Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-09-24
UNCLE SAM HELPFUL
IN FIGURING OUT CROP
Thousands Await the Monthly Fsre-
cast of Farming Conditions
Issued by Government.
is A CUE FOR MANY INTERESTS
Host of Correspondents in All Parts
of the Country Contribute to the
Valuable Information.


Washington correspondence:
There is almost no season of the
year when there are not thousands I'D,
on thousands of eager seekers for
news waiting a~nXiously for the month.
~ forecasts of the United States gov
eminent corresponding bureau at
Washington. Different portions Of the
business, industrial INT agricultural
communities are swayed by this en-
crossing curiosity at different periods,
accordingly as the crops in which they
are vitality interested are under in
spectlon. The crop reports issued from
Washington twelve times a year are
simply forecasts or very accurate pre-
dictlonS, based upon secret, far-reach-
ing Information as to the size and
character of maturing crops.
In its activities the United States
crop reporting bureau might be com
pared in some degree to the United
States weather bureau, another branch
OF he Department of Agriculture, with
which 1t was once proposed to com
blne 1t. Whereas the weather sharps.
however, merely tell the farmer and
the mariner what they ma or may not
safely do during the next few days,
wheat growers and the manufacturers
something Of what may be expected at
harvest time weeks or months hence
and thus enable them to act inteli-
gently with regard to contracts and
prices. In other words, it places ev-
erybody on the same footing by giving
free to all the information which
Would otherwise confer a tremendous
advantage on the wealthy firms and
individuals that could spend the mon
ely necessary to secure it privately.
The United States government first
made provision for the collection of
agricultural statistics upward Of two
thirds of a century ago, or more than
a score of years before the Depart
ment of Agriculture was established.
Probably the most picturesque fea-
ture of the system of governmental
crop reporting is found in the coop
GRAFTON of an army of nearly $50, 900
bankers, merchants, cotton
SlnnerS, agents of transportation lines,
mill and elevator prOprietors and 9TH
er persons who are in a position to
inside information regarding the
crops. All of these men are glad to
help the government by contributing
the data from their respective locali-
ties for the reason hat each is desir-
Gus of knowing at the earliest possible
moment the extent Gin the whole
country of the crop in which he is
interested.
The field marshals of the American
crOp-reporting army comprise thirty
State statistical agents, each re-
ceiving at me rate of from $500 to
$500 a year. Each of these maintains
corps of assistants or correspond
ents, entirely Independent of the other
correspondents in the State reporting
directly to Washington. There are, all
told, nearly 10000 of these aids to
State statisticians and their numerical
strength in the differer states ranges
from about twenty in delaware to
more than 500 in Michigan.
The State agent does not merely
compile and condense the figures re-
ceived from his correspondents. He
analyses the data that come to him
and in the light Of his own knowledge
of conditions draws conclusions as to
the outlook in his territory.