Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-01-07
NEW FARM QUESTIONS.
Nature of Those In the Thirteenth
Agricultural Schedule.

Washington, d. C.-United States
Census Director Durand states that
the new inquiries in the general az
'icultural schedule for the census Of
1910 are expected to develop impor-
tant data on the questions whether
or not the native American farmer
is holding his own against the for
eign-born home maker in this coun-
try: the age period when the hired
farm hand" becomes an Independent
farmer himself; the age when the
tenant farmer ceases to be a renter"
and becomes an owner; and also con
corning other vital facts relative to
the social aud industrial tendencies
among the millions of tillers of the
soil in the first decade of the TWEEN
tieth century.
The new questions were added to
he farm schedule by authority of the
act OF congress providing for the
Thirteenth and subsequent decennial
.ceususes. but United States Census
Director Durand was instructed to de
termine The form and subdivision of
the inquiries in other words. to
frame the main questions and the
v
eight groups of topics embraced in
the schedule
As approximate accuracy in the re-
turns from the enumeration depends
not only upon the supervisors and
Ienumerators, but largely also upon
the form of the schedule, Census Di-
rector Durand called into consulta-
ton with himself and his admins
!
of farm economists and farm manag-
|mcnt experts who assisted in the
preparation of the questions with n
View to simplicity and clarity of Ian
|Guagp and the avoidance of technical
/ terms not in common use, A compari-
son of the new schedule with the
|One used in the census of 1900 also
shows that great progress has been
made in this direction. II is believed
! the enum orators will have less diff
Iticulty in understanding what infor-
|mation the 1910 schedule is trying
to bring out and that the farmers
will be able to give fuller and more
accurate replies. The new schedule
/ will also facilitate the use Of a more
/ Thorough system Of office checking
whereby inaccuracies may be disCoV-
cred
Three Classes Of New Questions.
The new inquiries fall into three
Iclasses; First. those seeking informa-
Ition not obtained by former censuses;
second, those calling for more extern
siye data on previous census topics;
and, finally, those concerning CON
Editions or industries which have
arisen since the last census,
IN the first class are those inqui-
trics concerning the age of the farm
CT and the country of his birth; mort
gage Indebtedness acreage to be
planted to crops in this year 1910;
breed of pure-bred animals; and acre
age Of mixed timothy and clover hay
In the second class are the inqui-
Irios relative to the amount of feed
purchased for live stock and the
amount and value of live stock pur-
chased; the value of eggs sold; value
Of wax sold, separate from honey;
/ and amount Of pasture land under ir-
/ Irrigation.
In the third class the new questions
provide for the separation of wheat
into it's various varieties common
spring, common winter, Durum or
|macarOni, Emmer. and spelt. for the
increase of the number of the yaTie-
/ ties of vegetables from seven to
+ twelve for the addition of guinea
fowls and pigeons to the poultry list;
/ for the statement of the amount re-
|coiyed for standing timber; for the
amount of woodland on the farm;
and for the amount received for pas
turing domestic animals.
The farmers answers concerning
their ages should throw much light
on social conditions in agriculture.
From these it Will be possible to cal
culatC with reasonable accuracy the
age when a young man passes out of
/ the ranks Of the "hired farm hands
and becomes either a tenant or owner
Of & farm. possessing his own nipple
Iments, machinery, live stock, and
property. The answers will help fix
/ the age at which a farmer may eX-
Ipect to stop being renter" and ar
rive at the dignity Of ownership Of
the soil. Whether or not it is becOm-
ling more and more difficult for an
/ American farmer to rise from the
tenant class to that of farm own
Iership will be pretty clearly indi-
Gated by the classification of mort
gagged farms by age periods. If farm
Iers under 80 have, relatively, the
greatest mortgage Indebtedness, it
/ will be fair for statisticians to as
sumo that the Indebtedness has been
incurred in the purchase of the farm.