F. M. Circ. 1. 



CHECKING AND TABULATING FARM MANAGE- 

 MENT SURVEY DATA. 



The value of the farm management survey as a means of analyz- 

 ing the agriculture of a locality is now quite generally recognized. 

 Such an analysis reveals both the points of excellence and the 

 defects of the local farming. The difficulties connected with work 

 of this character and the very general interest in it render it desira- 

 ble to set forth the methods required for satisfactory work. So far 

 as may be at the present time, this is done in the following pages. 

 It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the methods of gather- 

 ing such data in the field. It is the use of the data after it is col- 

 lected that is here considered. The subject will be briefly treated 

 from the following standpoints: 



1. Checking the office sheets. 



2. Preliminary calculations. 



3. Principles of tabulation. 



4. Classification of farms by tenure. 



5. Suggested tables. 



CHECKING SURVEY RECORDS. 



Survey records are taken on field blanks and later transferred to 

 the survey record sheet, or office blank. These transfers should be 

 made daily as the collecting of the data progresses. They should 

 then be checked in accordance with the suggestions below, and 

 where inconsistency or incompleteness is found, another visit 

 should be made to the farm. Where a survey party consists of sev- 

 eral men, one member should be expert in checking records. At 

 the close of each day's work each field man transfers his records 

 from the field blanks to the office blanks. The next day the office 

 man checks these records while the field men are taking new records. 

 In case the checking shows inconsistency or lack of necessary data, 



(3) 



