Evening star., 1921-09-18
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

TIME American farmer is going
to be advised by Uncle Sam
how to adjust his production
to market conditions, regard
ing what competition he may expect
and who; among the world neighbors
can afford to pay for the crops when
delivered.
Since 1874. in the days of sailing
vessels. when one man at a desk in
a corner of the old patent office
started in to gather. Information
regarding crops and requirements of
other countries, the federal govern
ment has been building up such an
agency. A very important progress
sive step to perfect this service was
taken during the last week when two
agents of the American government
sailed for Europe to develop sources
of agricultural information abroad.
The Department of Agriculture is
developing this service to give the
farmers (and the public) information
concerning conditions in foreign
countries that will be of direct none
tary advantage.
Keeping Eye On Competitors.
The department is finding out the
crop prospects in the countries where
we expect to sell our exportable sur
plus crops. and in countries that are
competitors, such as Argentine. They
are answering, for example, the ques-
ton: What are the prospects for the
wheat crop in Argentina (which is to
be harvested in December? The same
question also applies to Australia.
The department has been getting
this Information for a great many
years from the foreign countries. get
ting government crop reports from
practically every country. For ex-
ample, the Office in India mails its
reports to the bureau of markets and
The consuls are a great help in for
warding these reports and any other
information that they can pick up.
The consuls, send in advices on all
subjects of, interest to the manufac-
turer, as well as the farmer.
Another source of great importance is
the International Institute of Agricul-
ture, which gets out a report summa
rizing information from practically all
the agricultural countries. This is the
worlds clearing house for agricultural
statistics. with headquarters in Rome
The problem on which the United
States government has been working,
and toward the solution of which def
mite steps have now been taken, is how
to get this information quicker. There
is need for an agent in each big agricul-
tural region to keep in touch with con-
ditions and to: see that the federal de-
partment gets reports promptly at the
first moment possible.
Funds Made Available.
This. year an appropriation of $4,000
has been made available for this work.
Men have been stationed in London and
BueIios Aires with instructions to cable
at once any new crop Information or in
formation relating to the marketing of
agricultural products in which the
United States would be interested.
Two other men sailed on Tuesday
who are going to the various coun-
tries Of Europe to meet the crop-re-
porting officials and speed up the sys-
tenn of transmitting reports. They
will also study the crop-reporting
systems and other economic condi-
tions in Europe which are directly
concerned with American agricul-
ture. Those men are Dr. George F.
Warren, consulting economist for. the
federal department, who is on leave
of absence from Cornell University,
where he is in charge of the depart
ment Of agricultural economies, and
William F. Calendar, assistant to
the chief of the bueau of markets
and crop estimates, who is an ex-
pert in crop-reporting methods and
who has had supervision over CROP
reporting work in the United States.
Attended Cotton Congress.
The Department of Agriculture also
had three men recently attending the
world cotton congress in Liverpool
in July. They had two particular
things to do. First, get more direct
information concerning European de-
mands for cotton and more prompt
returns concerning the cotton crops
of. Egypt and India; and. second. to
see If they could not persuade Europe
to adopt the American standard cot
ton grades.
These representatives of the fed