Comparative prices of articles purchased by farmers in 1910, 1909, and 1899—Continued. Coal oil. Flour. Lard. Matches. Salt. Soap. .tarch. Sugar.. Tobacco. 97.2 .gallons.. 102.8 107.0 56.4 33.8 36.5 22.8 .sets.. Fruit jars. .dozen.. Kitchen chairs. Wooden buckets. Wooden washtubs. Gloves.. Hats, felt.. .umpers. Overalls. Raincoats.. Rubber boots. .pairs.. Shirts, flannel.. Shoes, brogan.. .pairs.. Calico... Muslin. Sheeting. Axes.. Barb wire. .pairs.. 15.7 18.0 11.9 14.8 18.5 10.2 29.6 26.1 3.3 3.8 3.1 3.9 2.9 3.6 2.6 2.8 3.7 2.3 5.5 5.3 4.1 9.2 10.6 7.0 8.7 10.8 6.0 17.5 15.3 11.0 10.7 11.4 7.9 6.7 7.8 5.8 6.3 8.1 4.9 12.7 11.4 9.0 7.8 8.5 6.4 196.6 230.3 163.7 185.7 236.7 140.4 372.4 334.2 256.2 227.5 248.8 182.9 142.2 168.9 118.2 134.4 173.6 101.4 269.4 245. 1 68.9 83.5 59.5 65. 1 85.8 51.0 130.5 121.2 15. 1 16.9 10.3 14.2 17.4 8.8 28.5 24.6 185.0 164.6 182.4 132. 1 93. 1 79.7 90.2 66.5 16. 1 17.4 18.3 11.5 6.3 5.6 4.0 3.8 4. 1 2.9 ..pounds.. 424.4 481.0 287.5 401.0 494.3 246.6 803.8 698. 1 450.0 491.1 519.6 321.3 43.3 45.6 The number of acres of corn, wheat, etc., which was required to buy the articles specified, in 1910, 1909, and 1899, was as follows: Purchasing power of the produce of 1 acre in 1910 compared with the purchasing power of 1 acre in 1909 and 1899, respectively. Purchasing power of the produce of 1 acre in 1910 compared with the purchasing power of 1 acre in 1909 and 1899, respectively-Continued. REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith the executive report of the Library for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911. Respectfully, Hon. JAMES WILSON, Secretary of Agriculture. GENERAL STATEMENT. as It will be seen from the detailed reports on the various branches of the Library's work which follow that the past year has been one of distinct progress, in spite of the handicaps under which the Library has labored due to lack of room and changes in the staff. In the Report of the Librarian for 1909 attention was called to the necessity for a settled and definite library policy in the department, especially in regard to the relation of the main Library to the libraries of the bureaus and divisions. There is cause for gratification that such a policy has finally been outlined and adopted through the approval by the Secretary of Agriculture of the recommendations in regard to "Libraries" made by the Committee on Economy and Efficiency in the Department of Agriculture in their report issued June 30, 1911. The full text of the chapter on "Libraries printed in the committee's report is given in Appendix 2. These recommendations having been approved by the Secretary of Agriculture, as stated above, became effective on July 1, 1911. It is quite probable that the coming year may show no marked change in the work of the Library as the result of the definite adoption of the recommendations of the committee, since the policy expressed in the recommendations has in general been the policy under which the Library has been working for many years. It is, however, confidently hoped that the official recognition and adoption of a definite library policy will insure greater permanence and continuity of effort in the library work of the department and that the centralization of administration in library matters provided for in the recommendations will in time result in greater economy and efficiency by minimizing to the smallest possible degree the duplication and overlapping of work and by providing for the widest possible use of material. 23165°-AGR 1911--42 657 STAFF MEETINGS. Last fall it was decided to resume the meetings of the library staff comprising all engaged in library work in the department. The four meetings which were held during the year were suggestive and helpful, and gave further evidence on the part of the staff of faithful, conscientious service and a desire to cooperate in increasing the efficiency of the library work of the department. ROOMS. The need for more space for library purposes is imperative. The past year has brought no relief in the crowded condition of the Library. The work of the cataloguing and periodical divisions has been greatly hampered from lack of sufficient room for desks for the assistants connected with the work, the bookshelves are full to overflowing, and in addition the Library is much inconvenienced by lack of a room for the unpacking, sorting, and temporary storage of material. Under the present conditions the work of the Library is crippled and its usefulness seriously impaired. LIBRARY PUBLICATIONS. The Library publications of the year included the Report of the Librarian for 1910, a pamphlet of 16 pages, which was issued in December, 1910, and the Monthly Bulletin of the Library, the numbers for July, 1910, to June, 1911, comprising 352 pages, with author index of 85 pages to volume 1, 1910. The Monthly Bulletin for January, 1911, contained, in addition to the list of accessions, a complete List of Works on Pigeons, contained in the Library. AGRICULTURAL LIBRARIES SECTION OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. In the report of last year mention was made of the two sessions of the Agricultural Libraries Round Table held in connection with the meeting of the American Library Association at Mackinac Island in June, 1910. In further reference to the work begun at this meeting it should be of interest to librarians connected with agricultural libraries to note that a petition for the formation of an agricultural libraries section in the American Library Association was presented to the council of the association and granted by them at their meeting in Pasadena, Cal., in May, 1911. There is reason to hope that the section can be of great use in furthering the advancement of agricultural libraries and stimulating an interest in agricultural literature. USE OF THE LIBRARY. During the past year the charges recorded at the loan desk of the main Library numbered 36,250, an increase of 1,070 compared with the previous year. The record of similar charges for the past five years is as follows: |