APPENDIX B. 

 Effect of the Area Sample on Census Comparability 



The 1982 and 1978 Censuses were conducted 

 primarily by mail. Despite every effort to assemble a 

 complete list, a small portion of the Nation's farms were 

 not included on the census mail list. To improve the 

 coverage of the 1 978 Census, especially in counting the 

 number of small farms, the mail-out/mail-back 

 enumeration was supplemented by the direct 

 enumeration of all households in a sample of areas in 

 all States, except Alaska and Hawaii. Due to budget 

 reductions, the direct enumeration sample was 

 eliminated in the 1982 Census. 



In late 1978, enumerators visited all households in 

 approximately 6,400 segments in rural areas (areas with 

 less than 2,500 population) and completed a census 

 form for each agricultural operation. These forms were 

 then matched to the census mail list. Data from those 

 cases which were not matched to the mail list were 

 used to estimate the number and characteristics of 

 farms not on the mail list at the State, regional, and 

 national levels. No county-level estimates were 

 developed because the area sample size was 

 insufficient for reliable estimates at that level. 



The U.S., region, and State data for 1978 shown in 

 the 1978 Census of Agriculture publications included 

 data for farms represented on the mail list plus 

 estimates from the area sample for farms not on the 

 mail list. To provide comparable data for 1982 and 

 1978, estimates from the area sample have been 

 subtracted from the 1978 data. Thus, all 1978 data 

 presented in the 1 982 Census of Agriculture publications 

 include data only for farms on the 1978 mail list. 



In 1978, the area sample farms accounted for 9 

 percent of all farms in the United States, but only 1 

 percent of the total value of agricultural products sold 

 and 1 percent of the land in farms. The area sample 

 farms represented 25 percent of all farms with sales of 

 less than $2,500. The contribution of the area sample 

 farms to the total farm count varied widely by State, 

 from a low of 2.0 percent in North Dakota to a high of 

 23.8 percent in New Hampshire. 



The following table shows the 1982 results and 

 adjusted 1978 data for farms on the mail list, as well as 

 1978 data which include estimates for farms not on the 

 mail list. 



Effect of 1978 Area Sample on Census Comparability: 1982 and 1978 



[For meaning of abbreviations and symbols, see introductory text] 



Data published in 

 1962 Census of Agriculture 



1978 

 adjusted^ 



Data published in 

 1978 Census of Agriculture 



1978 

 totals 



Portion of 



total from 1978 



area sample^ 



Percent of 



1978 total 



represented 



by area sample 



portion 



Farms numt)er. 



Land in farms acres. 



Value of land and buildings*, average per farm dollars. 



Total cropland farms. 



acres. 



Harvested cropland _ farms. 



acres. 



Irrigated land farms. 



acres. 

 Farms by size: 



1 to 9 acres 



10 to 49 acres 



50 to 69 acres 



70 to 99 acres __ 



100 to 139 acres 



140 to 179 acres 



180 to 219 acres - 



220 to 259 acres _•--_ _ _ 



260 to 499 acres _ _ 



500 to 999 acres 



1,000 to 1,999 acres 



2,000 acres or more 



Market value of agricultural products sold $1,000. 



Crops, including nursery and greentiouse products $1,000. 



Livestock, poultry, and their products $1,000. 



Farms by value of sales: 



Less than $2,500 



$2,500 to $4,999 _ 



$5,000 to $9,999 _ _.. 



$10,000 to $19,999 _ _ 



$20,000 to $39,999 



$40,000 to $99,999 , 



$100,000 to $249.999= _ 



$250,000 to $499,999= _ , 



$500,000 or more _ , 



Abnormal farms 



See footnotes at end of table. 



60 243 



44 961 371 



532 741 



54 475 

 22 434 059 



52 497 

 17 075 625 



22 190 

 6 039 292 



4 162 



4 062 



1 042 



2 777 

 2 080 



5 201 



2 093 



3 030 

 14 005 

 11 847 



6 036 

 3 908 



6 625 742 

 2 379 811 

 4 245 931 



3 839 

 2 963 



4 615 



7 182 

 10 366 

 16 573 

 10 753 



2 617 



1 301 



34 



63 768 



46 113 973 



382 902 



58 594 

 22 274 197 



56 644 

 16 371 695 



23 862 

 5 682 931 



3 832 

 3 592 

 995 

 2 940 

 2 240 



5 867 



2 370 



3 627 

 16 013 



12 369 



6 050 

 3 873 



5 149 297 

 1 718 714 

 3 430 583 



3 431 



3 550 

 5 985 

 9 299 



13 028 

 18 107 



7 912 

 1 643 



769 

 44 



65 916 



46 273 401 



372 786 



60 178 

 22 399 384 



57 833 

 16 442 249 



24 054 

 5 697 779 



4 377 



4 561 



1 123 



2 940 

 2 291 

 6 000 



2 370 



3 756 

 16 206 



12 369 

 6 050 



3 873 



5 165 237 

 1 724 735 

 3 440 502 



4 411 

 3 826 



6 242 

 9 801 



13 097 

 18 171 



7 912 

 1 643 



769 

 44 



2 148 



159 428 



72 474 



1 584 



125 187 



1 189 



70 654 



192 



14 848 



545 

 969 

 128 



51 

 133 



129 



193 



15 941 

 6 021 

 9 919 



980 

 276 

 257 

 502 



64 



3.3 

 .3 

 (X) 



2.6 

 .6 



2.1 

 .4 

 .8 

 .3 



12.5 

 21.2 

 11.4 



2.2 



2.2 



3.4 

 1.2 



.3 

 .3 

 .3 



22.2 



7.2 



4.1 



5.1 



.5 



.4 



1982 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE 



APPENDIX B B-1 



