The Washington times., 1911-03-30
YEARBOOK SOON
!. TO Be DISTRIBUTED
Governments BEST Seller"
Is From Agricultural
Department..
DEMAND is BRISK
FOR NEW EDITIONS
Announced That Half-Million
: Copies Will Be Issued
About April 80.

The Governments "best seller" the
Agricultural Yearbook, is on its way to
the public. Half of a million copies will
be ready for distribution about April 80,
it was announced today at the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
The Agricultural Yearbook is known
as the best seller among the Govern
ment employees who handle public-docu-
ments Senator's secretaries, Congress-
mems clerks, employees in the folding
rooms, and Joseph A. Arnold, chief OF
the division of publication, in the De-
partment of Agriculture. and those in
his division, realize that the trade"
may occasionally run off after strange
and new volumes, the Agricultural
Yearbook is the most consistently popu-
lar publication of the Government.
There was, for example, a noted re-
mort of the immigration Commission, a
Senate document, that was believed
and was not-as spicy as the latest and
most popular and best selling novel. 1t
went like hot cakes, which are pro-
verbally as swift in execution as SLOW
in digestibility. But that publication Is
nigh forgotten, and the Yearbook
stands firm. Farmers, merchants, pro-
fessional men, mechanics artisans,
laborers, and clergymen in every state
in the Union are now anticipating lts
issue and are writing to their Represen-
tativeS to send copies.
Demand Is Brisk.
They are also writing to the Agricul-
tural Department for copies. When Is
it coming out?" is, in the Agricultural
Department, question that is proven
biaI of the college annual in the fresh
water latitudes. But of the 100000
RI n-
tains but 10000 for its own use. They
are distributed to it's agents and re-
porters in various fields. The other
conies-47O OO0-go to members Of Con-
Each Congressman gets a quota" Of
about 900 to his credit in the foldlng
room at the Capitol. The quota is none
The thing to catch the ballot Of the king
known as the American farmer. The
farmer likes it. The Agricultural year .
book is not merely a comphauon 0I
figures showing that the department Is
composed of a certain number OF ou-
reaus composed of a certain number OF
divisions, having done in the last
tweIve-month a certain percentage OF
vague, undescribed work more than IN
any previous twelve-month. 1t Is real
and comparatively lively narrative a.
things that men have done with earth
and tools and that other men can 90:
1t is a story of how men have prospered
and made life more pleasurable and
useful and sociably leisurely.
Like a Visit.
If is lust like visit from Secretary
Wilson and the smart fellows with him.
They drop in of gentle spring night
N talk crops and best methods of farm
ing and living And living Is a large
part of life-its greatest problem.
That's why the Agricultural Year
book retains its position. 1t Is sort
of Agricultural Bible; it's sent out
and read out and worn out, ana an
other years takes its place; ana no
body remarks its popularity. "hen
comics for free distribution are gone
other copies may be had from the
Superintendent of Documents Tor
small price. ...
publications are all about the most
popular of the Government. The de-
partment distributes 26,OOO,OOO docu-
ments every year now. and most OF
them are Farmers Bulletins. They
are commentaries on the Yearbook.
Each of them, written by a person
who has made the subject treated his
or her, for many of them are wit
ten by women-special study, carries
a message of cheer and intelligence,
They are narratives of past accom-
plishments on the farm and Of future
hopes. One tells how to manage the
place, another how to care for the
stock, another how to plant the staple
crop Of wheat or cotton or corn; yet
another will tell the farmers wife
how to make her kitchen garden
thrive, and the farmers daughter how
TO do best by old Mooly. and the farm
er's son how to make the hogs bigger
and better than ever or how to train
that fine young colt.
The Cookbook.
Perhaps the most popular of recent
Farmers Bulletins was one that got
to be known as The Cookbook Be-
fore a great many had been sent out
members of Congress were so i'm
portuned for them that a big edl-
tion was run out of the Government
Printing Office and given q, place In
the folding room. 1t is notable that
most of them were sent to farmers
wives who did their own cooking.
Scientific farming. you see, is al
together fine theory.
The present is the rush season OF
publications Of the Agricultural De-
S0rtment. Bulletins are being sent out
by thousands. The movement, 1t was
said today, is not larger than in pre-.
Nious years.
Everybody is getting ready fol
spring planting. The Agricultural
Department is every mans neighbol
and has to pause at his door to hell
him along.