Mountain advocate., 1919-11-07
CENSUS INTERPRETATION OF
THE WORD FARM

| Cttus lOVliSn 10 dhh suC0 " Qutc-
tion. doesn't 81? Almost anyone can
tell off hand Just what farm Is
and knows one when he sees IL,
But do you happen to know the
Interpretation Uncle Sam places on
the word farm" for census pur-
poses? NOT 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 ono person conducting agricul-
tural operations, either by his own
labor or with the assistance Of mem
bers OF his household or hired EN-
ployees."
In further explanation of this def
inition the Census Bureau points
out that the term agricultural OPP
erations" is used as a general term
referring to the work of growing
crops, producing other agricultural
products and raising domestic ami
mails. poultry or bees.
From this definition II will be
seen that farm may consist OF n
single tract of land or number of
separate and distinct tracts. And
these several tracts may be held un-
der different tenures as. for instance
when one tract is owned by the farm
er and another is rented by him.
Thus if man who owns 100 acres
rents an additional ten acres from
some one else and operates both the
leo acres and the 10 acres, then his
farm" includes both tracts of land
comprising 10 acres.
BY the same token when a land
owner has one or more tenants, rent
ers, troopers or managers, each diff
ferent tract of land operated by any
such tenant, renter, cropper or man
ager is considered separate and
distinct farm by the Census Bureau.
owning 1870 acres of land rents 40
acres to a tenant and farms the re-
naming so acres himself. his farm
is the so acres which he operates,
not the 100 acres which he owns.
while the 80 acre tract which he
rents to a tenant comprises a separ-
ate farm to be reported in the name
of the tenant
Another question to be determin-
ed is how important does an agri-
cultural enterprise have to be In or
der to secure recognition in the CEN
sus as a farm? A small vegetable
garden or chicken yard accom-
modating a few busy hens will not
be allowed to qualify as farm"
in the census no matter with what
pardonable pride and satisfaction
the proprietor may view his agricul-
tural enterprise.
But if the garden or chicken yard
expands until it covers not less than
three acres of ground, or until it
requires for its care the continuous
services of at least one person, or
yields products annually to the
value of S250 or more, IL comes with
in the census definition of q farm
and will be recognized as such and
counted
The agricultural schedule con-
tains 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 fur
nished to questions
In this connection the Bureau OF
the Census emphasizes tine 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 basis
for taxation.
Cooperation between farmers
and the census officials next January
is more necessary and vital than
ever before" declares Director OF
the Census. Sam L. Rogers. THE
world-war and the part that the
farmer played in il and will continue
to play in the rehabilitation of Eu-
rope serve to make the agricultural
section OF the Fourteenth Decennial
Census the most important in the
Nations history. Absolute accuracy
and completeness in the census re-
turns is the goal toward which every
citizen should strive"