Plans for the 1950 Census of Agriculture

Abstract

FOR many years, the periodic census was the chief official source of data concerning our farms and farm people. While other sources of agricultural data have increased greatly in importance, the Census of Agriculture is still the leading source of statistics on agriculture. Planning for the 1950 Census of Agriculture began more than two years ago. These plans have been developed by inviting criticism, suggestions, and recommendations from a large number of persons, and by a series of pretests. The first pretests, in April 1948, included a complete census of two Missouri counties and a small-scale census in part of a township in each of 33 other areas scattered throughout the United States. The second pretest, in October 1948, comprised a complete census of four midwestern counties. The third pretest, made last May, included a complete census of two Southern counties, and a census of 64 segments having about 50 farms each and scattered among 43 states. The two most recent pretests have included a recheck by professional personnel for a sample of the farms included in the census. In all the pretests, census enumerators have been accompanied by technically trained persons who, as observers, noted the mistakes made and difficulties encountered in taking the census. Plans for the 1950 Census of Agriculture may be conveniently outlined in three parts, namely, questionnaires, enumeration procedures, and tabulation and publication of results. The development of the 1950 Agriculture Census Questionnaire began in 1947. At that time, the principal users of Census of Agriculture data, such as State Agricultural Colleges, State Departments of Agriculture, and farm papers were invited to submit suggestions and recommendations for the next census. From these and other users, several thousand letters containing suggestions and requests for the inclusion of inquiries in the census were received. In determining the inquiries to be included in the coming census, dependence has been placed largely upon the recommendations of representatives of the principal users of the data. To obtain balance between various interests and to secure assistance in holding the number of questions within feasible bounds, the Director of the Bureau of the Census appointed in 1948 a Special Advisory Com-