90S Department of Agricultuke 



the ten-year period provides, and it is hoped that the experiment 

 of securing such information through the pupils of the public 

 schools of the state will be so successful and so accurate that we 

 can depend upon that source each year for the information desired 

 along that line. Many of the states of the Union provide for tak- 

 ing such a census annually, but the work is performed by enumer- 

 ators in the employ of the state, or other public officials. 



Since the census of 1910, prices of practically all agricultural 

 products, especially those of live stock, show a xerv material 

 increase and the cost of living has increased at a corresponding 

 rate. The information in relation to registered stock will indicate 

 the sections where greater interest should be taken in raising bet- 

 ter, and consequently more profitable, animals. It is also hoped 

 that through the public schools, reports on the acreage and condi- 

 tions of growing crops of grain, hay, fruit and vegetables may also 

 be secured, from time to time, during the growing period, and as 

 the boys and girls become better acquainted with, and more profi- 

 cient in the work, information covering a wider range will be asked 

 for. It will be interesting to the people of each school district to 

 know the number of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry, and 

 the quantity of produce raised in the district each year, and to 

 note the increase and improvement from year to year. 



Blanks similar to that shown in this issue of the bulletin (page 

 27) have been sent to every school. 



Directions for Taking Census 



1 Copy on the blackboard the census blank printed here. 



2 Have one representative of each farm family copy the blank 

 and take it home to be filled out with the answers as nearly correct 

 as possible. 



3 When a farm family is not represented by children in school, 

 appoint a committee of one or more pu])ils to secure the data from 

 such family. 



4 Take care to include all the farms in vour school district. 



5 In villages and the smaller cities of the state plan the work 

 by streets, portions of streets, or blocks in order that no portion 

 may be missed or duplicated. 



6 Corporation limits of many cities and villages include fanns 

 and truck gardens. Take care that none of these is omitted. 



