Tables B and C present the reliability of the estimates of 

 the number of farms reporting a 100-percent or sample item 

 at the county level. Both tables contain relative standard 

 errors of estimate (percent) which were weighted over all 

 counties in the State to arrive at an estimated value. In county 

 table 12, for example, in column 2 the number of farms 

 reporting hog and pig inventory is 90. From table B, an 

 approximate relative standard error of estimate (percent) for the 

 number of farms reporting hogs and pigs would be 1 .3. 



Table D presents State estimates of major items for all farms 

 and for all farms with sales of $10,000 or more and measures 

 of their reliability. The estimate and the relative standard error 

 of the estimate (percent) is given for selected 100-percent and 

 sample items. The relative standard error of the estimate (percent) 

 measures the variation associated with the small whole farm 

 nonresponse adjustment. It does not measure census variability 

 associated with complete nonresponse among large farms, partial 



or Item nonresponse among all farms, response error or content 

 error. The relative standard error of estimate (percent) for 

 sample items measures both nonsampling and sampling error. It 

 measures the variation associated with selecting a sample to 

 estimate sample items as well as variability associated with 

 adjustment for small farm nonresponse. The reliability of 

 county estimates may vary substantially from each other and 

 will usually be larger than the State estimate. 



Table E presents the estimate of reliability at the county 

 level for four major 100-percent items and six sample items. The 

 relative standard error of the estimate (percent) for the same 

 item differs among counties in a State. Reasons for this are: 



(1) differences among counties in the total number of farms, 



(2) the number of large farms included with certainty, (3) the 

 size classifications of farms sampled, (4) the amount of non- 

 response, (5) the general agricultural characteristics, and (6) 

 the specific characteristic being measured. 



Table B. Estimates of Reliability of Number of Farms in 

 a County Reporting a 100-Percent Item: 1982 



Note: Sample items are items included in sections 22 to 28 of the 

 report form (appendix B). 



Table c. Estimates of Reliability of Number of Farms 

 in a County Reporting a Sample Item: 1982 



Farms 



Number of farms reporting: 



25 



50 



75 



100 



1 50 



200 



300 



500 



750 



1 ,000 



1,500 



2,000 



Estimated 



relative standard 



error of estimate 



(percent) 



1.5 

 1.4 

 1.4 

 1.3 

 1.3 

 1.2 

 1.2 

 1.1 

 1.1 

 1.0 

 1.0 

 0.9 



Note: Sample items are items included in sections 22 to 28 of the 

 report form (appendix B). 



1982 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE 



APPENDIX A A-n 



