The Sentinel=record., 1918-08-02
ACCURACY IS AIM
 IN CROP REPORTS
Department of Agriculture Gath CTS Information on Ameri-
 can Food Production.
STRICT SECRECY MAINTAINED
Forecasts Reflect Efforts of Farmer, for Maximum Yields and Have in- mediate and Marked EH4ct
 on Various Markets.

Dependence of a large part of the world upon American farm production has focused public attention gpon the crop reports of the United States de. partment of agriculture-reports whicl the United States government spon. sors and protects from illegal use to the ultimate degree.
 Just now the crop reports are re fecting the efforts of American farm CTS for maximum production. When small crops are reported the news serves to prepare the country and en. able necessary adjustments.
 Strict Secrecy Rules.
 The crop reports, too, have an i'm mediate and marked effect upon the markets. Their great importance in this field has made necessary thorough safeguards against premature publica. ton and unauthorized use. Every ayenue through which information might be filtered from the locked rooms where the reports are finally prepared is closed and remains closed until the second, when. as shown in the picture, the signal for release Is given.
 On "crop reporting day" at an hour set months in advance, newspaper and press association representatives gath CT in the main building of the depart- ment of agriculture. Each has near at hand a telephone already connected with his office and at the other end of the line is a man equipped with n blank crop reporting form. Shortly before the moment set copies of the completed crop reports are placed on q table, face down, and each news paper man gets his hand on one. At the signal, given by high official of the department, the newspaper men get to their telephones and in q 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 in every community of the United States and in the larger markets of foreign countries.
 Big Organization Works.
 The "release" of the crop reports follows work 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 42 salaried field agents, one in each state or group of small states. The bureau also employs ten crop specialists, one each for cotton, rice and tobacco, who travel through the regions in which their special crops are grown. h addition there are approximately 175,- GOO voluntary crop reporters, includ- ing county and township reporters and producers, buyers and handlers of grain and live stock.
 Tabuiation of Crop Information.
 The returns from each class of re- separately as check against the others.
 To prevent total for any of the so-called speculative crops, such as corn, wheat. oats, barley, rye and cot ton from becoming known to any per son prior to the time fixed in advance, even the tabulators and computers who make up the totals do not know the states to which they pertain. The final telegraphic reports and comments of the field agents relating to the spec ulative crops are kept locked in the office of the secretary of agriculture until crop reporting day, when they