6Q BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The work which the census is undertaking to do in col- 

 lecting statistics of agriculture has also been planned with 

 reference to the work now being carried out by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in the annual collection of statistics 

 which it presents in its Year Book. The inquiries of the 

 census are intended to supplement and to make complete 

 these valuable papers. 



A most important advance has been made in census work, 

 in the perfection of electrical machines for recording the 

 data gathered. The method is called after its inventor, the 

 Hollerith system. By this method a card some three by six 

 inches is used to record the facts for each person in the 

 United States. A section of this card is reserved for the 

 information brought out by each question on the schedule, 

 and a part of each section is reserved for each possible 

 answer to the question. Thus a narrow strip near the left 

 of each card is reserved for the answer regarding race or 

 color. Five race divisions are recognized, namely, white, 

 black, Chinese, Japanese and Indian. Entry is made on the 

 card by punching a hole in the proper place. 



In the case of the present census the tabulating card 

 will be used not only for each person but for each family, 

 and will give the age of the family, number of children, 

 the occupation of the various members and other relating 

 statistics. 



Without going further into detailed description of what 

 the census undertakes to do, it will be evident, from what 

 I have said, that the information collected will not only 

 enable us to jiidge of our progress in wealth, in population, 

 in agriculture and in mining, but also it will enable us to 

 compare our own progress and our own development with 

 that of other nations ; and that, moreover, the information 

 is sufficiently full and sufficiently definite to furnish in large 

 measure a comparison of the progress and success of various 

 occupations. 



It is too early as yet to give the results of all these 

 inquiries, as determined by the census which has been taken 

 during the present year. We have, however, the final re- 

 sults in population, and approximate results are to be had 

 with regard to other lines in inquiry. The census has issued 



