The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1919-11-06
WHAT IS A FARM?
ISGENSUS QUESTION
Agriculture Section Of the 18th De.
cennial Census the Most I'm.
portant in Nations History.

Washington. November S.-What
is farm?
Seems foolish question to ask,
doesn't it? Almost anyone can tell
of-hand hlst what farm is and
knows one when he sees it.
But do you happen to know the in
depreciation Uncle Sam places on the
word farm" for census purposes?
No? Then read how his Bureau of
the Census defines the word:
"A farm for census purposes is all
the land which is directly farmed by
one person conducting agricultural
operations, either by his own labor or
with the assistance of members of his
household or hired employees"
In further explanation of this defi-
milton the Census Bureau points out
that the term agricultural opera
tions' is used as a general term re-
ferring to the work of growing crops,
producing other agricultural pro-
ducts and raising domestic animals,
poultry or bees.
From this definition it will be seen
that a farm may consist OF a single
tract of land or of a number OF sep
arate and distinct tracts. And these
several tracts may be held under diff
ferent tenures as, for instance, when
one tract is owned by the farmer and
another rented by him. Thus if
man who owns 100 acres rents an ad-
ditional ten acres from some one else
and operates both the 100 acres and
the ten acres, then his farm in
cludes both tracts of land comprising
110 acres.
BY the same token when a land
owner has one or more tenants, rent
ers, croppers or managers, each diff
ferent tract Of land operated by any
such tenant, renter. cropper or man
ager is considered separate and dis
tinct farm by the Census Bureau. Or,
to give an example, if man owning
120 acres of land rents 40 acres to a
tenant and farms the remaining so
acres himself, his farm is the so acres
which he operates, not the 120 acres
which he owns, while the 40 acre
tract which he rents to tenant com
prises separate farm to be reported
in the name of the tenant.
Another question to be determined
is how important does an agricultur-
al enterprise have to be in order to
secure recognition in the census as
farm? A small vegetable garden or
chicken yard accommodating a few
busy hens will not be allowed to quail
ify as farm" in the census no mat
ter with what pardonable pride and
satisfaction the proprietor may view
his agricultural enterprise.
But il the garden or chicken yard
expands until 1t covers not less than
three acres of ground, or until it re-
quires for its care the continuous ser
vices of at least one person, or yields
products annually to the value OF
$3.50 or more, it comes within the
census definition of farm and will
be recognized as such and counted
The agricultural schedule contains
many questions regarding farm val
ues, expenses and live stock as we'll
as the acreage and quantity of crops
raised in the year 1919. Census Bu-
reau officials are urging farmers
everywhere to prepare for the census
enumerator by looking over their
books and records so that accurate
answers may be furnished to Ques-
tions.
In this connection the Bureau OF
the Census emphasizes the fact that
the information furnished to census
takers is absolutely confidential,
made so by Act Of Congress, and that
under no circumstances can any such
information be used as a basis for
taxation.
Cooperation between farmers
and the census officials next January
is more necessary and vital than ever
before" declares Director Of the Cen
sus Sam L. Rogers. THE world war
and the part that the farmer played
in it and will continue to play in the
rehabilitation Of Europe serve to
make the agriculture section of the
Fourteenth Decennial Census the
most important in the Nations his
tory. Absolute accuracy and com
pleteness in the census returns is the
goal toward which every citizen