The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-15
FARMERS WILL HELP
Accurate Accounts of Operations for
Year an Important Part Of Gem
sus Inquiry.


the United States will be taken, be-
ginning April 15, 1910. By prepar-
ing an accurate account of his farm
operations during the year ending
December 81, 1909, of all his farm
possessions, the farmers of the coun-
try can render the census bureau and
the public at large an inestimable
service.
1t was not to be expected that
farmers will ever keep as complete
accounts as do manufacturers and
merchants. The fact that a large
part of his daily bread is supplied
from his own farm, instead of being
purchased out of cash on hands, nat
urally causes the farmer to place an
uncertain value on the products con-
sumed in his home.
Nevertheless, constantly increas-
ing number of farmers are keeping
accurate records of their daily re-
ceipts and expenses and of the exact
quantities of all classes of products
grown or raised on their farms.
Wherever such records are kept the
census enumerators are able to OBJ
tain highly accurate reports without
taking more than a few minutes of
the farmers time and without
troubling him to make difficult esti-
mates.
In order that the great majority
of farmers who do not ordinarily
keep book records of these farm
operations may be given an oppor-
tunity to familiarize themselves with
the scope of the census to be taken
next April, an outline of the schedule
has been prepared. Every farm OPP
orator is strongly urged to study this
outline carefully and to write down
the answer to each question as soon
as the necessary information be-
comes available. When complete,
the notebook should be laid aside for
reference when the enumerator calls.
The schedule may be divided into
classes as follows:
Personal information regarding
the farmer.
General information regarding
farm acreage, values and expenses.
A statement of the acreage, yield
and value of all farm crops harvest
ed in 1909, and all animal products
that is, dairy products, eggs, live
stock sold, etc.
An inventory of all live stock, in
Guiding poultry and bees, on hand
April Is. 1910.
Miscellaneous information.
Farmers will be asked to give their
name, postoffice address, color or
race, age, nation in which born, ten
ure, length Of residence on farm, and
if a tenant, the name and address
of the person from whom land Is
leased.
By obtaining the ages of farmers
the census will be able to classify
farm property by age periods of the
operators and thus show what pro-
portion of all farm wealth is con-
trolled by farmers under 25 years of
age, between As and 80 years of age,
or for any other age period. The
rate of gain in wealth as the farm
ers increase in age will be general
index to the profitableness of farm
ing as an occupation in different sec
tions of the country.
The question of tenure, from many
standpoints, is one of the most in
teresting on the schedule. The three
principal tenures are owned, cash
tenants and share tenant.
Each farm operator will be re-
quired to state the total number of
acres in his farm, and also the num-
ber of acres of improved land. BY
improved land, is meant all regular
ly titled or moved land temporarily
pastured, land lying fallow, land in
gardens, orchards, vineyards, and
nurseries, and occupied by build
ings. The number of acres of tim
ber land will also be called for.
Statements will be required of the
value of all land, buildings, imple-
ments and machinery. 1t should be
born in mind that the figures, de-
sired are the values on April 15,
1910, and should be determined by
carefully estimating the amounts
that could be realized from sales un-
der average conditions.
Inquiry will be made for the total
amount expended for farm labor in
1909, exclusive of expenditures for
housework. A third question calls
for the amount paid in 1909 for ma
nure and other fertilizers.
A new question in farm census in
vestigations calls for the amount paid
in 1909 for hay, grain and other art
icles not raised on the farm, but pur-
chased for feed and domestic ami
mails and poultry.
Four facts are required to be as
certained regarding each principal
crop grown on the farm in 1909. The
number of acres harvested, the guam
tity produced, the value of the pro-
duct, and the number of acres sown
or planted or to be sown or planted
for harvest in 1910. The values CIV
en- should be based upon prices re-
ceived in the local markets. The
crops called for on the schedule are:
CrODS grown exclusively for their