BUREAU OF MARKETS AND CROP ESTIMATES. 529 



riiltiiral statisticians from the field, the last two named being changed 

 each month. 



STATISTICAL WORK OF THE DIVISION. 



The established lines of work in crop and live-stock estimating were 

 continued during the year. These included, for the major crops, pre- 

 liminary estimates at planting time of acreage under cultivation, fol- 

 lowed by monthly reports during the growing season of crop condi- 

 tions accompanied by forecasts of production based upon acreage 

 and condition, and by estimates after harvest of yield per acre, total 

 production, quality, and value. The stocks of different crops re- 

 maining on farms at various dates have been estimated. In addi- 

 tion, reports of condition of minor crops have been prepared 

 monthly during the growing season. About sixty crops in all are 

 covered in more or less detail. Prices received by producers at local 

 markets and shipping points have been collected and published 

 monthly, together with index figures shoAving the relation of current 

 prices to those received at past dates and the purchasing power of 

 farm products in terms of other products. Prices paid by farmers 

 have also been collected and plans made for the systematic gather- 

 ing of such data for the purpose of preparing index numbers. 



Farm wages have heretofore been reported annually. Recently it 

 was decided to make quarterly reports concerning wages. 



Data have been collected and published concerning the total num- 

 ber of head of the different classes of live stock on farms on January 

 1, the number of stock hogs in September, the number of brood sows 

 in April, and the condition and mortality of live stock in May. A 

 monthly report relative to the change in numbers of live stock on 

 farms has been made, based on reports from a list of approximately 

 15.000 farmers. This work has been going on fOr about three j'ears. 



A special inquiry was made in May concerning the number of 

 sows farrowing during the first six months of 1921 and 1922, re- 

 spectively, and the numlier which farrow^ed during the last six months 

 of 1921, compared Avith the number of soavs bred or intended to be 

 bred to farroAv during the last six months of 1922. The size of 

 litters and the number of pigs saved were also ascertained. 



Separate preliminary estimates Avere made during the past year 

 for the first time of the acreage under cultivation June 1 of durum 

 wheat, as distinguished from the hard spring-Avheat varieties. This 

 separation Avas made in the four leading States, namely. Minnesota, 

 North Dakota. South Dakota, and Montana. The investigation was 

 undertaken in response to frequent and repeated requests from those 

 interested in the production, marketing, and milling of spring wheat. 



COMPARISON WITH THE UNITED STATES CENSUS. 



During the winter the crop and live-stock estimates of this division 

 were checked against the returns of the United States Census of 1919, 

 which had become available in tlie autumn of 1921, and revisions 

 of the esthnates Avere made Avhere found justified for the years 1919, 

 1920, and 1921. It was found that on the whole the estimates Avere 

 in much closer accord with the census than Avas the case when re- 

 visions Avere made subsequent to previous decennial census reports. 

 Certain seeming differences Avere found to be due larj^ely to the differ- 

 ences in the forms used by the census and the Division of Crop and 

 Live Stock Estimates or in the form of presentation of the data. 



