some offices decidedly unsanitary. Effective centralization of the mechanical work of the bureau is impossible under present condi

tions.

Owing to the shortage of space the necessary stocks of paper, envelopes, and printed forms are scattered among four widely separated storage places. No one of these spaces, nor all of them combined, is adequate for the purpose. They permit neither sufficient storage space for the material necessary to our work nor efficiency in the receiving, recording, and issuance of supplies. It is hoped that sufficient space will become available eventually, so that this important branch of the work may be conducted with businesslike efficiency and economy.

The salary conditions in the Bureau of Crop Estimates will be made the subject of recommendation in connection with the estimates for the fiscal year 1920. They represent a factor in the difficulty ex perienced by the Bureau of Crop Estimates since the entrance of the United States into the war which should be mentioned at this time.

It seems absolutely necessary in the interest of justice and efficiency to eliminate the $900 grade for clerks. It is becoming more and more difficult to fill vacancies in that grade, and in order to maintain a working force we are obliged in most cases to offer entrance salaries of from $1,000 to $1,200, payable from lump sums available to the bureau. At the same time we have many experienced clerks at $900 to $1,000 on the statutory roll who are barred from promotion by the lack of vacancies in the grades above and from transfer to better paying positions elsewhere by law. This creates a situation whereby new and untrained clerks are paid higher salaries than many whose experience renders them almost indispensable to the service, from whom the newcomers receive much of their instruction, and whose fixed salary becomes a relative demotion by reason of the increased cost of living. The new employees brought in at higher salaries likewise become eligible for positions in the higher grades, for which the older clerks in grades below can not be considered. The growing dissatisfaction and discontent produced by these conditions has had a detrimental influence upon the work of the bureau. The work of the truck-crop section has had to be curtailed because of the excessive number of resignations.

Adequate recognition has not been given to the service rendered by the clerks of the bureau. The bulk of the work of the Bureau of Crop Estimates is of a skilled clerical nature, requiring the highest ability in tabulating, computing, and statistical research. It is considered that we have one of the best forces of computers to be found, in proof of which may be cited the fact that they have repeatedly outdistanced the best adding-machine operators that could be brought together for competition with them. This point is especially significant when it is remembered that the average salary paid to statutory clerks in the Bureau of Crop Estimates during the fiscal year 1917 was only $1,192.47.

The work on which the tabulating and computing clerks are engaged is, at crop report time, of the most grueling nature, and calls for sustained effort and intense concentration for a period of about eight days, during which no account is taken of holidays, and oftentimes none of Sundays. This results from the fact that the law requires crop reports to be issued at a specified time, and every other

consideration must give way to completing the tabulation. Similarly, the statistical-research clerks have acquired a familiarity with the statistical data of all nations and an ability in the treatment of international agricultural statistics not indicated by their titles nor, in many cases, recognized in the way of salary.

The need of civil pensions has long been felt in the Bureau of Crop Estimates. A proper pensioning system is not only desirable from a humane standpoint, but would be in accordance with sound business policy long since recognized in the commercial world.

COOPERATION WITH THE CENSUS BUREAU.

During the past year this bureau has cooperated with the Bureau of the Census in the preparation of the schedules for the agricultural census, to be taken January 1, 1920. Fifty thousand tentative schedules were "tried out" on the crop reporters of this bureau with good results. The 1920 census schedule will omit questions of value of crops, as the Bureau of Crop Estimates will be depended upon for this information; this will cause a saving of nearly 20 per cent in the number of items called for and to be tabulated.

FIELD SERVICE.

From an administrative as well as from a service standpoint the greatest advances made by the bureau occurred in the field. These advances were along two lines-internal improvements in the field organization, equipment, and methods, and the establishment of cooperative relations with crop-reporting services existing in several of the States.

As to the internal improvements:

Formerly the field agents with few exceptions maintained their offices in their homes. Their equipment consisted of a few filing cases and a typewriter. They made their own tabulations, wrote their own letters, and performed all other necessary office work without assistance, except such as might be rendered voluntarily by members of their families. In a very few cases offices were maintained in Federal buildings. The necessary travel kept the field men away from their homes the greater portion of the month, so that upon their return they were confronted by accumulations of work consisting of correspondence, filing, opening, and tabulating returns, preparing their crop report, and inclosing and mailing hundreds of schedules relating to the succeeding month's report. This has always involved an enormous amount of work for one man to handle. On more than one occasion field agents have worked from sunrise to sunrise without stopping for rest, and on some occasions 18 hours a day for several days in succession. The average hours of labor in the field during the period when the men are at their headquarters is probably in excess of 12, Sundays included.

In this connection it should be said that the spirit of the men in accepting work days of 10 to 14 hours and more as a matter of course, and without complaint, is a striking testimonial of their devotion to duty and loyalty to the service.

But the necessity for securing quickly reliable reports along special lines, and the appropriation of funds for that purpose, have made possible immediate improvements in the service. The efforts along

this line have been directed to replacing inefficient agents with those possessing demonstrated ability; establishing offices in suitable office buildings; installing telephone, and other time-saving equipment; and employing clerks. Every field agent now has a mimeograph, an addressing machine, and an envelope sealer. Many of them have adding machines, and three have folding machines. Nearly all of them now have clerks. It formerly was the practice to do all of the addressing and duplicating work in Washington. Under present conditions, however, the field man is able not only to relieve the Washington office of much of the burden formerly carried in connection with regular reports, but to make promptly general or restricted special investigations, either upon its own initiative or upon telegraphic request from Washington.

An outgrowth of the improved equipment is the publication by field agents of crop reports, each for his own territory. Immediately upon issuance of a crop report in Washington the United States figures are telegraphed to each agent, together with figures for his particular territory. He immediately issues a mimeographed report with comments on crop and weather conditions in his State, copies of which are furnished to the press and to the crop reporters.

The agents of some of the States are now issuing reports on a county basis, and these especially are winning warm approbation. Many of the metropolitan dailies publish these reports in full, in some instances giving first-page space to them. It has been planned, and a beginning made, for each agent to send his State reports to his own list of aids and to the county and township reporters, who have already shown great interest in them, but difficulties of the situation with regard to paper and envelopes threaten to curtail this distribution.

During the year several meetings of groups of field agents were held at convenient points for purposes of instruction by representatives from the administrative office and for discussion of problems in crop estimating common to groups of States. One such meeting was held at Atlanta, Ga., in February, at which were present all field agents from the cotton States. Another was held in Chicago last April, of field agents from Iowa and the corn belt States east of the Mississippi, including Wisconsin. A third meeting was held at Lincoln, Nebr., in July, of field agents from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains and from Missouri and Kansas northward to the Canadian boundary. These meetings have proved very helpful in solving special problems, in stimulating interest, in bringing about better and more uniform methods, and in developing plans for improved service.

As to cooperation:

Formal cooperative agreements have been entered into with the State departments of agriculture in Wisconsin, Utah, Nebraska, and Missouri. Informal cooperative relations have been established with the College of Agriculture of Cornell University in New York. The results have been so satisfactory that extension of this plan in other States is contemplated.

The objects sought are:

(1) To obviate duplication of effort; (2) to permit the combined agencies to secure fuller information concerning the subjects under investigation; (3) to permit the consideration and adequate study

of agricultural subjects which are important in individual States, but not important in the United States as a whole; (4) to assure the . essential feature of comparability in the State statistics for successive years by introducing the permanency of methods and routine of the Federal bureau; and to assure the good will and cooperation of State agencies in developing an invaluable body of State statistics of agriculture; (5) to place at the service of the State in the collection and study of agricultural statistics the resources, experience, and statistical training of the Federal bureau; (6) to make accessible to the Federal bureau the extensive classified lists maintained by the various State departments, particularly of those engaged in agricultural work; (7) to afford additional channels for the dissemination of the information collected; (8) to secure public confidence in the reports issued, both because of their greater absolute accuracy as a result of combining efforts, and through the discontinuance of conflicting estimates, which, however much they may both merit confidence or by their close agreement prove their substantial accuracy, cause confusion, and are viewed with suspicion by many because they are not in exact agreement. This suspicion is greatest and most hurtful in the case of producers, who do not appreciate the difficulties of preparing crop estimates and the relative insignificance of considerable absolute deviations.

DIVISION OF CROP REPORTS.

The work of the Division of Crop Reports, under the direct supervision of Mr. Edward Crane, consists of securing and maintaining a list of approximately 199,384 voluntary crop reporters, to whom schedules of inquiry regarding crop and live-stock conditions are forwarded periodically. When these schedules are returned they are tabulated and averaged. The data collected and compiled by this division, supplemented by reports from the field service, constitute the basis of the monthly and special crop reports of the bureau.

While the fiscal year 1917 showed an increase of 50 per cent over 1916 in the total number of inquiries sent out from the division, the fiscal year 1918 shows a still further increase over 1917 of 56 per cent, with 3,200,909 schedules forwarded.

The number of schedules mailed out naturally increased proportionately the amount of material to be tabulated and compiled. The

availability of the various lists of voluntary reporters in the field, and the specially trained force of statistical clerks in the office, made it possible to obtain at short notice and at nominal expense timely information as to the amount of foodstuffs on farms (emergency food survey), the farm labor and fertilizer situation, localities of excess and deficient seed supplies, and binder-twine requirements, in addition to the regularly prepared monthly estimates as to the condition, quality, acreage, yield per acre, and production of various crops, and number and condition of live stock on farms, as well as the price paid the farmer for his products. All of the above information has a distinct bearing on the present international situation. The number of graphic maps showing the distribution of various crops according to acreage and production prepared during the fiscal year was 189.

DIVISION OF TRUCK CROPS.

During the year approximately 133 inquiries were made as compared with 100 last year, an increase of 33 per cent; of this number 22, monthly and bimonthly, covered the condition of truck; 8, monthly and bimonthly, condition of truck grown for manufacture; 4, monthly, condition of truck grown in market gardens; 5, celery; 2, strawberries; 8, acreage contracted of corn, tomatoes, peas, beans; 6, tomatoes; 5, watermelons; 5, cantaloupes; 2, cauliflower; 1, kraut; 2, peppers; 2, kale; 3, spinach; 2, radishes; 1, parsnips; 2, acreage contracted of cabbage; 7, cabbages; 9, onions; 3, seeds; 4, cucumbers; 4, lettuce; 1, pumpkins; 2, carrots; 2, beets; 2, turnips; 1, squash; 2, garlic; 1, parsley; 2, eggplants; 2, asparagus; 1, early Irish potatoes; 1, beans; 1, peas; and 6, miscellaneous. The foregoing inquiries covered condition, acreage, dates of planting and harvesting, yield per acre, price paid to growers, per cent stored, per cent abandoned, per cent shipped out of county, per cent consumed on farms, etc. Beginning in October, 1917, bimonthly inquiries were made regarding the condition of truck, and beginning in May inquiries were made regarding the condition of market-garden truck. An inquiry was also made concerning the acreage of truck grown in market gardens.

NUMBER AND SCOPE OF REPORTS.

Beginning with the issue for the week ending December 8, 1917, a weekly report giving timely information concerning acreage, condition, and production of truck was issued. This report, known as the Weekly Truck Crop News, has been enthusiastically received by growers of and dealers in truck. During the year approximately 134 reports were published as compared with 65 in 1917, an increase of about 106 per cent; of this number 28 constituted the Weekly Truck Crop News; 15 covered monthly and bimonthly condition of truck; 4, condition of truck grown for manufacture; 13, cabbages; 13, onions; 6, early Irish potatoes; 2, watermelons; 1, cantaloupes; 5, each, acreage contracted of tomatoes and peas; 4, acreage contracted of corn; 2, each, acreage contracted of cabbages and beans; 3, celery; 4, tomatoes for shipment; 3, lettuce; 1, cauliflower; 1, brocolli; 6, Bermuda onions; 2, cucumbers; 1, peppers; 2, strawberries; 1, spinach; 1, green beans; 1, seeds; and 8, miscellaneous. Special notes were made concerning market-garden truck in the Weekly Truck Crop News.