| Show FARM CENSUS will AID the 1930 farm census Is of special importance in view of the far reaching economic changes which have occurred in american agriculture the last ten years says nils A olsen chief of the bureau of agriculture economics U S department of agriculture he appeals to banners to give every assistance to the census enumerators approximately enumerators will be engaged in taking the farm census tn conjunction with the population census which started april 2 preliminary results will be published by the bureau of the census department of commerce early in 1931 but the figures tor gome states will be available this tall the farm census mr olsen says has been organized to yield basic information which will enable federal and abate agricultural institutions to aid farmers in formulating plans for improving the economic position of tanners in this connection the census Is vital to the research and statistical work of the bureau of agricultural economics as it provides basic data from which to estimate annual farm conditions in inter benais years the 1930 census will make available exact data regarding acreage and livestock expansion in recent years and regarding the various shifts in specific lines of farm production we will know precisely the extent to which mechanical power has replaced animal and man power on the farms and we shall be able to form some judgment as to future developments in this field the farm population now Is estimated to be the smallest in thirty years we should like to know how much longer this depopulation of farms will continue the information ahat the census will yield on farm ownership and farm tenancy will give an indication as to whether the trend Is toward the development of large farm holdings worked by tenants and hired hands that Is toward so called corporation farming or whether despite the reported industrialization of agriculture the family farm will persist the agricultural census for the first time will endeavor to secure information regarding farm income and expenditures for operating equipment we shall leam the amount for taxes and obtain data concerning mortgage debts the amount of the mortgage debt and the amount charged the fanner for interest commissions bonuses and premiums will be asked for the farm he owns ates and also tor other farm land he owns the need for more complete information on the payment of interest and other charges on mortgage debt Is very urgent data covering the dairy industry will be especially valuable in view of the present uncertain position of that industry we shall have figures on the number of milk cows and the quantity of milk produced in 1929 the schedules will yield information as to the number of cows milked which are of beef or dual purpose breeding quantity and value of milk sold cream sold butterfat sold and butter sold together with data on the number of cows being milked at the time the census Is taken and the dally production of milk at that time complete information will become available on all phases of the poultry and other livestock industries the number of each kind of farm animals sold number purchased and number slaughtered on farms tor home use or for balei will be asked also the number of hides and skins sold these questions have not been asked since 1010 and are important in determining the annual production of livestock since 1010 there has been a tendency to sell or slaughter animals at an earlier age and consequently the number of animals on farms when the census Is taken Is an unreliable indicator of production the returns from the of 1930 will afford a basis tor better estimates of meat production than could be made heretofore more information than heretofore will be available on the fruits A special fruit schedule for florida and the gulf of mexico coast and a alm lar fruit schedule tor and certain counties in other pacific coast states will secure information on the acreage number of trees production and sales of citrus fruits classified into several varieties similar information will be obtained on grapes dried fruits and other tree and vine crops there Is practically no increase in the total number of questions to be asked banners fan ners as compared with the censuses of 1910 and 1920 but it Is believed that the questions will yield more valuable information and especially ally give data on pressing agricultural problems all farms will be classified into types of production and also as to value of products |
