Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-02-07
Business Service
Aid for Farmers
To Meet Changed Condi-
lions New Forms Have
Been Devised.


prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture)
To assist American farmers in or
garjzing their business to meet the
changed economic conditions Of pres
ent-day agriculture, new forms Of ag-
ricultural information have been deyel-
oped, and fundamental studies in farm
organization, marketing and crop es-
Inmates have been expended by the
bureau of agricultural economics dur
ing the past year, according to the an
nual report of the bureau.
In the period of agricultural re-
adjustment experienced during the
past year, 1t was important for farm
ers to secure the facts bearing upon
current problems that would give them
the greatest aid in making accurate
decisions in planning farm operations
and in marketing their products, says
the report 1.-THE first attention Of the
bureau staff has been directed con-
gtantly toward these problems in re-
spouse to the greatly increased de-
mands upon the bureau for informa-
ton on the general conditions of supply
and demand, price trends, the effect of
various domestic and foreign factors
upon the farmers returns, and for in
formation bearing upon problems of
crop readjustment."
Live Stock Surveys Help.
Special effort was made to strength
en- present crop and live stock report
ing methods, and to supplement these
methods by surveys designed to give
a more accurate knowledge of future
supplies. The semi-annual pig surveys
which give an Indication of intentions
of farmers regarding the production Of
hogs, and the reports of farmers in
tentions to plant various crops are out
lined as indicating the bureaus actiVi-
ties along this line. Numerous me-
chanical and other methods have also
been developed to obtain maximum ac-
curacy in acreage and production esti-
mates.
"A worldwide crop and market report
Ing service was developed by the bu-
reau, to obtain the essential facts con-
corning probable foreign competition
and demand for American farm prod
ucts. Agricultural commissioners. in
England and Europe, and the Interna-
tional Institute of Agriculture at
Rome keep the bureau constantly in
formed, regarding the current foreign
agricultural situation. This news is
broadcast by the bureau to farmers by
radio and the press.
A study of the factors that influence
the market demand in domestic mar
kets, as expressed in the prices and
movement Of crops and in consumers
requirements was made. Results of
several years of farm management
surveys were reviewed to secure facts
of value in the present agricultural re-
adjustment, the objective being shift
ed somewhat from studies with the his
torical point of view to the current re-
adjustment point of view.
A steady growth in the bureaus
work in warehousing, improved farm
finance and in the study of agricultural
cooperation is required. The CORE
latton Of various research projects con-
Quoted by state and federal institu-
tions such as in the establishment of
the New England research council on
marketing and food supply Is also re-
garded as a forward step. A similar
council has been planned for the Mid
die West.
Market News Service.
/ The market activities Of the bureau
have been extended along the lines of
research, Standardization, market
news, and food products inspection at
shipping points and terminal markets.
Grades were prepared for hay, wool,
tobacco, rice, rye, peanuts, dressed
meats, and number Of fruits and
vegetables.
Farm management studies were ex-
banded during the year to include
studies of farm income on various
types of farms, farm production in To-
Icalities adjacent to cities, the organi-
cation Of cane sugar farms, a special
survey of cotton farms in boil weevil
districts, studies of the earlier farm
management .IGCOIuS, SuAfCJo VI IL
gions on which studies have been
made in previous years to discover i'm
portant changes in management. Cost
of production work was expanded to
include wheat, cotton, tobacco, fruits
sugar beets, sugar cane, and cattle.
This extended service to farmers
was made possible largely by the con-
solidation Of three former bureaus into
what is now the bureau Of agricultural
economics. In the new bureau the
identity and the organization Of the
various lines of work formerly handled
in the three bureaus has been pre-
served in the associated divisions IN
der the three groups Of production
marketing, and problems dealing with
the economic phases Of both produc-
Ition and marketing.
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