The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1919-11-28
Getting Crop Statistics.

setting crop STATISTICS.
The United States maintains
crop-reporting organization that util-
ICES the services Of more than 150,
600 persons. Distributed over the
country are AZ salarted field agents,
one in each state or group of
small states These field agents are In
the classified civil service and are ap-
pointed only after passing civil serv-
ice examination to test their eduea-
tional and statistical qualifications.
Before they are permitted to take the
civil service examination they must
show that they have had at least five
years practical experience in farming,
and education equivalent to four
year course In an agricultural college,
or at least three-years' responsible,
practical experience in work involving
statistical methods or statistical in
quiry.
Each agent enlists the voluntary
services of several thousand selected
correspondents in his state. who report
to him every month regarding the
crops grown In the state. At the close
of each month the agent makes up
detailed estimate on the crops in his
territory and forwards it to the Wash
ington office.
In addition to the field agents, the
bureau employs ten crop specialists
for particular crops and truck and
fruit. These crop specialists are of
the same high character, experience
and educational qualifications as the
field agents and each devotes his ell
tire time to Investigating the single
crop for which he is responsible.
Volunteer Crop Reporters.
A third class of reporters are the
voluntary county crop reporters, ap-
proximately $500 in number. each Of
whom reports for his county each
month on printed schedules directly to
the bureau. The county reporters base
their estimates upon personal obser-
walton and inquiry and upon written
and telephone reports to them from
aids in different portions of the eoun-
ty. A fourth source of information is
the voluntary township reporters, one
for each agricultural township in the
United States, approximately 5000
in number.
Additional sources of information
exist in the bureaus special lists Of
growers of particular crops, and in
other lists eff buyers, dealers, mills and
elevators. producers and shipping as
sociations. and other agencies engaged
in handling, manufacturing, transport
ing. storing and distributing crops. The
returns from each class Of reporters
are tabuated and averaged separate
" as a check. enc against the other.
The county totals are Weighted that
is, a county which produces five times
as much of a particular crop as an
other receives five times the import
ance of weight" of the other county
in determining the average for that
particular crop.
Every possible preeaution IS taken
to prevent the totals for any of the
sO-called speculative crops, such as
corn. cotton. wheat. oats. etc, from be
coming known to any individual prior
to the date fixed in advance by the
secretary of agriculture for the issu
ance of the crop report. Even the tab
ulators and computers who make up
the totals do not know the states to
which the totals pertain. and the final
Geographic reports and comments
the field agents relating to the specu
Iative crops are kept locked in the Of
fee of the secretary until erop-report-
ing day, when they are turned over to
crop reporting board. and the en-
tire board is Immediately locked in un-
til the minute that the report is issued
to the public, guards being stationed
at the doors and all telephones dis
connected.