Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-18

into its various varirtcs-common
spring, common winter, Durum or ma
caroni, Emmer, and Sp"lt for the in
crease Of the number of the varieties OF
vegetables from seven to twelve; for
the addition If guin ~ fowls and pig
cons to the pGultry list: for the state
ment of the amount received for stand
ing timber; for the amount of Woodland
on the farm: and for the amount re-
ceived for p1sturing domestic animals,
The farmers answers concerning
their ages should throw much light on
social conditions in agriculture. From
these it viii be possible to calculate
with reasonable accuracy the age when
young man passes out Of the ranks
OF the hired farm hands and becomes
either a tenant or owner of farm,
possessing his own implements, ma
chncry. live stock. md property. The
answers VIII help fix dc age at which
Il farmer may expect TO stop being a
renter" and arrive at the dignity of
ownership of the soil Whether or not
il is becoming more and more diff
cuIi for an American farmer to rise
from he tenant" class to that Of farm
ownership viii 3e pretty clearly indi-
Gated by the classiliS alton of mort
gagged farms by ag" periods. II farm
CrS umacr ~ have. relatively, the great
est mortgage Indebtedness. ii Will j."
fail for statsticians 20 assum" that the
Indebtedness has been incurred in the
purchase OF the farm.
The inquiry concerning the country
in which The farmer was born is also OF
great social significance. The replies
should show whether or not tn" native
American is holding his own in agricul
, ture. They will, for the first time
enable comparisons between the vari-
Gus nationalities to ascertain which are
| the most successful in agriculture. a:
indicated by the size of their farms an(
the value of their crops per acre. Thi:
inquiry will have an important near'ns
on the immigration problem. 1t VII
show what nationalitics are going int
agriculture and which OF these are the
most likely to become owners of farms
If this information is classified fol
counties. it will throw light on the re
lation between nationality and socia
activity is it the native American. thu
German. the scandinavian. or farmer
of some other nationality who is mos
actively taking up agricultural cooner
alton of developing 4 better rura
school,
The inquiry for the acreage of crop
to be harvested in 1910 is an importan
innovation 1t not only enables the
| Census Bureau to get data year later
| than usual. but it will permit the Unit
| ed States Department of Agriculture t.
| check mp the estimates of its specia
agents as to the area of the various
| crops, Very soon after the federal farm
census is taken the winter-Wheat mar
vest will begin and this acreage data
| will at once be available for checking
! the estimates of the total amount o
winter wheat in the harvest OF 1910.
| The fact that the 1910 schedule call
| for the number and breed of thorough
| bred animals shows the strides Ameri
ca is making in improving its stock
| The information will not only be OF In
| terest to breeders of pure-bred STOCK
but farmers will he able to know VINE
Their dairy breeds, such as Jerseys 0
Guernseys, are making more progress