112 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



the commercial movements and prices of live stock and meats of 

 various classes and grades, particularly market receipts of fat 

 cattle, hogs and sheep, and prices of the same, wholesale prices 

 of dressed beef, hog products, mutton and lamb, and at stated 

 intervals retail prices of meat and meat products. Summaries 

 of this information will be distributed for publication at stated 

 periods, and will be wired to persons willing to pay the cost of 

 such services. In connection with the work standard classes and 

 grades of live stock and meats will be determined, and steps 

 taken toward the unification of such standards in different live 

 stock markets and consuming centers. 



The office issued the first report of the stocks of frozen and 

 cured meats held in the United States on December 1, 1916. 

 This report will be issued about the 8th of each month here- 

 after. 



City Marketing and Distribution. 



Investigations under this head are carried on in many of the 

 larger cities of the country. In studying the problems involved 

 in the provisioning of municipal populations, public markets 

 operated by municipalities are being compared with those pri- 

 vately owned, with a view to determining the absolute and rela- 

 tive advantages of each system; direct dealing between pro- 

 ducers and consumers in the city markets is being promoted 

 where practicable; the advantages of the various forms and sys- 

 tems of city distribution are being investigated. Methods and 

 costs of construction and operation of municipal markets are 

 being studied, and upon request suggestions and information are 

 given to city authorities and other responsible agencies. 



A brief description of the work of the different projects as of 

 November, 1915, as well as a list of the publications, of the 

 OflSce of Markets and Rural Organization may be found in 

 Document No. 1, entitled "The Work of the Office of Markets 

 and Rural Organization," copies of which may be obtained upon 

 application. 



State Activities in Marketing. 



The market investigations of the several States are usually 

 under one of three general types of arrangement, and they will 

 be discussed very briefly under the following heads: — 



