South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-14
Reports
On Getting Data

An outline OF the organization de-
veloped in the department Of agri-
culture through more than half a
century Of experience in crop esti-
mating. indicating the care and
thoroughness with which govern
ment crop reports are prepared, is
given In the annual report of the
secretary OF agriculture.
For collecting original data the
bureau of crop estimates has two
main sources of information-vol-
untary reporters and salaried field
agents. The voluntary force COM
prises 33,745 township reporters,
one for each agricultural township;
2.752 county reporters, who report
monthly or oftener on county wide
conditions. basing their estimates on
personal observation, inquiry. and
written reports of aids, of whom
there are about $500; 10 special
lists of cooperators, aggregating
$4,000 names. who report on par
ticular products, such as live stock,
cotton. wool. rice, tobacco. potatoes,
apples, peanuts. beans, and the like;
and 20, field aids. including the
best informed men in each state,
who report directly 20 the salaried
/ field agents Of the bureau The to-
tai voluntary staff. therefore, num-
bers approximately 200. 900. an av-
erage of about Sc for each county
and four for each township. The
reporters. as a rule, are farmers.
They serve without compensation,
and are selected and retained on the
lists because of their knowledge of
local conditions, their public spirit.
and their interest in the work. All
except county and field aids report
directly TO the bureau. and each
class of reports is tabulated and av-
eraged separately for each group
and state.
The bureau has AZ salaried field
agents, one stationed permanently
in each of the principal states or
group of small states. and II crop
specialists. These employees are in
the classified civil service. All have
had some practical experience in
farming. Most Of them are grad
yates of agricultural colleges and
are trained in statistical methods
and crop estimating They travel
approximately three weeks each
month, the fourth week being re-
Quired for tabulation and summar-
izing the data collected. They send
their reports directly TO the de-
4 partment in special envelopes or
| telegraph them in code. These are
carefully safeguarded until the crop
report is issued.
Additional information is secured
from the weather bureau. the bu-
reau of the census, state tax asses
sors thrashers grain mills and ele-
/ vators. grain transportation lines.
the principal live stock markets.
boards of trade and chambers OF
/ commerce. growers and shippers'
F associations. and various private
crop estimating agencies. Specific
reports from the neld service are
assembled i'm Washington. tabulated.
averaged. and summarized separate
/ ~ for each source, each CROP. and
each state. The resulting figures
are checked against one another and
against similar data for the PREV
Gus month, for the same month OF
the previous year. and for the aver
age Of the same month for the pre-
vious 10 years: and separate and
independent estimate for each cror
and state is made by each member
/ of the crop reporting board. after
which the board agrees upon and
adopts single figure for each cror
and state.