The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1919-11-13
WORD "FAam" Is INTERPRETED
Census Bureau Has Ideas Of ,ts Own
Concerning Meaning
What ia a farm,

What is a farm?
Seems a foolish question to ask,
doesn't 1t? Almost anyone can tell
off-hand just what a 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 the 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 def
milton the Census Bureau points out
that the term agricultural opera
tions" is used as general term re.
ferring to the work of growing crops
producing other agricultural products
and raising domestic animals. poultry
or bees.
From this definitoin 1t will be seen
that farm may consist Of single
tract Of land or a number of separ-
ate and distant 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 is rented by him. Thus
II a man who owns 100 acres rents an
additional 10 acres from someone else
and operates both the 100 acres and
the 10 acres. then his farm" includes
both tracts Of land, comprising 40
acres.
BY the same token when 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 a separate and dis.
tinct farm by the Census Bureau. Or,
to give an example, II man owning
120 acres of land rents 40 acres to Il
tenant and farms the remaining 80
acres himself. his farm is the 80 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 agricultural
enterprise have to be in order to &C.
cure recognition in the census as IA
farm? A small vegetable garden or
chicken yard accommodating a few
busy hens will not De allQre:l 70 quail
ify as a farm" in the census no mat.
ter with what pardonable pride and
satisfaction the owner may view his
agricultural enterprise.
But If the garden or chicken yard
expands until 1t covers not less than
three acres Of ground, or until IL re-
quires for it's 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 pu.
reau officials are urging farmers ev-
erywhere to prepare for the census
enumerator by looking over their
books and records SO that accurate
answers may be furnished to ques-
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 the farmers
and the census officials next January
is more necessary than ever before"
declares Director of the Census Sam
L. Rogers. "The world war and the
part that the farmer played in it and
will continue to play in the rehabili-
tation Of Europe serve to make the
agricultural section of the Fourteenth
Decennial Census the most important
in the nations history. Absolute ac-
curacy and completeness In the cen
sus returns is the goal toward which
every citizen should strive."