The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-09-19
OUR AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
Ehe Ccnaus Bureau is Preparing an
Interesting Chapter for the Farm-


Interesting Chapter for the Farm.
ers.
The Washington correspondent OF
the Baltimore Sun furnishes the iol.
lowing Information Of especial into rest
to the farmers
Probably no portion Of tho work OF
the census bureau is OF SO much in.
terest to the South as I'll g agricultural
division" said Chief Statistician
Powers, who is In charge Of this branch
Of the bureau.
The enumerators' sheets are not
all In as yet, but it is already known
that the returns will show that there
are in the country between $500, 900
and 100000 separate farmers Our
Inquiries regarding the conditions
existing on these properties include
the tenure, live stock and general
equipment. The enumcrators' returns
have been little complicated, owing
to the number and Importance of the
questions, and we have been obliged
so far TO send out about 250, 600 letters
in order to get reliable data to com
! plete our schedules. But whom this in
formation is all tsbulated il will fur.
nish the country with some very valu.
able facts.
" An effort Is being made in the pre-.
| sent census to get reliable data on the
subject OF tenure of farms In general,
with Is view Of showing to what extent
the land OF the country is being held
| by landed prOprietors and whether or
not farm tenancy is likely to become
/, the established policy in this country.
These inquiries have developed no end
of di tticultieS as it has been found thai
DegrOes and ignorant whites have az
parentiy no Idea OF their own aifairs.
Another phase OF the situation - the
difficulty OF separating the partial
tenures, which means farms operated
Cn shares, from those for which yearly
rent is paid
This is especially SO in the South.
Some of the large plantations in thg,
section have been divided up into nun.
dreds OF plots Of few acres each,
which are worked by the blacks on
shares. Among these people the Gu.
umerators have experienced great dif.
iiculty In getting any accurate luforma.
tion as to the value OF the land or pro.
ducts.
Another very interesting exhibit
will be the figures on live stock. These
schedules are nearly complete and
expect very soon to be able to furnish
the statistics for the cities. In these
schedules, as in the othors, we have
made no arbitrary decisions, but have
endeavorcd to get only exact informa
tiun. One OF tho most interesting fuD
lures OF this exhibit will he The dairy
figures. Every person who keep,
three or more COWS and dispOses OF tho
milk we have classified ~ q dairy
Tine live stock question in the Wes'
! presented some difficulties, but We be
} !icve that they have been successful,
disposed OF. For instance, you can SEE
that cattle on the range might be il
one State to day and somewhere else
tomorrow, as they not only travel OF
the hoOi extensively, but are alet
5 transported from one grazing grounC
20 other by the railroads.
" In addition to the above mau,
! olhcr valuable facts regarding tht
| economic and social position OF the cul
tivatOrs OF tha soil are included In ouI
inquiries.
Special attention will be paid Il
figures and facts relating to the pro
duction OF the big crops, such as wheat
coru, cotton, rice. tobacco and hay, il
relation to the cos! Generally speak
ing, it "ill be the aim OF the bureau /,
compile these statistics in such form
as to be OF use to the student Of ecopo
mics. He will be able to tell the mum
; Der of farms. their value, the value o
their production, the cost OF labor TO
I working them in different sections an,
. the comparative incomes OF the whit
, and black farmer.
These figures will rot be ready TO
: use FOR more than two years vet, bu
the bireau will probably get out bul
, letins, from time to time, on specia
) subjGc's.'