The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-08-17
ACCURACY IS AIM
IN CROP REPORTS
Department of Agriculture Gath
erS Information on Ameri-
can Food Production.
STRICT SECRECY MAINTAINED
Forecasts Reflect Efforts of Farmers
forteiaximum Yields and Have I'm
mediate and Marked Effect
on Various Markets.

| Dependence of large part Of the
world upon American farm production
has focused public attention upon the
crop reports of the United States de-
dartment of agrIculture-reports which
,ehe United Ststes government spon-
,ors and protects from illegal use to
ne ultimate degree.
Just now the crop reports are re-
Letting the efforts Of American farm
rs for maximum production. When
mad crops are reported the news
ryes to prepare the country and en-
bic necessary adjustments.
Strict Secrecy Rules.
The crop reports, too, have an i'm
edIate and marked effect upon the
.aarkets. Their great Importance in
his field has made necessary thorough
safeguards against premature publica-
yion and unauthorized use. Every
avenue through which information
might be filtered from the locked
rpoms where the reports are finally
prepared is closed and remains closed
mtil fhe second. when, as shown in
the picture, the signal for release is
given.
ON 'crop reporting day" at an hour
set mouths in advance, newspaper and
pcess association representatives gath
er in tie main building OF the depart
aeat or agriculture. Each has near
1t hand a telephone already connected
with hia Office and at the other end Of
TIE line is a man equipped with a
5tank crop reporting form. Shortly
,efore the moment set copies Of the
completed crop reports are placed on
table. face down. and each news
paper man gets his hand on one. At
tie signal, given by a high official of
:he department. the newspaper men
get to their telephones and In a very
few minutes more the coveted infor-
nation is being read in every large
market In the United States and the
next day. at the latest, 1t is available
ia every community of the United
States and in the larger markets OF
foreign countries.
Big Organization Works.
The "release" of the crop reports
follows york in which tens of thou
sands and sometimes hundreds of thou
sands Of persons all over the country
have participated.
Distributed over the country are AZ
sataried field agents, one In each state
oc group Of small states. The bureau
also employs ten crop specialists, one
each for cotton, rice and tobacco, VINO
travel through. the regions in when
their special crops are grown. In
addition there are approximately 49,
900 voluntary crop reporters, includ-
iog county and township reporters ana
producers, buyers and handlers OF
graft and live stock.
TabuIation Of Crop Information.
The returns from each class or re-
oortcrs are tabu,ated and averaged
separately as check against the
others.
To prevent q total for any OF the
so-called speculative crops, such as
corn, wheat. oats. barley. rye and cot
tcn. from becoming known to any per-
son prior to the time fixed in advance,
even the tabulators and computers
wac make up the totals do not know
tile states to which they pertain. The
inal telegraphic reports and comments
II the field agents relating to the spec
utativA crops are kept locked in the
Office Of the secretary of agriculture
until crop reporting daE when they