DIVISION OF STATISTICS. This division was established in 1863, in the year following that of the organization of the Department, by the creation of the office of statistician and the appropriation of $20,000 for the purposes of statistical investigation and compilation. The position was filled by the appointment of a statistician, who was charged with the collection of cropreports and current general statistics, and with the editing of the monthly report, a publication designed to include the gist of current crop-returns and such other data as required prompt publicity. In 1866 the annual report was transferred to this division, and its editor was appointed statistician, and has since discharged the increased duties of this consolidation, establishing the division of statistics and publication, which now combines with the crop-reporting system and general investigation the revision and issue of the reports and publications. The agricultural report of the Patent Office, which was published a few years prior to 1847 in connection with the annual mechanical report, became at that date a separate publication, which was continued as an annual until the organization of the Department of Agriculture, the last issued being that of 1861, under the auspices of the agricultural division of the Patent Office. The annual edition had been increased from a few thousand to 200,000. The new (or Department) series has had still larger issues, varying from 200,000 to 275,000 copies per annum, until the repeal of the franking privilege interfered with their distribution. The recent reports have not been published promptly on account of the differing views of the Senate and House relative to their distribution, the House usually voting to order 200,000 to 300,000 copies for free delivery, and the Senate desiring to limit franking, and inclining to the English plan of sale at cost of printing; but in August of the present year provision was made for the publication of 200,000 copies of 1875 and 100,000 copies of 1874. It is susceptible of abundant proof that these volumes have greatly stimulated agricultural thought, encouraged the adoption of advanced processes, and excited a taste for agricultural reading, especially in new and poor settlements, in which they have proved a pioneer in all that pertains to agricultural progress. They have even gone in advance of the issues of the agricultural press, and created a demand for rural liter |