The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-17
FARM AND HOME OWNERS
SOME INTERESTING FIG URES ABOUT
VIRGINIA AGRICULTURISTS.
Over 90 Per Cent. of the People OF this
Bts'e Live Old Farms-Incrense In tho
Ownership Of Property.
TIMES BUREAU, RAPLEY BUiLDiso.
WASHINGTON. January 10, 1879.


pilation of the farm and home ownership
In Virginia has been compiled by MIR. L.
T.. Kelly, OF Pennsylvania, who Is one
OF the most accurate and competent vi
the statisticians developed in the TAKING
OF the last census. Inc report Is aoso-
iutely correct, and is OF interest TO every
NirgInian. 1t is as follows:
OF the 3i6l3 families in the state, 1900
per cent. live on farms. ana 56.iz per
cent. live in homes that are not farms,
SO that something ltss than nan inc
population may be ciassed as Agricultural.
The corresponding figures for the United
States show that 3..5l per cent Oh the
families live on farms, and 62.3 per cent
on homes other than farms, showing VIZ
ginia IS percentage OF agricultural popuia-
ton to be much above the average Tor
the whole country. However, Us the
manufacturing, mining. transportation
and other Industries OF Virginia increase
which they are evidently destined TO
do In the near future-the portion oi
the people devoted to agriculture VIII De
come relatively less and their prosperity
undoubtedly greater, as they VIII be
called upon to supply all the necessary
products OF the farm to the large ana
increasing majority OF the people engaged
in other caliings
This is gratifying, since, after all, agrl-
culture must for long time remain the
most important single industry III the
State. Including as it does at present,
something near "ne-haif OF the people.
1t may be OF int crest to note here that
the census figures show d great relative
decrease for the whole Of the United
States of persons engaged in agricultural
aud a corresponding increase for the num-
Der Of persons engaged in other aVocd-
tons. For the United states, In lSSD
about y per cent. OF the total NUMBER
OF families were farm families, ana In
1880 only % per cent. were farm families.
These figures do not represent quite ali
of the agricultural population, but they
serve very We'll to show the decreasing
percentage of those engaged In agrlcul-
turc from 1880 TO 1880. This increasing
majority of our people who must be ted
b. our farmers will inevitably, within a
measurably short time, greatly increase
| the prosperity Of our agricultural peo-
| pie and Will do more to remove their
present regretable. and perhaps Justlila-
| BILE discomfort than all the legislative
| theories that can be thought OF or en-
acted.
AS a general proposition. it may be
safely stated that II will be a good and
| safe thing TO acquire the ownership OF
| agricultural lands in Virginia in the near
| future.
INCREASE IN OWNERSHIP.
In this connection, it is interesting to
| note that farm tenancy, as compared
| with ownership has increased from 1880
| to 1890. For Virginia in 1850 1872 per
| cent. Of the farms were hired and in
| 1890 IS. LOG per cent. of the farm families
hired their farms. For the United
| States in 1850 % 80 per cent. of the farms
| were hired. and in 1890 3i.08 per cent. OF
| the farm families hired their farms. III
| this comparison IL should be noticed that
| the figures for 1880 represent farms, ana
| those for 1880 farm families, but the DIS
| tinctIon is not great enough to affect
| the value Of the comparison appreclably.
| Does this relative increase OF farm ten
! ancy mean a tendency toward landlord
| ism, or simply promotion OF farm labor
| ers to the higher and better condition oil
| farm tenants?
This is, perhaps, a question that may
best be answered by the observation anu
experience OF the Intelligent farmers OF
| Virginia.
| However. 1t cannot be taken for granted
| that the drift toward tenancy in farms
| from 1850 to 1890 will continue. 1t may or
| NAV not be a permanent tendency. How
| ever this may be, recent statistics snow
! that in his country we are scarcely better
off at the present time, as TO farm ana
| home tenancy and ownership than such
countries as Belgium, France ana Ter
many. though our percentage OF owner
shin Is much greater than that OF Great
! Britain and Ireland which seems TO De
| the landlord natiol par excellence
THE CITIES.
| In the cities of Virginia, which all be-
| long 10 the class OF $500 to 10000. Io.f
per cent. hire their homes and 23.26 per
! cent own.
| The corresponding figures for all the
| cities of the United States OF that class
are: For hired homes, 6i.0i per cent;
owned homes, 80 SO per cent. The smaller
| percentage of home owning I'm lhe cllles
| of Virginia, as compared with cluee Vi
| the same class in the whole country,
| may be partly due TO the comparatively
! large colored population of Virginia. The
| extent TO which colored people In Nlr-
| ginia own the homes they I'VE IN VIII
| be shown by census figures soon avail
| able. as also the same information re-
| lating TO residents of the State VINO are OF
| foreign birth or parentage
| For the whole country the results show
| that people Of foreign birth ana parehtase
own their homes TO about the same extent
as people OF native birth and parentage,
and that the colored people, as yet are
| tenants to much greater degree than
! the whites whether of native or foreign
| birth or parentage. Virginia VIII snow the
| same relative position OF these classes oI
| the population. though the exact fgures
| are not yet available.
| Farm and home owners are justly con-
| sidered as a safe, conservative ana IN
| every way desirable element of popula-
| ton, so that Virginia, IL is thought, may
safely and proftably encourage the I'M
| p,iorat fon of such foreign peoples as
show as great, or near as great, desire
| for the ownership of their own homes, as
| is exhibited by the people of native birth.
| In regard TO homes that are not farms
| In the State outside of cities OF 5000 ana
/ over the percentage that hire is 1901 ana
| the percentage that own is 29.i3, showing
| a better condition as TO ownership than
| in the cities.
| COMPARATIVE STATEMENT.
| The figures for the whole of the United
| States. outside OF cities of 5000 and over,
| are: Hiring, 56.22: owning, 43.7S per cent.
| The following is a brief comparison as
| 10 farm and home ownership between Nir-
| ginia the whole OF the United States. and
| Ohio, "A representative State Of the Union:
Percentage of families that hire their
| farms and homes-for Virginia, J7.& per
| cent; United States 81. per cent; Ohio
| 45.1 per cent. Percentage of families that
| OWE their farms and homes: Virginia,
i2.72 per cent; United States 1850 per
| cent; Ohio, 5l29 per cent. Percentage
| of farm families that hire their own
| farms: Virginia, 1906 per cent; United
| States, S4.oS per cent; Ohio, H.25 per
cent Percentage of farm families that
| own their own farms Virginia, 6l.9i per
| ceat.; United States, 65.92 per cent; Ohio,
| Y. per cent. Percentage or home fam