Agriculture 
 
 840 
 
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
 
 Social and Economic Statistics Administration 
 
 BUREAU OF THE CENSUS 
 
THE FIRST CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 The first census of agriculture in the United 
 States was taken in 1840, the year of the Sixth 
 Decennial Census of Population. Martin Van Buren 
 was President. There were 26 States, the District 
 of Columbia, and three Territories to cover. 
 
 Results of the census showed a population of 
 17 million with 15 million living in rural areas. The 
 crop harvest totaled 378 million bushels of Indian 
 corn, 123 million bushels of oats, 108 million 
 bushels of potatoes, 85 million bushels of wheat, 
 791 million pounds of cotton, 219 million pounds 
 of tobacco; and there were 155 million pounds of 
 sugar and 36 million pounds of wool produced. 
 
 No serious endeavor was made to categorize the 
 data in an orderly manner, let alone analyze it. 
 Missing from the 1840 census was a count of the 
 Nation's farms; they had handled the problem of 
 farm definition by ignoring it. 
 
 Legal provisions for the 1840 census were 
 identical to those which had been in force since 
 the first population census in 1790: Federal 
 marshals were required to appoint one or more 
 assistants in each city and county and to divide 
 their territories or districts into appropriate 
 divisions, and these divisions could not comprise 
 more than one county but could consist of one or 
 more townships, wards, or precincts, plainly and 
 distinctly bounded. 
 
 The census of 1840 was directed by the 
 Secretary of State. Later, the responsibility shifted 
 to the Secretary of Interior, then to the Com- 
 missioner of Labor, and in 1902 to a permanently 
 established Director of the Census. 
 
 Following 1840, and until 1950, the census of 
 agriculture was taken every 10 years as part of the 
 decennial census of population. Beginning in 1925 
 additional farm censuses were conducted at the 
 mid-decade to provide at more frequent intervals 
 the benchmark data needed to firm up the annual 
 estimates of the Department of Agriculture. After 
 1950, Congress approved the proposal to improve 
 enumeration of the census of agriculture by 
 
starting collection of the data in the fall of the 
 year to which the census referred before really bad 
 weather set in and before tenants had changed 
 farms for the next year. Thus, since then we have 
 had the census of agriculture in the years ending in 
 "4" and "9." 
 
 EARLY PROBLEMS 
 
 The 1840 census set in motion a strong 
 argument for setting up a permanent bureau of 
 statistics. A congressional committee was estab- 
 lished to investigate ways to purge census data of 
 errors and to work toward improvement and 
 refinement. It was hoped that future censuses 
 would not be faulted by revelations of poor 
 judgment or miscalculation. 
 
 For the most part, shortcomings in the census 
 of -1840 were due to the ineffectiveness of the 
 machinery by which the census was taken. They 
 arose, too, because enumerators were inadequately 
 paid for increases in the number of inquiries, and 
 because the marshals— who had other duties to 
 perform— were not able to provide proper super- 
 vision. Furthermore, the effort to gather industrial 
 and commercial statistics met with antagonism in 
 some sections of the country because it was widely 
 believed that census results would be used to 
 increase taxes. 
 
 THE SCOPE OF THE CENSUS WIDENS 
 
 In the census of 1850, data about farming were 
 developed by requesting for each farm the name of 
 the owner, agent, or manager; the number of acres 
 of improved and unimproved land; the worth of 
 the farm; and the value of farming implements and 
 machinery. 
 
 In 1840 questions concerning agriculture were 
 gaimed at determining production of rye, buck- 
 O wheat, potatoes, Indian corn, wheat, barley, and 
 ^oats; of wool, hops, wax, tobacco, rice, cotton, 
 •jjsilk cocoons, and sugar; of hay, hemp, and flax; 
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and cords of wood sold. They were also designed 
 to measure the value of dairy products, poultry, 
 and output from orchards; the number of horses, 
 mules, neat (domesticated) cattle, sheep, and 
 swine; and, finally, the value of homemade or 
 family-manufactured crafts. 
 
 But, in 1850 questions were asked also as to 
 value as well as number of livestock such as horses, 
 asses, mules, milch cows, working oxen, sheep, and 
 swine. Determinations were made as to the 
 quantity produced during the year of each of the 
 following 32 crops or farm products: Wheat, rye, 
 Indian corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, rice, 
 tobacco, ginned cotton, wool, peas, beans, Irish 
 potatoes, sweet potatoes, wine, butter, cheese, 
 hay, clover, seed, other grass seeds, hops, dew- 
 rotted hemp, water-rotted hemp, flax, flaxseed, 
 silk cocoons, maple sugar, cane sugar, molasses, 
 beeswax, and honey. Similar accountings were 
 made for the value of orchard products, the value 
 of the produce of market gardens, the value of 
 homemade manufactures, and the value of 
 slaughtered animals. 
 
 The average size farm in 1850 was just over 200 
 acres. However, the Homestead Act and the 
 breaking up of southern planations during the 
 1860's resulted in a decline in average farm size. It 
 was not until a century later, 1 950, that the average 
 size again was in excess of 200 acres. 
 
 The 1850 census was a marked improvement 
 over 1840 while the 1860 census featured new 
 additions and extensions, provided a much clearer 
 and modified set of instructions, and lessened 
 confusion as to the intent of the inquiries. This 
 census was praised by members of Congress and 
 the statistical community as the most complete 
 produced by any nation at that time. 
 
 The 1870 census of agriculture reported 2.7 
 million farms in the United States. After reaching 
 a high of 6.8 million in 1935, the number dropped to 
 2.7 by 1969, the same as a century before. 
 
 Between 1880 and 1900, few changes were 
 made in the legal strictures, the nature of the 
 schedules, or the administration of the processing. 
 
However, there was an increase in the number of 
 items of information requested. In 1880 the 
 census of agriculture asked 108 questions, and in 
 1890 the number climbed to 255. 
 
 FARMING OUTPACED POPULATION 
 
 By 1900 the census of agriculture had docu- 
 mented sweeping changes in the Nation's social 
 and economic structure and held out every hope 
 for prodigious advancement in the future. Farm 
 census figures showed that production increases of 
 principal agricultural commodities had more than 
 kept pace with the increase in population. For 
 example, between 1840 and 1870 the production 
 of wheat, corn, and cotton quintupled. 
 
 Census measures of production showed that no 
 other country could match the United States in 
 the production of wool. Only Australia and 
 Argentina offered significant competition. 
 
 Farm statistics noted breakthroughs in the 
 techniques of irrigation and drainage, they cited 
 progress in the invention and manufacture of 
 threshing instruments, and they pointed out the 
 introduction of new domestic animals such as 
 camels and cashmere goats. 
 
 Census tabulations between 1850 and 1900 
 showed that tobacco yields more than doubled 
 and, in the same period, American wine pro- 
 duction increased sevenfold. 
 
 Figures showed that the exportation of 
 American cheese and Indian corn was worldwide. 
 Europe— especially England— became dependent on 
 American grains, and millions of bushels were 
 exported. 
 
 Farm censuses described the mitigation of 
 livestock diseases and spurred investigation of the 
 problems of destructive insects. Also, these 
 censuses spread knowledge about weather con- 
 ditions, enabling the farmer to avoid injurious 
 losses and soberly plan for growth which max- 
 imized output. 
 
 Agricultural censuses revealed the forming of 
 farm associations. In addition, they called 
 
attention to the appearance of excellent agri- 
 cultural and horticultural periodicals and indicated 
 the founding of agricultural schools and colleges. 
 All in all, the censuses of agriculture under- 
 taken in the 19th century reminded the Nation of 
 where it had been and what it had so magni- 
 ficently achieved, and they signaled a future which 
 challenged the Nation's capacity for fulfilling its 
 vast potential. 
 
 FARMING MEASURED EVERY 5 YEARS 
 
 Agriculture in the United States during the first 
 two decades of the 20th century had become so 
 productive and so fast-changing that it became 
 necessary to conduct censuses on a 5-year basis to 
 keep pace with growth. 
 
 Stimulated by a census finding in 1920 that 
 only 7 percent of the Nation's farms had electric- 
 ity, the Federal Government began an active 
 program to bring dependable power to farming 
 communities. By 1954, census data showed that 
 93 percent of U.S. farms had electricity. 
 
 During World War I, and again during World 
 War II, the drive for swift expansion of agricultural 
 production and the need to conserve manpower 
 resulted in wide use of census statistics. After each 
 war, the readjustment to new levels of demand 
 required intensive analysis of the information 
 generated in the censuses of agriculture. 
 
 Farm census statistics in 1935 showed the total 
 of farmers in each county without convenient 
 access to all-weather roads, stimulating efforts to 
 improve farm-to-market thoroughfares. Moreover, 
 later censuses gave a periodic measure of the 
 progress that was made. 
 
 After 1940, U.S. agriculture burgeoned. By 
 1960 one-third fewer farmers than in 1940 were 
 producing 50-percent more farm output. At the 
 turn of the century, one farmer supplied food and 
 fiber for only 7 people; by 1969 one farmer 
 supplied 45 persons. 
 
 When the first census of agriculture was taken 
 in 1840, most Americans lived on farms and 
 
earned their income from farming. By 1969, 4.9 
 percent of the U.S. population living on 2.7 
 million farms and ranches produced sufficient 
 farm products not only for this country but also 
 for numerous international neighbors as well. 
 
 New and improved farming technologies 
 adopted between 1940 and 1970 resulted in 
 increases in U.S. farm production unparalleled in 
 the experiences of other nations. Census data 
 reported that capital requirements for farming 
 proliferated sevenfold from 1940 to 1960. The 
 value of assets per farmworker today exceeds 
 $24,000, a sum greater than the assets per in- 
 dustrial worker. 
 
 Until 1890, results of the census of agriculture 
 were tabulated by conventional clerical and editing 
 procedures. The introduction of punchcards in 
 1890 made tabulations six times faster than were 
 possible by hand. In 1940, mechanical editing was 
 a major innovation. From 1964 forward, farm 
 censuses have been tabulated by electronic 
 computers. 
 
 PLANNING THE CENSUS 
 
 Careful planning is the hallmark of an agri- 
 cultural census. Advice is sought from leading farm 
 organizations and authorities before census in- 
 quiries are submitted to Congress for final 
 approval. Included among those groups providing 
 assistance for the proposed 1974 census are the 
 following: 
 
 American Farm Bureau Federation 
 
 National Farmers Organization 
 
 National Farmers Union 
 
 National Grange 
 
 American Petroleum Institute 
 
 Agricultural Publishers Association 
 
 American Farm Economic Association 
 
 National Council of Farmer Cooperatives 
 
 Farm Equipment Institute 
 
 Rural Sociological Society 
 
 State Departments of Agriculture 
 
 Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges 
 
 American Farm Bureau Women's Committee 
 
 American Agricultural Economic Association 
 
Federal Statistics Users' Conference 
 National Agri-Marketing Association 
 National Agricultural Chemicals Association 
 American Meat Institute 
 American Feed Manufacturers Association 
 National Canners Association 
 
 Recommendations emerging from these 
 organizations— as well as the U.S. Department of 
 Agriculture, the staff of the Agriculture Division 
 of the Census Bureau, and, perhaps most im- 
 portantly, the census users— contribute signifi- 
 cantly to the character and tone of the census. 
 
 WHY TAKE A CENSUS OF 
 AGRICULTURE 
 
 Agriculturalists say that censuses are vital 
 because it is necessary to take an inventory of 
 where the Nation stands and where it seems to be 
 going. The 5-year census is a nationwide measure 
 of the national farming enterprise. Over the years 
 it has demonstrated that the United States is a 
 nation of plenty, that farms ultimately provide 
 about one-third of the Nation's jobs, and that 
 farming is done in nearly every county. It has 
 provided measures of the millions of farms spread 
 over five climatic belts with 500 types of farming 
 areas and nearly 5,000 varieties of soil. 
 
 WHO BENEFITS FROM THE CENSUS 
 
 Many individuals and groups benefit from farm 
 census data: 
 
 Farmers who need to understand the 
 complexities and trends of the business of 
 which they are a part 
 
 Manufacturers and merchants who 
 annually sell over $30 billion worth of 
 farming equipment and supplies 
 
 Farm organizations which speak for 
 farmers on political and economic 
 matters 
 
Processors and dealers who buy more 
 than $40 billion worth of farm products 
 each year 
 
 Agricultural colleges which must tailor 
 their curriculums and their research to 
 the needs of farms and ranches 
 
 Agencies within the U.S. Department of 
 Agriculture which furnish agricultural 
 counsel and advice 
 
 Public officials who forge policy and 
 administrate programs 
 
 CENSUS BY MAIL 
 
 Work on the most recent (1969) census of 
 agriculture spanned 5 years. It covered nearly 3 
 million farms, was performed by mail for the first 
 tirrie, and cost over $25 million. Questions asked 
 sought the following information: 
 
 Inventories of agricultural land 
 
 The amount and kind of products produced 
 and sold 
 
 A count of livestock and poultry 
 
 Amounts of farm income and important 
 
 cash expenditures 
 
 ♦ 
 
 In 1974, as in 1969, the farm census will be by 
 mail and self-enumeration. Questionnaires will be 
 mailed out the last of December 1974 and are to 
 be filled out and mailed back as soon as possible. 
 A detailed report form will be sent to farms with 
 annual sales of $2,500 or more, while a short form 
 will be dispatched to farms with sales below 
 $2,500. 
 
 Census by mail allows farmers to complete 
 reports at their convenience and to make use of 
 farm business records. In the absence of records, 
 best estimates are acceptable. As in the past, all 
 information collected will be kept strictly con- 
 
fidentlal; no fact will be revealed about any 
 individual or farm. 
 
 Specialized agriculture will be covered in 
 questions dealing with hydroponic farming, 
 nursery products, fish, honey, horses and ponies, 
 mink and mink pelts, and fruits and vegetables of 
 all kinds. New questions will be concerned with 
 grain storage facilities and the use of the com- 
 modity futures market. 
 
 In reporting results, farms with sales of $2,500 
 or more will be described in detail. The following 
 information will be included among the tabular 
 summaries: 
 
 Acres of individual crops harvested 
 
 Acres irrigated 
 
 Acres fertilized 
 
 Number of tractors by type 
 
 Number of regular hired workers 
 
 Tons of dry and liquid fertilizer used 
 
 Acres limed 
 
 Acres on which chemicals were applied 
 
 Inventory of cattle 
 
 Hogs and sheep by age-sex classes 
 
 Total of contracts for production of crops 
 
 and livestock items 
 
 In 1969 the census of agriculture counted 
 1,733,683 farms with sales of $2,500 or more and 
 showed that they accounted for 98 percent of the 
 total value of all farm products sold. 
 
 The 1974 census will incorporate contemporary 
 advances in automation, an increased responsive- 
 ness to users who have made their wishes known, 
 and the cumulative experience gained in earlier 
 censuses. It can be expected to improve on the 
 1969 census, provide data never gathered before, 
 and offer timeliness, accuracy, and comprehensive- 
 ness that will set a new precedent in the history of 
 agricultural census taking. 
 
Fill it out — 
 Mail it back ^^ 
 
 January I 1975 
 
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 
 
 A0000726b00