The Penn's Grove record., 1920-01-09
"What Is a FARM"

Seems a foolish question to ask,
doesn't it? Almost anyone can tell
offhand just what a farm is n knows
one when he sees it.
But do you happen to know n m
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 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
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 a number OF separ-
ate and distinct tracts.And these sew
eral contracts may be held under diff
ent tenures as, for instance, when one
tract is owned by the farmer and an
other is rented by him. Thus, If a
man who owns 100 acres rents an ad-
ditional ten acres from some one else
ard 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, rem
tiers, troopers, or managers, each diff
ferent tract of land operated by such
tenant, renter, cropper or manager, is
considered a separate and distinct
farm by the Census Bureau. Or, to
give an example, if a man owning 10
acres of land rents 40 acres to a ten
ant 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 acres tract
which he rents to a 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
qualify as a farm" in the census no
matter 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-
uuires for it's care the continuous SER
vices of at least n person, or yields
products annually to the value of
$3.50 or more, it comes within the CEN
sus definition of farm and will be re-
cognized as such and counted.
The agricultural schedule contains
many questions regarding farm values,
exepnses and live stock as well as the
acreage and quantity of crops raised
in the year 1919. Census Bureau
officials are urging farmers every
where to prepare for the census emu
merator by looking over their books
and records so that accurate answers
may be furnished to questions.
In this connection the Bureau of
the Census emphasizes the TACT that
the information furnished to census
takers is absolutely confidential, made
so by Act of Congress, and that I'M
der no circumstances can any such in
formation be used as a basis for taxa
ton.
Incorporation between farmers and
the census officials in January is more
and vital than ever BEFORE"
declares Director of the Census Sam.
l.. Rogers. "The world war and the
part that tho farmer played in it and
will continue to play in the rehabilita-
ton of Europe serve to make the agri-
culture section of the Fourteenth De-
cennial 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"