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more than 51.6 per cent over the output of last year. This includes 341 earlier publications, the editions of which totaled 19,947,500, reprinted to supply the continuing demand, and 28,258,500 copies of emergency leaflets, pamphlets, posters, and the like issued in connection with the efforts of the Department to stimulate production. All previous records with regard to new Farmers' Bulletins were broken, 130 new bulletins in this series having been issued, the editions of which aggregated 10,815,000 copies. Of the 236 bulletins reprinted to supply the continuing demand, the editions reached 10,884,000 copies. The total issues of the bulletins in this series, therefore, amounted to 21,699,000 copies.

Noteworthy improvement in the character, form, and general appearance of the bulletins was accomplished during the year. Many of the earlier bulletins were revised and reduced, all extraneous matter eliminated, specific and positive statements substituted, and reprinted with attractive cover designs and text illustrations.

INFORMATION SERVICE.

To meet the increasing needs of the Department for publicity in its campaigns to stimulate food production and conservation, the services to the press of the country were largely extended. In addition to furnishing information to farmers through the agricultural and rural press, the Department has found it wise to present to people of the cities accurate statements of its recommendations and advice on the distribution and saving of food materials; and the work of the Department was enlarged to this end. An illustrated weekly news service is now furnished on request to 3,200 dailies and weeklies, which set the type in their own offices, through plate-making concerns to 250 papers, and to 4,000 smaller weeklies in ready print, a total of 7,450 publications. It is probable that this service reaches 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 readers weekly. A home-garden series and a canning-drying series were distributed in much the same

manner.

The Weekly News Letter, enlarged from 8 pages to 16 pages on occasions, has a circulation of 130,000. It reaches newspapers and other publications, Federal and State agricultural workers and cooperators, agricultural leaders, libraries, and chambers of commerce. As the official organ of the Department, it carries material intended to further national agricultural campaigns and publishes official statements. Popular articles discussing the experimental results of

and advice on agricultural methods also are used in more detail than in other departmental news channels.

Through its mimeographed news service, the Department furnishes daily, or as the necessity for prompt distribution demands, timely information regarding its activities to press associations, correspondents, newspapers, agricultural journals, and specialized publications generally or locally. By reason of its increased activities, the amount of material supplied through this channel in the last year has been approximately doubled.

Conferences were held with agricultural editors to determine how the Department could better aid them, to acquaint them with its production programs and purposes, and to obtain their suggestions and enlist their cooperation. The needs of the farm press also were ascertained in an extensive questionnaire in which editors were invited to indicate their requirements in detail and to give other information useful to the Department in further developing its agricultural press service. During the year a reclassification of mailing lists was completed. The lists as now established provide for more intelligent distribution of material generally and locally and make it easier to avoid unnecessary duplication and waste.

EXHIBITS.

At present the Department of Agriculture is the only executive department maintaining an Office of Exhibits. Its purpose is to centralize the administration of the exposition services of the Department and to secure uniformity of practice in designing and displaying its educational exhibits. During the past year this work developed along lines connected with the stimulation of food production and conservation. The demands for exhibits from fair associations and similar organizations were so great that it was impossible fully to meet them.

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918, the Department made, through the Office of Exhibits, over 30 exhibitions and demonstrations relating to food production, conservation, and distribution. These exhibitions covered a wide range of territory, from New England to Florida and California, and brought the work of the Department to the direct attention of more than 3,000,000 people. At a number of these fairs the Department's exhibits occupied areas of 5,000 square feet or more, and the attendance ran from 150,000 to 950,000.

In response to a widespread popular request for war exhibits at the larger fairs, the Secretary of Agriculture, on April 5, 1918, addressed a communication to the Secretaries of War, Navy, Interior, and Commerce Departments, and to the Food Administration, and invited a conference of representatives from those Departments to work out, with officers of the Department of Agriculture, a coordinated plan of action. This resulted in the formation of a Joint Committee on Government Exhibits, composed of representatives from each of the Departments named. The expert on exhibits of this Department was made chairman of the committee. A plan was evolved and executed to send an impressive joint Government exhibit to 37 State and other fairs and expositions. It is believed that this exhibit was of the highest value in educating and stimulating the people to greater industrial activities, to larger agricultural production, and to a broader and deeper appreciation of their country and Government.

MOTION PICTURES.

The dissemination of information by means of motion pictures, which hitherto has been conducted only on an experimental basis, was, by action of Congress, given a definite allotment of funds, which enabled the Department to undertake the systematic development of this activity. Films prepared in the Department's laboratory were used very effectively in connection with its efforts to recruit farm labor, encourage the preservation of perishable fruits and vegetables, prevent forest fires, and stimulate agricultural production. They were shown, through the extension service, to approximately 500,000 people at demonstration meetings, county and State fairs, schools, churches, and municipal gatherings, and, by arrangement with one of the commercial companies, to about 4,000,000 people at motion-picture theaters. The film companies actively cooperated with the Department and rendered valuable assistance by placing information and appeals of an emergency character before the patrons of the theaters served by them.

PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF NITRATE OF SODA.

The food control act, which authorized the President to procure and sell nitrate of soda to farmers at cost for the purpose of increasing production, appropriated $10,000,000 for that purpose. By direc

tion of the President, the War Industries Board made arrangements for the purchase of the nitrate and the Secretary of Agriculture for its sale and distribution. The Bureau of Markets was designated as the agency to handle the work for the Department.

Contracts were made for the purchase of about 120,000 short tons of nitrate, and arrangements were effected through the Shipping Board to secure tonnage for transporting it from Chile. A selling price of $75.50 on board cars at port of arrival was announced in January, 1918, and farmers were given an opportunity to make applications through the county agents and committees of local business men appointed for the purpose. Applications for amounts totaling more than 120,000 tons were received from 75,000 farmers, who asked for lots ranging from one-tenth of a ton to more than 100 tons. On account of the lack of available shipping it was possible to bring in, up to June 30, 1918, only about 75,000 tons, practically all of which actually was sent to farmers by that date.

Some of the nitrate was shipped direct to farmers, but the greater part was consigned to county distributors in the counties requiring large quantities. These distributors were appointed when it became evident early in the year that, on account of the lack of vessels, sufficient nitrate would not arrive in time to make complete delivery during the period of greatest need. Through them it was possible to make quick and equitable distribution and to save farmers. the interest on deposits required for payments, since shipments for the county were made to the distributors on sight draft with bill of lading attached and distribution was made by them to the farmers. On June 30, there remained in Chile between 39,000 and 40,000 short tons of nitrate for which the Department had been unable to secure transportation to this country from the Shipping Board.

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Considerably in advance of the highway construction season of 1918 steps were taken to conserve money, labor, transportation, and materials in highway work and at the same time to facilitate the progress of really essential highway projects.

In connection with the Federal aid road work, a letter was addressed to each State highway department asking that a program of Federal aid construction be submitted at the earliest possible date, in which would be included only those projects which the State

highway departments considered vitally necessary to the transportation facilities of the country. Such programs were submitted by all of the States, and evidence of the thoroughness with which highway projects were considered is disclosed in the statement that, while $14,550,000 were available for expenditure on post roads from the passage of the act, only $425,445 were paid from Federal funds on all projects. Projects, however, were approved for each State involving sufficient amounts to protect the States in their apportionments.

At the same time a cooperative arrangement was effected, at the request of the Capital Issues Committee, under which engineers of the Department were made available for inspecting and reporting upon proposed highway, irrigation, and drainage bond issues. This work assumed considerable proportions almost immediately. Inspections were made of 126 highway projects, involving bond issues to the amount of $49,276,366; irrigation projects to the number of 25, involving $18,279,060; and drainage bonds to the number of 30, involving $19,356,970, or total bond issues of $86,912,396.

In view of the enormous amount of bituminous materials, comprising oils, asphalts, and tars, used in highway work, and particularly in highway maintenance, it became early in the season a matter of much concern as to what effect, the conservation of fuel oils and tars would have upon the vitally important problem of highway maintenance. Accordingly, the matter was taken up with the Fuel Administration and an arrangement perfected whereby the highways of essential importance should receive enough bituminous material to provide for adequate maintenance and, where necessary, to permit construction and reconstruction. The cooperation became actively effective on May 13, 1918. From that time until the close of the fiscal year 2,235 applications, calling for 75,000,000 gallons of bituminous material, were received from States, counties, and municipalities, and of this amount approval was given and permits issued for 58,000,000 gallons. A short time before the close of the fiscal year, however, this cooperation was merged into the larger activities of the United States Highways Council.

UNITED STATES HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

In order to coordinate the activities of various Government agencies so far as they relate to highways; to better conserve materials, transportation, money, and labor; to eliminate delays and uncer

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