Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-07-18
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
for Maximum 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-
partment of griculture-reports which
the United States government spon-
sors and protects from illegal use to
the ultimate degree.
Just now the crop reports are re-
fiecting the efforts of American farm
ers 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
avenue 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
err 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 a
blank crop reporting form. Shortly
before 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
the signal, given by high official of
the department, the newspaper men
get to their telephones and in 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, it 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 AZ
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. In
addition there are approximately 175,-
600 voluntary crop reporters, includ-
ing county and township reporters and
producers, buyers and handlers of
grain and live stock.
Tabulation of Crop Information.
The returns from each class of re-
porters are tabulated and averaged
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 telegraphlc 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