The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-06-26
j. S. GOVERNMENT
THE WORK OF
vast Army of Correspondents
Engaged In Collecting
important Facts.
. HEN the department of agri-
" culture sends out it's monthly
W report with the latest crop

w culture sends out it's monthly
w report with the latest crop
news in it few people realize
that more than 100000 reporters have
had part in gathering the facts there
in set forth. Everybody knows about
the crop reports, but not everybody
knows how they are collected and how
the estimates are reached.
For instance, when the department
says that the average condition Of
winter wheat on April 1 was 91.6 per
cent of normal against 500 on April
l, 1912, what is the basis Of the per-
centage? Is some previous year taken
as the base and the percentage fig
ured from that? And, If so. how is the
basic year selected?
1t isn't. The percentage doesn't
mean any comparison with any other
year. The percentage is based on what
the people in the vicinage expect Of
their land. A farmer can tell pretty
we'll what the yield ought to be. If
he knows that 1t ought to produce
twenty-five bushels and he does not
look this year for more than twenty
bushels he reports that he estimates 80
per cent.
And it is the farmer, generally speak
ing, who furnishes the information on
which the bureau of statistics Of the
agricultural department makes it's es-
Inmates. Most of the 10000 reporters
are not paid. They are classified as ''vol-
untary correspondents" which means
that they furnish the information
about their respective regions without
getting cent for it. The only thing
they get out of it is that they receive
the publications Of the department of
agriculture without having to write
and ask for them.
The Departments Staff.
In each county which has any agri-
cultural Importance there is a cor
respondent Of the department, who has
several assistants who can be called
in if necessary. He furnishes a re-
port for the county. In addition there
is correspondent in each township.
They do not furnish their reports to
the county correspondent, but send
them in directly to the department of
agriculture, which checks up the esti-
mates If there is a disagreement and
figures out from the different reports
the estimate for the state.
In addition the department has what
it calls "feld agents." who travel over
several states at a time and report
what they observe, and it has state
correspondents, who conduct their
work independently Of the voluntary
correspondents who are reporting di-
rectly to Washington.
The voluntary correspondents are
subdivided as county correspondents,
township correspondents, Individual
farmers and special cotton correspond
ents. The number Of counties of agri-
cultural Importance in the United
States is approximately $500. The
correspondent selected by the depart
ment in each of these counties is cho-
sen with special reference to his quail
fications, and each is expected to Sc
cure data from his several assistants
in different parts of the county, and
also to supplement these with informa-
ton obtained from his own observation
and knowledge.
Many Special Reports.
Besides these county correspondents,
with their assistants, and the township
correspondents fhe latter numbering
$4,000, at the end Of the growing sea-
son reports are received from a large
number of individual farmers and
planters on the results Of their own
Individual farming operations during
the year. Valuable data are also Sc
cured from 10000 mills and elevators
AS for the correspondents employed
by the department, the special field
service consists Of twenty travelling
agents, each of whom covers a sepa-
rate group of states. These agents,
who are chosen for their statistical
training and practical knowledge of
crops, travel Systematically over the
districts assigned to them. It is their
business to question the best informed
persons in each neighborhood which
they visit-farmers, country mer-
chants, implement dealers and others
and to collect information in every
way. Their reports are rendered
monthly, sometimes by mail and some
times by telegraph, and if conditions
require more frequent reports they are
made
States Gather Statistics.
Each Of the state statistical agents
reports for his state as a whole and
maintains a corps Of correspondents
entirely Independent of those reporting
directly to the department at Wash
ington. The state statistical CORE
spondents report monthly to the state
agent on schedules furnished them.
The reports are then tabulated and
weighed according to the relative prod
dct or area Of the given crop in each
county represented and are summar
tzed by the state agent, who coordi
Rtes and analyses them in the light
OF his personal knowledge of condi