"HOW MANY PIGS?"

Shannon News, 4 March 1927, Page 4

"HOW MANY PIGS?"

THE PASTOR STATISTICS. SUB-ENUMERATORS COLLECT RETURNS # Cold towels for fevered brows have been much in demand by farmers throughout New Zealand during the last few weeks, as jthey wrestled far into the night with that dread thing—the agricultural and pastoral return. Under tho Census and Statistics Act every farmer is required to make a return, and for this purpose he is supplied with a form almost as formidable as the income tax sheet. No item is overlooked by a vigilant Government Statistician, who demands accurate . information concerning everything on the farm from milking machines to acreage oi barren and unproductive land. A new item is included in the 1927 return. Farmers are required to furnish facts concerning top-dressing The area so treated during the year ended January 81, 1927, must be stated, together with the quantity used. Nine short columns are provided, so that the farmer may show the nature of tho manure used on each section of his land. The remainder of the form is on similar lines to that of previous years, and, judging by its comprehensiveness, the average agriculturist, who is seldom a wizard at figures, would take, at least two hours to collect and set down all the information required. Schedules are: collected by the police. A start has. already been made in the work of gathering in the forms, and,mounted constables In the rural districts are very busy now. A police officer told a reporter thai many farmers were most considerate, and helped the sub-enumerators considerably by filling in their forms promptly and leaving them in a conspicuous place so that the constable would have no difficulty in securing tho form even though tho farmer himself might be absent from the house at the time of the visit.