Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-26
SENT TO THE FARMERS
PUBLICATIONS OF THE AGRICUL-
TURAL DEPARTMENT.
A Large Four-Story Building Devoted
to the Storage and Distribution
of the Printed Matter.

The Department of Agriculture has to
depend mainly on printed matter as a
means Of making it's work effective The
work or editing, illustrating, publishing and
distributing its printed matter is in the
hands of the division of publications.
In his annual report for 1906, Mr.. George
VIM Hill. the editor, gives an interesting
summary of the departments publication
work The total number of new publica-
lions issued during the fiscal year was
1463, or an average of four for every day
in the year OF these 391 were issued by
the weather bureau. These publications
range IN size from circulars of one page to
bound volumes of SEQ pages, by far the
greatest number being short circulars and
bulletins. the average size Of all being
forty eight pages. The total number of
copies printed exclusive of those issued
by the weather bureau was 12,4T5, 157, the
editions averaging 1887 copies The
weather bureau publications aggregated
$50, gS5 copies for the year.
Secretary Wilson believes in the value of
pictures when they are obviously aids to
the understanding, and as q result MANY
of these publications are illustrated with
reproductions of drawings and photographs
The facilities for preparing illustrations
have been enlarged and improved. The ar
lists of Mr.. HIS division during the year
prepared more than 1000 drawings.
The Most Popular Publications.
The most popular class of publications Is
the farmers bulletins. written in non-tech-
meal style and discussing subjects OF I'M
mediate interest to the actual farmer. OF
these nearly 100000 copies were printed
and distributed So great is the demand
for these publications that some of the
bulletins have to be reprinted many times
within a single year.
The department not only prepares and is
sues publications in its own regular classes
and series, but 1T prepares and issues a.
number of important publications specially
ordered by Congress and distributed mainly
by members of Congress The number of
different publications OF this kind issued
during the year was eleven, and the num-
Der of copies about 100000. The most i'm
portant of these is the yearbook of the
department. popularity referred to as the
Agricultural Report. of which an edition
of $1,000 is printed. OF these 470,o00 copies
are divided among members of Congress for
distribution Each member also has a quota
of Is 600 farmers bulletins.
A table is given showing the publications
classified according to the bureaus divi-
sions and offices in which they originate.
The office OF experiment stations and the
bureau of plant industry lead with a little
| of publications follows with nearly 100000
and the bureau of animal industry and
the bureau of statistics about 10000 each.
Large Building Occupied.
The storage and distribution of all this
printed matter. constituting very large
and important part of the divisions work,
is attended to by the document section,
which occupies the entire space of large
four-story building.
The total expenditures OF the division of
notifications for the year were 1886 0,g of
which $25S,lI2 went TO pay for printing and
binding Mr. Hill calls attention with
considerable satisfaction" to the fact that
the increase of work accomplished in his
division has been much greater than the
| increase in expense.