The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-11-07
CENSUS INTERPRETATION or
THE WORD "FARM."

farm?
Seems foolish question to ask.
doesn't it? Almost anyone can tell
oif-hand just what farm is and
knows one when he stes it.
But do you happen to know the in
terpretation Uncle Sam places on the
word farm" for census purposes?
Nor Then read how his Bureau OF
Tie Census defines the word:
"a farm for census purposes is all
the land which is directly farmed 10y
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
lions is used rs a general term refer
ring to the work OF growing crops,
producing other agricultural products
and raising domestic animals, poultry
or bees
From this definition it will be seen
bhat farm may consist of single
tract of land or number of separate
and distinct tracts. And these seye,- :
al tracts may be held under different
Geuures. as, for instance, when one
5fact is owned by the farmer and al
other is rented by him. Thus if a
man who owns 100 acres rents an adj
ditiOnal ten acres from some one else
and operates both the 100 acres and
The ten acres, then his "farm" in
c&udeS both tracts of land comprising
30 acres.
ABy the same token when land
owner has one or more tenants, rents
ers, troopers or managers, each differ
eat tract Of land operated by any
sqch tenant, renter, cropper or man
Ager is considered a separate and dis
g.pct farm by the Census Bureau. Or
to give an example, if a man owning
~ acres OF land rents 40 acres to
tenant and farms the remaining so
.1tres himself, his farm IS the SO acres
which he operates, not the l20 acres
which he owns, while the 40 acre
tract which he rents 10 a tenant com
.prlses 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 Sc
cure recognition in the census as
farm? A small vegetable garden or a
chicken yard accommodating a few busy
hens will not be allowed TO qualify a.
ID farm" in the census no matter
With What pardonable pride and salts
8action the proprietor may view lis
agricultural enterprise.
But if the garden or chicken yard
expands until ii covers not less than
three acres Of ground, or until it re
quires for It's care tie continuous SER
vices OF at least one person, or Yields
products annually to the value Of
$3.50 or more, it comes within the cen
Gus definition Of farm and will be
rerognized rs such and counted.
Tie agriculture schedule contains
many questions regarding farm val
aeS. EXPENSES and live stock as Wei
as the acreage and quantity OF crops
raised in the year 1919. Census Bur
eau officials are urging farmers every
where 10 prepare for tile census enum
orator 10y looking over their books and
records 20 that accurate answers may
he furnished TO questions.
In Tins connection the Bureau Of
the Census emphasizes the fact that
takers is absolutely confidential, made
50 by Act Of Congress, and that under
no circumstances can any such infOr-
nation be used as basis for taxation
"Co-operation between farmer and
census official next January is more
necessary and vital than ever before"
declared Director Of the Census Sam
l.. Rogers, 1.-The world war and the
part the farmer played in it and will
continue TO play in the rehabilition
Iof Europe serve to make the agricul-
.ture section OF the Fourteenth Decen
nial Census the most important in
the Nations history. Absolute ac-
ruracy and completeness in the census
returns is the goal toward which every
lcitilen should strive"
s~~~ssr-~E-n-~-1-s~~n-.