Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-04
BIG LITERARY OUTPUT.
Feature Of the Work of the Department
of Agriculture.

Probably none of the government depart
ments publishes many pamphlets oircu.
lars bulletins and books as the Depa rtment
OF Agriculture, whose work consists chiefly
of making beneficial discoveries or trying
to-and disseminating the knowledge thus
gained among the people of the country.
Nearly all of the men in this depart
ment who write for publication are more or
less well known. The publications Of the
various bureaus are always well written
and illustrated, and present an unusually
good appearance. The punctuation is cor
rect; the arrangement first class, and the
headings Clear and logical
OF course, Ii all these things were left
to the judS of the writers there would
not be the pleasing uniformity OF excellence
In the appearance Of these publications.
Few people know that the depa rtment las
regular editor, or give him the credit
that is due him for his skilifuI and tediorS
work.
Editor George William Hill Of the Depart
ment of Agriculture handles every bit of
copy and proof that is the fruit of the
scientific research of the experts in the
various offices. He holds conferences with
the writers and advises them Of me depart
ment's customs in these matters.
Some idea of the work that he must per-
form may be had from glance at the sta
tistics which he himself has embodied in a
recent report to Secretary Wilson on tho
work OF his office, especially IL it is kept
In mind that the writings which It is his
duty to handle and edit are not Of the
binary newspaper Sort but are Oh difficult
and abstruse subjects, which 1t is often hard
for the writer to understand much less the
editor.
Mr. Hill says:
1.-The work of this division during the
year 1904 has been marked by unusual ac-
tivity. therein rejecting the growth and ac-
tivfty which have characterized the depart
ment as a whole. The large number of
publications issued last year-3iS-has been
exceeded in 1904 the total number for this
year being 972. OF this number, 379 were
new publications. comprising nearly 1900
pages OF matter. The total number Of cop
les of all publications issued during the
year aggregated -, All, 1856.
1.-THE total number of acquisitions for
printing issued on the main office of the
government printing Office was 1,2TS, and
the requisions for work done the branch
printing Office numbered 3,346. The-1total
number of acquisitions. therefore, for print
ing--that is exclusive of acquisitions for IL
lustrations-was 4,T24, representing over 10
separate pieces of work for every week day
in the year.
Marked evidence of the steady growth
in the work OF this division IS afforded by
comparison of the average number of pub
locations issued during the five years clos
ing with the fiscal year 1904 and The five
years Immediately preceding.
During the former the average number
of publications issued annually was 748
plus, while for the five years ending with
the close of the fiscal year 1899 the aver
age number published was 431 plus. The
total number of copies handled In the dscu-
ment section in each period is as follows:
For five years ended June 80 1904, 40 lO1,-
$50. averaging slightly nuder ten million
copies annually, while for the fve-year pc
riod ending June 80, 1899. the total number
of copies handled was 50, 729, go, averaging
slightly under six and three-ouarter mil
lions.