The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-01-03
CROP REPORTERS
ARMY OF 100000
Uncle Sans Estimates Com
pick and Fairly Accurate.
WATCH FIFTY-FIvE SUBJECTS

Merchants, Manufacturers and Rail.
roads Interested In Governments
Monthly Figures on Planting, Acre
age and Harvesting In Order 10 Fore
cast country's Prosperity.
One hundred and thirty thousand
persons--a mighty Rrmy-secure for
Uncle Sam the information contained
In the monthly crop reports, which
convey as near as 1t Ii possible for
human agencies the condition and
prospects Of the chief agricultural
products of the country at that time.
These reports are literally the pulse
of the country's prosperity. Few peo-
| pie, however, realize the amount of
work, the minute detail, connected
with supplying this information to the
public free of charge.
II reports during the growing season
show TINT the condition of wheat is
such az TO Indicate O full crop on .
large area the merchants of the wheat
producing sections Of the country
know that they can give liberal orders
for goods to be handled by them sew
eral weeks or months later The man
ufactuFers, located far from the
wheatfields, know where there will
be large demand Tor such Of their
products as are used by all dependent
on the wheat industry, the railroads
know they will have heavy freightH to
transport, and 50 the advance knowl-
edge regarding the probable future
outcome Of the crop serves as guide
to every branch of commerce aud
trade connected with the wheat grow
ing areas Of the country. The seme
Is true as to the other crops-corn.
cotton. oats, rye. tobacco, etc
Monthly Reports Necessary.
If, ON the other hand, the condition
of growing crops is unfavorable re-
liable information to TINT effect Is
equally-ln fact, more-important to
trade and commerce than when the
promise Is good,
&c was to remedy the evils and to
gubserve and protect the interests of
all that congress provided for issuing
monthly crop reports. The crop re
porting service Of the department of
agriculture aims to supply the public
at large with impartial, unbiased In
formation regarding crop areas, con-
ditions and yields, which II must be
apparent IL lightly essential and BEN
eticial not only to farmers, but TO com
mercial interests Of every kind and
class.
Following the estimates regarding
acreage come the condition reports
which are made from month to month
during the growing season, including
not only the crops concerning which
estimates are made, but also 50 called
''minor crops" Altogether during the
year estimates regarding conditions
are nude for fifty.ave separate and
distinct crops
There are four great sources through
which data are secured by the depart
ment:
IFirst.--A corps Of township CORE
spondents numbering between 10000
and 10000
Second There IL a corps of country
correspondents, one Of whom resides
fl each agricultural county In The
United States. The county correspond
ents have each from three to ten
friends scattered throughout the eoun-
ty who report 10 him each mouth.
Third. lin each state there Is O sala-
ried employee known as a state statiss
teal agent. Ha maintains large
corps Of correspondents throughout his
state, who report to him each month.
The state statistical agent in the more
important agricultural states performs
considerable travel for the purpose of
personally famiiiariztng himself with
crop conditions.
Corps Of Special Agents.
Fourth. There is corps of special
field agents, each Of whom has two or
more states through which he travels. |
interviewing farmers. agricultural i'm
plenent dealers. country merchants.
grain and elevator men, produce deal.
efs. country bankers and any others |
who by the nature of their business
ara well informed regarding agricul-
tuial conditions and prospects The
special feld agents also 60 into the |
fields and personally examine the
crops.
in addition TO these four general
sources of information The bureau has
special lista of correspondents. such as /
mills and elevators for the wheat crop, I
cotton ginneru for the cotton crop ana
various other classes for other crops.
which report TO the bureau Whenever
called upon. Altogether there are up
wsrd of 10000 voluntary correspond
ents Of the bureau, none uf whom rts
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