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U.S. Department of Agriculture

1992 AGRICULTURAL ATLAS
OF THE UNITED STATES

Subject-Matter Description

This report graphically illustrates the Nation's agriculture by dot and multicolor pattern maps. The maps provide displays on major topics from the 1992 Census of Agriculture including number of farms, value of land and buildings, farm size, farms by value of sales, tenure and characteristics of farm operators, principal occupation of operator, and farms by type of organization. In addition, the report covers land in farms and land use, irrigation, market value of agricultural products sold, farm-related income, farm production expenses, machinery and equipment, agricultural chemicals, livestock and poultry inventories and sales, crops harvested including vegetables, fruit, and nursery and greenhouse crops.

Summary of Mapped Data

The maps in the 1992 Agricultural Atlas report show data only for 1992, except for those showing increase or decrease. The 1992 totals along with the comparable 1987 totals for each item mapped are also provided.. Data on acreages and inventories for 1992 and 1987 are generally comparable. Dollar figures shown for expenses and agricultural product sales have not been adjusted for changes in price levels between census years.

Authority and Area Covered

The Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 13, United States Code, sections 142(a) and 191, which directs that a census be taken in 1979, 1983, and in every fifth year after 1983 covering the prior year. The 1992 census includes each State, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

Sources of Information

The data used in preparing the charts and maps shown were obtained from the 1992 Census of Agriculture. Detailed statistics for States and counties may be found in Volume 1, Geographic Area Series, of the 1992 census publications. The 1992 Census of Agriculture was conducted primarily by mail for maximum economy. Appendix A of Volume 1, Geographic Area Series, provides a more detailed description of how the 1992 census was taken. For a detailed description of coverage and data limitations, see volume 2, Part 2, Coverage Evaluation. Detailed discussions of the census report forms, the use of sampling, and estimates of sampling error are included in appendix C, volume 1.

Farm Definition

Since 1850, when minimum criteria defining a farm for census purposes first were established, the farm definition has been changed nine times. The current definition, first used for the 1974 census, is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold or normally would have been sold during the census year. The farm definition used for the outlying areas vary according to area. The report for each area includes a discussion of the farm definition.