Evening journal., 1909-10-08
FARMERS TO HELP
CENSUS TAKERS
Is Asked to Keep Record Of
all Products And Ex-
penSeS

WASHINGTON. oct. s-The Census I
Bureau. under Director Durand, is go
ing to come to the relief Of the farm
ers who are suffering from ennui be-
cause of so much idle time on their
hands.
A nice little plan has been arranged
whereby the farmers may employ their
evenings by becoming statisticians and
incidentally tell the census takers all
about their business, what they are
worth and why, and If not. why not.
All over the broad land the tillers
of the soil will be asked to help along
the census of 1910, which will be taken
beginning April 10 Of next year, by
keeping careful record from now on
of the number and value of all their
domestic animals, including yellow
dogs and Tom cats. poultry and
swarms Of bees. so that they will be
able TO tell without a moments hesi-
tation just how they stand on April 10
next.
The farmer will be asked to keep
a diary of the number and value OF
calves, colts, lambs, pigs. chickens,
ducks. turkeys. geese, guinea hens,
etc, raised in 1909, and make note of
all that have been killed and sold and
what he got for them. and how much
he paid for others. and what he ate
and what his help ate.
Then he must set down how many
COWS he milks and what they are
worth and calculate how many gal
Ions of milk they gave during the
year. and how much butter and cheese
were sold and the amount received
from their sales.
When he has done this he will be
permitted TO amuse himself by keeping
a careful record of the quantity and
value Of all eggs. honey and wax pro-
duced on the farm in 1909.
He must also tell what he paid for
farm labor. for food for live stock.
for fertilizer and he may also tell
how much he spent when he went to
town, and Why what his average was
in the spelling bees; what he does with
his leisure time; his age, sex. color,
previous condition OF servitude. poll
tics; whether he is an Anarchist or
a Presbyterian; the amount of tobacco
he smokes or chewss whether he loves
his wife or whose; whether he likes
farming better than banking; II he be-
lieves that Captain Cook buried that
brass tube under the North Pole; how
long he sleeps. and whether pumpkin
pie is inductive TO rest or nightmare
etc. and then etc.
The census Bureau people are out
for information, and they want il for
the benefit Of the farmer himself
When they get 1t a few thousand
clerks, more or less. will be kept busy
for 10 years compiling il, and then
il will be printed and stored away In
warehouses in Washington, just as the
census reports (still incomplete) OF
nine years ago are being stored away
now.
The Importance OF the agricultural
census hardly can be overestimated
say those having It in charge. for thu
capital invested in agricultural pur
suits in 1900 was the tidy little sur
Of 4.O01, ,SSS.49.
Well, there are about 100000 NOR
farms now than there were in 1900, s
it is easy TO caluculate what they al
worth at present A child could d
it from the statistics to be furnishe
by the farmers themselves.
After they have furnished to tn
census enumerators the information
they have been busy collecting al
winter. they may go out and catcl
up with the spring plowing and atten'
to the chores.