Analyses of Sample Farm Data: Number I -- A New Technique for the Estimation of Changes in Farm Employment. Number II -- Theoretical Aspects of the Use of the Crop Meter

Excerpt from Number I: This report gives the results of an investigation to determine more exactly the nature of the voluntary sample of employment conditions on farms of regular crop correspondents of the Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. A basis for improving quantitative estimates of employment based on that voluntary sample was developed from this investigation. Analysis of the basic data, made possible by this study, uncovered a method for stratifying and weighting the sample which overcame many previous difficulties. The new method was thoroughly tested during the study, and the feasibility of using a voluntary sample in estimating employment was demonstrated. Excerpt from Number II: This report gives the results of an investigation to determine the validity of assumptions made in translating linear measurements of crop frontages on highways into estimates of corresponding crop acreages in the region traversed. Such a study must obviously be based upon a universe of known constitution so that various phases of the problem can be examined in detail. Agricultural data obtained from usual sources are not sufficiently extensive for an analysis of this kind but aerial survey photographs made available by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration provided a good source of experimental material for the purpose at hand. After the crops in the various individual fields shown on the photographs were identified by visits to the farm operators concerned and the highways traversing the region were traced on the photographs, an ideal universe for study was made available.