Warren sheaf., 1919-12-10
CENSUS INTERPRETATION
OF THE WORD sFARM''
What is a farm?

OF THE WORD FARM.
What is farm?
Seems foolish question to ask,
doesn't it? Almost anyone can tell off
hand just 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 Cen
sus 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 defn-
ition the Census Bureau points out that
the term agricultural operations" is
used as general term referring to the
work of growing crops, producing other
agricultural products and raising DOM
estic animals, poultry or bees.
From this definition it will be seen
that farm may consist Of a single
tract of land or Of a number of separ-
ate and distinct tracts. And these sew
eral tracts may be held under different
tenures as, for instance, when one tract
is owned by the farmer and another is
rented by him. Thus if a man who
owns 100 acres rents an additional ten
acres from some one else and operates
both the 100 acres and the ten acres,
then his farm" includes both tracts Of
land comprising 40 acres.
By the same token when landowner
has one or more tenants, renters, crop
pers or managers, each different tract
of land operated by any such tenant,
renter, cropper or manager is consider
ed a separate and distinct farm by the
Census Bureau. Or, to give an ex-
ample, If man owning 12O acres OF
land rents 40 acres to tenant and
farms the remaining 80 acres himself,
his farm is the 80 acres which he oper-
ates, not the 12O acres which he owns,
while the 40 acre tract which he rents
TO tenant comprises separate farm
to be reported in the name Of the tenant.
Another question to be determined is
how important does an agricultural en-
terprise have to be in order to secure
recognition in the census, as farm? A
small vegetable garden or chicken
yard accommodating few busy hens
will not be allowed to qualify as a
81 mo with
what pardonable pride and satisfaction
sthe proprietor may view his agricultur-
al enterprise. ......s.. ..........,r.
But if the garden or chicken yard ex-
pands until it covers not less than
three acres Of ground, or until it 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 recOg-
nized as such and counted. r.
The agriculture schedule contains
many questions regarding farm values,
expenses and live stock as well as the
acreage and quantity of crops raised in
the year 1919. Census Bureau officials
are urging farmers everywhere to pre-
pare for the census enumerator by
looking over their books and records so
that accurate answers may be furnish
ed to questions.
In this connection the Bureau of the
Census emphasizes the fact that the in
formation furnished to census takers is
absolutely confidential, made so by Act
of Congress, and that under no circum-
stances can any such information be
used as basis for taxation.
"Co-operation between farmers and
the census officials next January is
more necessary and vital than ever be-
FORE" declares Director Of the Census
SAM L.. Rogers '"rhe world war and
the part that the farmer played in it
and will continue to play in the rehab-
ilitation of Europe serve to make the
agriculture section Of the Fourteenth
Decennial Census the most important
in the Nations history. Absolute ac-
curacy and completeness in the census
returns is the goal toward which every
citizen should strive"
1t Pays to Ask
IL.