The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-01-08
DEPARTMENT OF AGRI-
CULTURE OFFERS Aid

From News Letter of U. S. Agricul-
tural Department.
The bureau of Statistics tAgrieul-
tural Foreesstsl is not brought into
immediate touch with three important
classes of voluntary correspondents.
namely, the Aids TO Special Field
Agents, to State Statistical Agents.
and to County Correspondents. and
takes this means OF expressing to them
its appreciation of their cooperation.
Although the reports Of these cores
pondents do rot reach the bureau, their
estimates Of local crop conditions have
a large influence upon the government
official forecasts and estimates.
The reports of the Aids to the State
and Field Agents afford to the agent
the necessary basis, in conjunction
with his own personal Investigations
and genera knowledge of the state
conditions, TO estimate with consider
able assurance the actual state aver
ages. The County Aids perform ike
service in their cooperation win bhe
county correspondent.
The information furnished from
these three sources and from the re-
ports of township correspondents.
which are sent direct to the bureau,
form the principal basis of the govern
ment crop estimates.
As a result of the many years OF
practical experience in utilHing the
estimates st voluntary correspondents,
this bureau has great faith in the sub
stantial accuracy for comparative pur-
poses of the figures obtained from TINS
source. Such reports beiggs used are
always carefully examined with d view
to detecting and omitting the errors
and Inconsistencies that occasionally
appear in them.
/ 1t is desired that the voluntary aids
who do not report to the bureau VIII
understand that they are entitled to all
of the courtesies extended to those who
report direct: that IL is the endeavor
of the bureau to furnish them with Its
reports and such of the publications
of the department as may appear TO be
of particular interest to them in theli
several localities, and that 1t stands
ready at all times to perform for then
any proper service within its power.
In subsequent issues of this publica
ton it is hoped to carry occasional
suggestions to voluntary corresponds
ents concerning their work, and the
bureau will be at all times pleased tt
receive from them any suggestioni
having in view the improvement OF th'
crop-reporting service, or to answel
inquiries concerning any feature OF th'
work.
That the individual farmer may OBJ
tain a better understanding of th'
fields in which the department OF sgrl
culture can help him. the news lette
Is printing from time to time brie
explanations of the department dif
ferent offices aud their economic value
The departments work is handle'
by its various bureaus, each burea
concerning itself with special phas
of the work. The Bureau of Plant In
dustry is one of the most important o
these bureaus. 1t studies plant life |
all its relations to agriculture. IN
scientific work of the bureau is divide
nito 20 distinct groups, over each
which is placed scientifically traine
officer, who reports directly to th
chief and assistant chief of the bureau
An explanation has already bee
| given in news letter. Vol. ], Nos.
and lD, showing how certain of thes
offices help the farmer fight crop di'
| eases.