Family living in Knott County, Kentucky
United States Department of Agriculture.
This study of the effect of cultivating poor farm land upon the material conditions of family life focuses on Knott County, a region considered to be representative of the Cumberland Plateau. The study was conducted in 1930 and the report was published in 1937 as Technical Bulletin 576. (November 2009)

The periodical cicada: an account of Cicada septendecim
USDA. Division of Entomology.
Author C. L. Marlatt provides a detailed overview of the periodical, or 17-year, cicada, including its habits, characteristics, distribution, song notes, and larval stages. The report was published in 1898 as Bulletin No. 14, New Series. (October 2009)

Russian dandelion (kok-saghyz): an emergency source of natural rubber
United States Department of Agriculture.
During World War II it became a critical concern that the U.S. imported much of its natural rubber. USDA researched other sources of rubber, and this 1947 report, published as Miscellaneous Publication 618, records the field-scale production tests of kok-saghyz. See also the 1944 report:
Extraction, characterization, and utilization of goldenrod rubber, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. (September 2009)

The Cat Club register
The Cat Club.
Lady Marcus Beresford founded The Cat Club in January, 1898, for "the improvement of breed and general good of Cats, and proper sanitary conduct of Shows." The Cat Club register of cat names, pedigrees and owners was published in 5 volumes from 1899 to 1902. (August 2009)

The Yearbook of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture.

In 1895, Congress passed a law providing for an annual publication to disseminate the USDA's resarch developments to scientists and farmers. The first volume published under this law was the Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture for 1894, with over 25 articles on such topics as "The grain smuts," "The improvement of public roads in North Carolina," and "The crow blackbird and its food."

The anatomy of the honey bee
USDA. Bureau of Entomology.
The anatomy of the honey bee is notable for its detailed drawings, particularly of the internal organs of the bee. It was published in 1910 as no. 18 in the Bureau of Entomology Technical Series. ( May 2009)

The Japanese flowering cherry trees of Washington, D.C.: a living symbol of friendship
USDA. United States National Arboretum.
This 1977 publication provides both the historical and scientific background on the effort to bring the cherry trees to Washington. Another publication of interest on the trees is Washington's Japanese cherries, by Masao Yoshikawa. (April 2009)

Home and Garden Bulletin
United States Department of Agriculture.
The Home and Garden Bulletin is intended to be a resource for the non-specialist. Published as short guides, pamphlets, and brochures, it offers advice and guidelines on a wide variety of topics related to home, garden, and diet. Some examples include: selecting pots and pans; controlling mosquitoes; drying foods; and growing bonsai. Browse the issues. (April 2009)

Small gardens for small folks
Edith Loring Fullerton wrote this 1912 children's book at the request of W. Atlee Burpee (of Burpee seed fame). This small book provides simple instructions on the basic steps for planting a vegetable or flower garden, and features photographs of the author's children working in the garden. (March 2009)

Impact of household size and income on food spending patterns
USDA. Economics and Statistics Service.
The statistical values outlined in this 1981 report (published as Technical Bulletin No. 1650) indicate what can happen to family expenditures for each of 24 major food groups when income and household size change. (February 2009)

Your tree's trouble may be you!
USDA. Forest Service.
The Forest Service issued this 1974 Agriculture Information Bulletin as part of a program to provide information on the use and care of trees. A Spanish version--"Usted puede ser el problema de su árbol"--is also available. Other bulletins in the program include "A tree hurts, too" and "Rx for wounded trees." (January 2009)

Our migrant shorebirds in southern South America
United States Department of Agriculture
Based on field work conducted in Argentina and Uruguay from 1920 to 1921, this report describes wintering grounds of shorebirds and the changes caused by man through expansion of cattle grazing, drainage of marshes, and hunting. (December 2008)

Convict labor for road work
United States Department of Agriculture
This 1916 bulletin is based on the results of an investigation conducted by the Office of Public Roads and Rural Engineering and the United States Public Health Service. The bulletin provides a digest of convict road laws and many operational details, including camp equipment, sanitation, and discipline.
View Part 1 and Part 2. (November 2008)

Calosoma sycophanta: its life history, behavior, and successful colonization in New England
USDA. Bureau of Entomology.
Calosoma sycophanta is described as one of the most important natural enemies of the gipsy moth and the brown-tailed moth. This 1911 bulletin provides information on the beetle's life history, colonization, and economic importance. (October 2008)

Journal of Agricultural Research (JAR)
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
The research results of the Department and Experiment Stations were published in JAR in 78 volumes from 1913 to 1949. Browse the volumes. (September 2008)

Hemp hurds as paper-making materials
United States Department of Agriculture.
Published in 1916 as USDA Bulletin number 404, the first part of this paper provides a brief overview of the agricultural aspects of hemp. The second part discusses the results of a preliminary investigation into the use of hemp in the manufacture of book and printing papers. (August 2008)

National forest landscape management
USDA. Forest Service.
Volume 1, published in 1973 as Agriculture Handbook no. 434, is a training document used to illustrate the concepts of the Forest Service landscape managment program. Volume 2 focuses on the application of visual resource management principals to activities on National Forest System lands. Chapters were published in handbooks 462, 478, 483, 484, 550, 608, and 666. Select the handbook volumes. (July 2008)

Shade trees for the home
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Agriculture Handbook no. 425 (published in 1972) presents information about shade trees that are suitable for planting around homes in the continental United States, except Alaska. Small ornamental trees and shade trees for streets are not specifically discussed. (June 2008)

Spruce budworms handbook: predators of the spruce budworm
USDA. Forest Service.
Agriculture Handbook no. 644 (published in 1985) is one of a series on the spruce budworm, Choristoneura furniferana, the most destructive insect pest in eastern North America. Agriculture Handbook no. 639, Using dendrochronology to measure radial growth of defoliated trees, is another title in the series. (May 2008)

Motor fuels from farm products
United States Department of Agriculture
Miscellaneous Publication no. 327 (published in 1938) presents statistics on the annual production and geographic distribution of various farm crops suitable as raw material for producing compounds for use in motor-fuel blends. (April 2008)

Two-queen system of honey bee colony management
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Production Research Report no. 161 (published in 1976) describes the mechanics and theory of the two-queen system and includes step-by-step handling and organization of the colonies. (March 2008)

The golden nematode handbook: survey, laboratory, control, and quarantine procedures
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Agriculture Handbook no. 353 (published in 1968) describes the regulatory measures and laboratory and field techniques used to carry out a large-scale control program against the golden nematode. (February 2008)

Uses of airphotos for rural and urban planning
USDA. Economic Research Service.
Agriculture Handbook no. 315 (published in 1966) describes how airphotos are made and how photogrammetry and photo interpretation are used in preparing rural and urban development plans. (January 2008)

Linnaeus’s system of botany, so far as relates to his classes and orders of plants
This 1777 volume by William Curtis illustrates Linnaeus's classes and orders of common English plants. NAL's holdings of Carl Linnaeus include over 300 books and dissertations written by or about the "Father of Taxonomy." For more information, see the Special Collections guide: Carl von Linné Materials at the National Agricultural Library. (December 2007)

Composition of Foods...Raw, Processed, Prepared
USDA. Human Nutrition Information Service.
Historically, USDA has been responsible for the task of deriving representative nutritive values of food. These food composition tables were published in 21 volumes as Agriculture Handbook no. 8. Browse the volumes. (November 2007)

Classifying forest susceptibility to Gypsy Moth defoliation
United States Department of Agriculture.
This 1979 Agriculture Handbook no. 542 describes New England stands that are susceptible or resistant to gypsy moth defoliation, and presents an objective method for predicting the susceptibility of stands to defoliation. (October 2007)

Tropical Tree Seed Manual
USDA. Forest Service.
This is the second volume of a two-volume set that together describe 750 species of trees. Volume 1, Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, was published in 1964 as Agriculture Handbook no. 249 and Volume 2 was published in 1974 as Agriculture Handbook no. 449 in English and Spanish. (September 2007)

The Young solar collector: an evaluation of its multiple farm uses
USDA. Economics and Statistics Service.
This Agricultural Economic Report no. 466 (published in 1981) describes the Young flat-plate solar collector, which was designed by a Nebraska farm couple and personnel from the Small Farm Energy Project. (August 2007)

Tropical Tree Seed Manual
USDA. Forest Service.
A reference manual that provides comprehensive, internationally compiled data about tropical seeds, including descriptions of 197 botanically and economically important tropical tree species. Select Agriculture Handbook no. 721 from this list. (July 2007)

Catalog of the Coleoptera of America North of Mexico
USDA. ARS. Systematic Entomology Lab.
There are about 220,000 described species of Coleoptera (beetles), of which 24,000 occur in the United States and Canada. The fascicles of this catalog have been issued since 1979 and were produced by an originial group of computer programs, designed and written by the Systematic Entomology Lab of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Browse Agriculture Handbook 529. (June 2007)

Message from the President...Southern Appalachian Region
United States Department of Agriculture.
This report was issued in 1902 by the Secretary of Agriculture in relation to the forests, rivers, and mountains of the Southern Appalachian region. Its conclusions point to the creation of a national forest reserve in certain parts of the Southern States. Select "Message from the President..." from this alphabetical list . (May 2007)

Fruit and Vegetable Market News Reports
USDA. Agricultural Marketing Service.
The reports are a collection of data on the annual shipment summaries of fresh fruit and vegetable commodities in the United States from 1916 to 1998, and of regional summaries of arrival/unload totals from 1960 to 1980 or 1998, depending on the area. These historical data were compiled by the USDA
Agricultural Marketing Service and its predecessor agencies. Browse the reports. (April 2007)

Century of service: the first 100 years of the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture.
Century of Service (1963) explores the history of USDA from 1862, when the Department was established by Abraham Lincoln, through the administration of John F. Kennedy. The publication is divided into parts. Select "Century of Service..." from this alphabetical list. (March 007)

Stored-grain insects
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
This Agriculture Handbook no. 500 (revised 1986) describes the five primary pests that cause the most insect damage to grain in shipment and storage--the granary, rice, maize, and Australian wheat weevils and the Angoumois grain moth. The handbook also includes other insect species that can cause damage if storage conditions are favorable. The handbook is divided into five parts. Select Agriculture Handbook no. 500 from this list. (February 2007)

World's Poultry Congress - 2nd to 4th (1924 to 1930)
World's Poultry Science Association.
The World's Poultry Science Assocation sponsors The World's Poultry Congress as part of its objective to advance knowledge and understanding of all aspects of poultry science and the poultry industry. The congresses feature both research and exhibitions in order to strengthen the ties between science and practice. Browse the volumes. (January 2007)

The dasheen; its uses and culture
United States Department of Agriculture.
What's a dasheen? This article in the 1916 Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture describes the Trinidad dasheen, a variety of a particular type of taro. According to the article, the name dasheen seems to be a corruption of the French phrase "de la Chine," meaning "from China." The article includes cooking suggestions, like stuffed dasheen in the half shell. (December 2006)

Division of Pomology Bulletin
USDA. Division of Pomology.
The bulletin, published in 10 volumes from 1888 to 1901, provides the history and condition of tropical and semi-tropical fruits within the United States. The individual bulletins are devoted to specific fruits, such as figs, wild grapes, and prunes, and to broader topics, like the fruit industry. Browse the bulletins. (September 2006)

The apple maggot
United States Department of Agriculture.
From page 1 of this Technical Bulletin no. 66: "Everyone living in the country, in New England and near-by States, is familiar with the disappointment experienced on biting into a "rail- roaded" or maggoty apple. Many such apples give no external warning that anything is wrong, although their interior may be a broken-down mass of rotten pulp." Read more about Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh. (September 2006)

Annual Report and Conference Proceedings
Bean Improvement Cooperative.
The Bean Improvement Cooperative is a voluntary organization dedicated to the improvement of bean production worldwide. BIC facilitates the exchange of information and materials through its Web site, publications and meetings. Browse the reports and proceedings. (August 2006)

As we recall: the growth of agricultural estimates, 1933-1961
USDA. Statistical Reporting Service.
An informal account of some of the people who guided the course of the U.S. Crop Reporting Service from 1933 to 1961, a time period marked by many historically significant events, such as the Great Depression, the New Deal and World War II. View the volume. (June 2006)

The Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture.
The Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture was published from 1862 to 1888 and then changed titles to The Report of the Secretary of Agriculture in 1889. This series features the annual report submitted by the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture to the President of the United States, describing the agricultural condition of the country and the work accomplished by the department. (May 2006)

The Rural Development Publication Digitizing Project
The Rural Development Publication Digitizing Project was the first endeavor of the NALDR. With funding provided by the Rural Information Center at NAL, the full text of publications that relate to rural development in America were added, including the entire series of Rural Development Research Reports, Rural Development Perspectives, Agricultural Economic Reports, and Agriculture Information Bulletins, as well as selected Economic Research Staff Reports and the first 300 volumes of Agriculture Handbooks. Go to Tables of Contents to view a list of all publications in the repository. (February 2006)