The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-01-29
Government Bureau Collects and
Publishes Much important
Information.
AGENTS COVER WHOLE COUNTRY
More Than 100000 Pieces of Mail
handlsd by Division of Crop Re-
ports During Past Year-Re-
ports Are Issued Monthly.


duction. farm prices of different crops
for each state and the United States
estimates of total number of live
stock of different classes on farms and
ranges. their condition. and losses
from diseases and other causes. Com
peach crops were made, and the
weekly truck-crop news service which
had previously been in force. was con-
tfnued and extended. according to the
annual report OF the chief OF the bu-
renu. an extract from which Is given
below. TsHU IN
Many special inquiries were made
during the year, including.
Quantity of commercial fertilizers
used per acre OF cotton and proper
ton OF fields upon which used.
Percentage Of various crops TO
which commercial fertilizer and ma
nure was applied and quantity used.
Binder Irvine requirements for the
grain crops OF 1918 for the use Of the
Grain corporation.
Emergency live stock survey, TO de-
termine the number on farms July /.
1918.
Uses made of wheat crop. for the
United States food administration.
Quantities Of various crops fed to
different classes OF live stock.
Live stock survey of January, 1919.
Fertilizer inquiry Of January. 1919.
to ascertain quantity of commercial
fertilizers and manure used for crops.
Wages of farm help.
| Prices farmers pay for equipment,
machinery. and supplies.
Percentage OF farm labor require
ments available.
Agents CATER Facts.
Field agents prepared estimates Of
acreage. yield, production, and stocks
on farms of wheat and corn by coun-
ties for the United States Grain corpo-
ration. and they also prepared esti-
mates OF the value of agricultural
production by counties in each Of the
principal states for the use of the
treasury department Field agents CO.
operated with officials of the depart
ment of agriculture. the treasury de-
partment. AMI the state extension serv-
ices In the states where seed-grain
loans were made to farmers In the
drought-striclen regions of the north
west and the southwest in the fail Of
1918 and spring of 1919
The bureau compiled innumerabIe
statements showing the production.
consumption. surplus and deficiency.
exports and Imports. and prices of inn
portant agricultural products for all
the principal countries before. the war,
and of production and requirements
during the war, for the information Of
administrative officials Of the depart
ment of agriculture of other federal
departments. and various war-emer-
gency organizations. Many of these
statements were for the use of the de-
partment committee on crop produc-
rion and were used as basis for the
crop-production programs which were
recommended. Other compilations
were made for the confidential use OF
the war trade hoard and for the com.
mittees on agriculture In, congress.
Much Information Complied.
Summaries of weekly reports of the
state field agents of the bureau were
furnished for the confidential lnforma-
ton Of the secretary and chiefs of
bureaus OF the department Of agricnl-
tire. and after the signing Of The
ar1nlstIoe the mailing list for these
summaries was extended to include
other government officials and senator's
and members of the house of represen-
tatives. Bhnonthly foreign crop re-
ports were issued in the spring of 1918
and will be continued.
A vast amount of information was
compiled and furnished in response to
inquiries received by telephone. tele-
graph. letter or personal call Of rep
reSentatives Of the food administra-
ton. the war trade board. the war In
dustries board. the military intelli-
gence office of the war department,
the turiff commission, the federal
trade commission. the council of ma
tional defense. other departments OF
the federal and state governments,
congress and private individuals.
More thun 1000 600 pieces of mail
were handled by the division of crop
reports durngSthe year. as compared
with 3,20O.0N0 ny the same division for
the preceding fiscal year. an increase
of % per cent. About the same rela-
tive Increase was noted in all other
branches of the bureau at Washington.
In the state Offices of field agents
the work more than doubled in the
hscal year 1919 as compared with the
preceding year. The issuance by field
agents of monthly state crop reports
bearing their names which are gener-
ally reproduced in ali the state papers
has made Them widely known through
oiit their states and has resulted In q
aeavy volume OF correspondence.