The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1923-09-28
WASHINGTON LETTER
Broadcasting to the Farmers

brOdQCdSIllk W VIC
seventy-five radio broadcasting
stations daily handle the reports OF the
United States department OF agricul-
,ure and they cover every part OF the
country. The Bureau OF Markets sent
oil, its first radio reports on Decem-
her IS. 1920. at which time they used
a low-power broadoasting set at the
Bureau OF Standards in Washington
This covered a radius OF Is miles that
extended into Virginia and Maryland
In the spring and summer OF lSzi'
through the cooperation oil the POST
Office Department. an attempt was
made 10 broadcast to farmers in the
vicinity OF Air Mail stations along the
route from New York to San Francis
co. The University OF Minnesota and
the ST. Louis University and one OF
the private ~broadcasting stations got
into the game at the time and before
the close OF the year the idea OF broad
casting market conditions and other
reports 10 the farmers had become es-
iablished.
That was less than two years ago
and it is decidedly interesting to ind
out how the little idea has grown. and
grown. until broadcasting to farmers
has become a regular feature Of the
work of the United States Department
OF Agriculture. Every branch oihce
of the department in the United States
now has a radio man. The depart
ment has no broadcasting stations OF
its own. as zone are necessary. II has
received more applications for the use
of its reports than it al grant, be-
cause the purpose is TO cover the coun
try and to avoid saturating the radio
news in any locality by duplicating the
reports. The high-powered sending
stations Of the Navy at Arlington. Nir-
GINA: Great Lakes. Illinois, New Or
leans and San Francisco; and the four
principal Air Mail stations between
Washington and Omaha. are relied up
on to do a lot OF the heavy work in
reaching the farmers. However. as
showing now the work is being shared
by public institutions it is most inter-
esting to find that daily broadcasting
is being done by the Iowa State Col
lege. the Alabama POLYTECHNIC Insti-
tute, the University OF Texas. the pub
lie schools OF Boise. idaho. Chicago
Bc,rd Of Trade. Missouri State Mark
citing Bureau. University OF Nebraska.
Los Angeles Union Stock Yards. I'm
iversity of Wisconsin. Omaha Grain
Exchange. St. Louis University. New
Mexico College Of Agriculture. Neb-
raska Wesleyan University, Wiscon-
sin department Of Markets, and the
Wichita Board of Trade. Besides the
above there are innumerable news
papers and private and commercial
dgencies that handle the daily reports.
Keeping up with the wireless has
progressed so rapidly at the United
States Department of Agriculture
that those in charge Of the work in
Washington have not been able to
make any complete surveys of the ut
of the new service. largely be-
cause the growth OF radio in farm dis
has been going by such leaps
and bounds that the returns from any
are almost obsolete by the time
they can be tabulated. Nevertheless
the department has a close tab on
because farmers are getting accustom-
ed to write about their wants. their
what kind OF news the country wants,
reactions. and their dissatisfactions. to
the big institution that heads their
business relation with the government.
The writer had the opportunity of col
Getting the results from sos letters re-
,eived from listeners in" at random
n the Agricultural Department. or 1
hese go showed greatest interest in c
reports. lol in live stock re- {
,orts, III in grain. 70 in weather. 81 i
n poultry products. Is each in dairy v
nd fruit vegetables. and a lesser mum i
'cr in hay, cotton and feeds. 5
Reports from County Agents '
The "County Agent" is the pulse of {