington 

 office, and in the field 12 crop specialists, 39 field agents, and 50 clerks, 

 or a total of 230 salaried employees. 



The total number of voluntary crop reporters was 215,460, classified 

 as follows: 



Voluntary crop reporters. 



;:xclusive of pepnut, broom com, bean, cranberry, and other special lists maintained by field agents. 



For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, there was available 

 $346,232 from the annual appropriation and $117,040 allotted from 

 the war-emergency food-production appropriation, or a total of 

 $403,272. 



WORK ACCOMPLISHED. 



During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1919, the bureau issued tho 

 regular monthly crop^ reports, showing estimated acreages planted, 

 growing conditions, yields per acre, and total production, farm prices 

 of different crops for each State and the United States, estimates of 

 total number of live stock of different classes on farms and ranges, 

 their condition, and losses from diseases and otlier causes. Com- 



