Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-11-04
CENSUS INTERPRETATION
OF THE WORD FARM

What is farm?
Seems a 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 Census defines the word:
"A farm for cencus purposes is all
the land which is directly farmed by
one person conducting agricultural.o
erations, either by his own labor or
with the assistance of members of
his household or hired employees"
In further explanation of this detini-
ton the Census Bureau points out
that the term agricultural opera
tons" is used as a general term re-
ferring to the work of growing crops,
producing other agricultural products
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 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 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
100 acres and the ten acres, then his
farm" includes both tracts of land
comprising ITO 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 a separate and dis
tinct farm by the Census Bureau. Or,
to give an example, if a man owning
120 acres of land rents 40 acres to a
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 comprises
a 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 a
farm A small vegetable garden or a.
chicken yard accommodating a few
busy hens will not be allowed to quail
fy as a farm in the census no mat
ter with what pardonable pride and
satisfaction the proprietor may view
his agricultural enterprise.
But if the garden or chicken yard
expands until it 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 a farm and will be recog-
nized as such and counted.
The agriculture schedule contains
many questions regarding farm val
ues, expenses and live stock as well
as the acreage and quantity of crops
raised in the year 1919. Census Blu
reau officials are urging farmers ev-
erywhere to prepare for the census
enumeration 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 that
information furnished to census takers
10 absolutely COuHucutldl, IldQ0 SO by
Act of Congress, and that under no
circumstances can any such informa-
ton be used as a basis for taxation.
Cooperation between farmers and
the census officials next January is
more necessary and vital than lever
before" declares Director of the Cen
A 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 agricultural section of the Four
4 teenth Decennial Census the most i'm
| portant in the Nations history. Alb
4 solute accuracy and completeness in
the census returns is the goal toward
4 which every citizen should strive"