446 



AITNUAL EEPOKTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the total waste, exclusive of tare, from the "Middling Yellow 

 Stained " cotton w^as 10.6 per cent and the total waste, exclusive of 

 tare, from the " bolly," 16.8 per cent. Tensile strength tests proved 

 that "Middling Yellow Stained" cotton was about 10 per cent 

 stronger than the "bolly" cotton. 



At Tempe, Ariz., tests were made to determine the advisability of 

 using artificial humidity during the ginning process. This test 

 showed no difference in the spinning value of the cotton ginned witli 

 and without artificial humidity. 



This work was supervised by Mr. Fred Taylor assisted by Mr. 

 D. E. Earle. 



SERVICE WORK. 



MARKET NEWS SERVICES. 



Anticipating the discontinuance of emergency appropriations, 

 some of the leased wire circuits of the Bureau, which formerly ex- 

 tended 15,000 miles, were abandoned before the close of the fiscal 

 year 1919. On June 30 the leased wires used in connection with the 

 live-stock news service were discontinued Avest of Kansas City and 

 south of Cincinnati. The circuits used in connection with the 

 services on fruits and vegetables and dairy products will be closed 

 throughout the West on September 30 if no additional funds are 

 made available. On account of the importance of this work as a 

 factor in promoting the effective provisioning of our great cities with 

 fresh food, and the undesirabilily of leaving the West and South 

 without reliable market information, Congress has been requested to 

 grant additional funds for this work. The leased wires now extend 

 about 9,000 miles, having been reduced from the mileage mentioned 

 above. 



MARKET NEWS SERVICE ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 



As stated in the annual report for the fiscal year 1918, this work 

 was greatly expanded with war funds and it was operated on this 

 basis during the greater part of the past fiscal year, although, antici- 

 pating the discontinuance of emergency funds, many curtailments 

 were effected during the last half of the year. Mr. W. A. Sherman 

 is in charge of this work. 



Reports were issued covering 31 commodities. These reports gave 

 information regarding car-lot shipments, arrivals, and jobbing prices 

 in the principal markets, and f. o. b. prices and other shipping-point 

 information. 



The following commodities were included in the program of the 

 past fiscal year : 



Apples. 



Asparagus. 



Biincheci vegetables. 



Cabbage. 



Celery. 



Cherries. 



Cantaloupes. 



Cranberries. 



Cucumbers. 



Dry beans. 



Eggplant. 



Grapefruit. 



Grapes. 



Green peas. 



Honey (semimoutlily). 



Lettuce. 



Mixed fruits. 



Onions. 



Oranges. 



Peaches. 



Pears. 



Peppers. 



Prunes. 



Spinach. 



Strawberries. 



String beans. 



Sweet potatoes. 



Tangerines. 



Tomatoes. 



Watermelons. 



White potatoes. 



