The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-23
Observation-Disclosures
The Census Says Agriculture Does
Not Pay in the District.
Only 200 Farms in the Area Around
Washington and Only Two-thirds
OF Their Acreage Under CuItiva-
ton - Statistics of Five States.

| 'o" - statistics OF Five States
| ne farming operations in the Distric
OF Columbia at the present time and tn,
changes made in the past fifty years
says Census bulletin on the subject
are such as are usually found contiguou.
to prosperous city With the rapid
growth of Washington the area in the
District devoted to the raising of crops
and grazing of live stock has contracted
and land values have greatly increased
| The land now in farms, the bulletin
| says, Is largely held in anticipation OF
It's ultimate sale for building purposes
or subdivision into building lots Hence
ITS present value is not based upon pro-
| Effectiveness, but rather upon prospective
use. so that the smaller acreage devoted
| TO agriculture in 1900 has greater ag-
gregate value than had the larger areas
| in earlier years
The INCOMES derived from many of the
| farms are insufficient to meet the operat-
| ing expenses and interest upon capital
| invested. and the owners, when their
iafds are used for agricultural purposes
are generally content with small present
incomes, as the steady advance in values
ensures adequate future returns. The thir-
ty-three florists establishments form a
pecunfary remunera ton
There are two hundred and nine sarns
IN the District of Columbia with an ag-
gregate area of S.4S9 aacres. of which 1894
acres are improved and 2.555 acres are
unimproved. The farms contain oil per
cent of the $500 acres of land surface.
The largest area OF land in farms was re-
ported in the census of 1850. being "a. 2s3
acres constituting So per cent of the land
surface. or practically all of the land not
occupied by the city or used for parks and
kindred purposes
Sixteen thousand seven hundred and
etghty-nine- acres, or nearly one-half of
the total land in farms in 1860 were unim-
proved and included number of large
tracts OF wooded land The largest num-
Der of farms was reported in 1880 and
since That time there has been a con-
tinual decrease in both the number and
acreage of farms In 1900 land improve
ments. and buildings, had a value of
SD, Zf3.sso; implements and machinery.
sl36 O6O: live stock sl25.326, and the value
OF farm products aggregated sST0247
The Census Bureau yesterday issued a |
bqlietin giving the population by sex. |
general nativity, and color for the States |
or Missouri, Montana, Nebraska Nevada |
anu New Hampshire. According to the |
females in 1900 in all of the States I'M |
DER consideration. excepting New Hamp- |
sAirt. where the females constitute SOL I
per cent OF the total population. In Mon |
tana and Nevada there is large excess |
OF males over females, the males in the
FORMER state constituting els per cent of I
the total population, as against 3S.f per
cent for females. and in the latter COS |
per cent for males. as against 395 per
cent for females. In Missouri the males
51.4 per cent and in Nebraska
% per cent Of the total population in
1900
The foreign-Dorn element in Montana
over one-fourth of the total
or 2I.6 per cent, while in Ne
PA per cent; in Nebraska, |
6.6 per cent. and in Missouri, I per cent.
over 80 per cent of the population in
1900 in both Nebraska and New Hamp- |
shire are white, while in Missouri 94S
Der cent, in Montana 90 per cent. and in
Nevada 336 per cent white. The col
ired element il Nevada Q6.4 per cent? is
,olored element in Montana & per cent?
$ comprised largely of Indians. Chinese.
md Japanese, while in Missouri the color
ID clement o. per cent? is composed OF
iersons of negro descent
Foreign white persons constitute in
Montana, 25-6 per cent, and native white
'ersOns of foreign parentage, 292 per
ent of the total population In 1900, these
wo clements combined representing over
ne-half or SIS per cent of the whole num-
er OF persons in the State. These same |
wo el ments of the white population con- ,
ututc little over Il per cent of the to-
al population in Nevada and Nebraska
\ 1900. while in New Hampshire they con-
utute iO.9 per cent, and in Missouri 23.s
,