Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-05-24
The Development of Farming.
Pioneer Press.

Of the States and Territories.
In number Illinois stands first,
with 255,741 farms; the great agri-
cultural States of Ohio, Pennsylva-
MIA, New York and Missouri follow
close behind. At the opposite ex-
treme is New Mexico with but 5 ,055;
while three other divisions, Rhode
Island, Utah and Washington, have
less than 10000 each.
In the census of 1850 there was
not single farm reported in Dako-
ta, Kansas, Nebraska or Washing
ton. To-day Kansas, the most fully
settled of these, has 13S,561. The
increase in numbers appears, of
course in the western States, to
which nearly the whole of the agri-
cultural immigration has been
drawn. The classification accord
ing to tenure is suggestive. Illinois
the leading State in all these figures,
has IFS, ,497 farms occupied by own
ers, 2O,62O rented for a fixed money
rental, and 59,624 cultivated for a
share of the produce. In North
Carolina about onc-half of the farms
are rented, while in Maine over 5S,-
900 are occupied by the owners. In
the South the proportion of farms
rented is far greater than elsewhere,
rising in Mississippi to about SO per
cent. Minnesota has 1886 farms,
while in 1850 she was credited with
157. Of the present number, S3,-
933 are occupied by the owners, and
only 1851 are rented for cash.
The statistics of acreage throw
light upon the question of .he prev
alence of large farming and small
farming in different sections. or
farms under three acres, New York
has $40, and Kentucky 313, while
Vermont has but 5, and Dakota 6.
OF 900 acres and over, California,
the land of farming on a magnificent
scale and of monopolies, has 2,53'.
Mississippi, North Carolina and Nir-
ginia have each over 1,50O of these
great plantations; and Louisiana
and Kentucky, each more than L.
600. Thus more than 10,00O,0O0
acres Of the country's area is held i'll
tracts of 1000 acres Or more.
Rhode Island has but ) of such
farms, Minnesota 145, and Dakota,
Ike imaginary stronghold of large
farming, only "A. The great MAJOR
itv of farms in all the States lie be-
tween SO and 500 acres, and there
are about one-third more between
100 and 500 than between SO and
100. There is evidently no tcndcn-
cy anywhere toward the consolida'
ton of small holdings into "bonan-
"a" farms. Wherever the latter ex.
ist, it is the result Of local or sec.
tional conditions, which are not per
mancnt in their natures, and whose
prevalence indicates precisely tht
opposite of agricultural prosperity
An increase in the number of small
farms in California and the South il
the first and necessary step towart
a free, healthy development.
1t is curious and interesting tt
compare the number of farms i'll tn,
several States as given in this bulle
tin, with their areas and populations
Such a comparison, which lay out
side the province of the census bu
reau to make, shows that while Con
necticut has one farm for each 10
acres of her area, and Ohio one fo
each LOG; California, Dakota, Wash
ington, Utah and Oregon have on
for over 1000 acres, and New Mex
co has 1926 acres for each farm
The case of Ohio is very marked
her average falling below even thu
of most of the New England State
and indicating that her soil has bee
| sub-divided almost to the limit.
the whole territory Of Minnesot
were distributed in fee equal
among all the owners of farms, eal
would find himself possessed of 5,
acres, though he would, of cours
have to take his proper share of lal
river and swamp.
The comparison of farms wi
population is also curious and il
; portant, because it supplies the tr'
test of determining what eommu
, ties are most devoted to agricultnl
This depends not on the absolu
: number of farms in State, but
the ratio between farms and pop
lation. The prevailing average
from nine to twelve inhabitants
, each farm, thirteen States showi
this ratio. A greater indicates
large population engaged in nom;
ricultural pursuits; and hence Il
Of California, Connecticut, Marylar
New Jersey, New York and Per
n sylyania rises above twenty, VIII
's that of Rhode Island leaps up
l. forty-four. The smallest ayera