Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-10-17
DELAWARE FARMS ALL RIGHT.

Large Wheat and Corn CrOp-seNehty fer
Cent of ths 9,087 Farms Are Improved.
Delaware farm land, in the year l9OO,
was valued at S34, 436, 040. Census
Bulletin No. 100 contains the following
letter and information concerning the
| farms of the Diamond State:
William r. Merriam, Director OF
the Census-Sir: | have the honor to
transmit herewith, for publication In
bulletin form, the statistics of agricul-
tute for the State of Delaware, taken
| in accordance with the provisions OF
| section Z OF the act of March I'd, 1879.
This section requires that
aThe schedule relating to agriculture
shall comprehend the following topics:
Name of occupant of each farm, color
| of occupRnt, tenure, acreage, value OF
/ farm and improvements, acreage OF diff
erent products, and number and value
| of live stock. All questions as 10 guam
tity and value of crops shall relate to
tine year ending December 3lst next
preceding the enumeration.
Delaware, next to Rhode Island, is
the smallest State in the Union. 1t
forms the northeastern portion OF the
level Peninsula bet chesapeake
Bay on the west and Delaware Bay and
the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The
soil. espeoially IN the northern part OF
the State, is rich clay loan suited to
the growth OF nearly all kinds of crops.
Much Of Sussex county is sandy, and
better adapted to the culture of fruits,
melons and sweet potatoes than to gen.
eral farming. Fertilizers are very gem
orally used, liberal application yield
ing good returns.
New Castle county has the largest
area of good land, and its farms are
more highly improved than are tnose
, of the other two counties In the state:
, The average value per acre OF the iaho
in farms in New Castle county, ex-
! elusive OF buildings, is S45 30; in Kent
> county. sl9.6 and id Sussex county,
sl2. .52. The average value of buildings
! per acre of farm land in New Castle
: county il S19. 80: in Kent, So. %, and In
i Sussex, s5.7 10. The reported gross in
| comes of the farms 1.-THE values OF the
products not fed to live stock are, on
an average, S10.89 per acre in New
Castle, 1921 in Kent, and S4.55 IN
: Sussex.
Delaware has long been noted for Its
j fruit. In most seasons OF the pas'
{ peaches brought larger income than
any other crop, although other orchard
8 and small fruits sometimes netted Of
j much as was realized from greai
Q peach harvest. Disease and unfayora
Bile olimatie conditions have in the las
/ % wears materially reduced the number
of peaeh trees, notably in New castle
n and Sussex counties. This loss has beer
o balanced in part by an increase in tn
d number Of other orchard trees. Ih'
n frosts Of 1899 almost wholly destroyet
9 the peach crop, and seriously injured
! other orchard fruits hence the smai
q yaule Of all orchard fruits reported
!, S263. 1877. The only peaches grown Wer
n in the region bordering Delaware bay
>, which partially escaped the irosts. I'M
q total production was 9, 100 bushels, iron
= 2,441, 650 trees. The destruction OF IN
r. reach orchards in New Castle and hen
ls counties has been potent factor u
,r making the land values In those countle
10 materially less In 1900 than in 1880
10 In Sussex county there was no simiia
" ~ depreciation.
,e The recent decline OF the fruit raisin
= industry has led 10 the substitution 0
:, other branches OF farming, and an 10
= crease in the production of market
,s garden truck, corn and wheat IL hi
N also stimulated the growth OF the diaf
and poultry interests. :.
Delaware is one of the few Atlanti
States that has not practically abaI
doned the cultivation OF wheat l
:, 1888 it harvested 1874 acres, produt
:" Jog 1870, $40 bushels, with a value
s1.947, ,O55. The acreage and yield wer
20 larrer than reported at any prevlou
1v census The acreage for Delaware
ar 1899 was Is times as great as the tott
~ \. for the FIVE New England States
40 Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts
~ Rhode Island and Connecticut in lo9'
bt The value Of corn was greater tina
re that of any other crop or rrodue
do The acreage was 1872, 025, and tho yalr
81, 725, ,452. Next after corn and whe'
ia. as sources of farm income wore vegeti
a bles, including potatoes, sweet potatol
uy and onions, which had value IN III
~ of 81, 144, 22l. Poultry and eggs had
nj value of Sl,084, 1872; dairy produot
to 1902, S07; hay and forage, S98S. e4S an
II. ANIMALS sold and Slaughtered, se2o,oo
be- bs Chief Statistician for Agriculture. +"
tsa There are 9,687 farms in Delawar
"a with an aggregate AREA of l,066, 2
's5 ACRES, Of which 754,010, or TOT p
'ta ceut, are improved The farms col
~ stitute s5 per cent of the total Lar
:" surface of the State, which ia 1.254, Al
at acres.
"s e From 1850 to 1880 the area used
he farming increased 134, 101 acres.
m. the last 20 years there has been sligl
III decline in the farm area, but Il
,nt M amount of improved farm land il
~ creased until 1890 and the number
nv farms until 1900.
at The value of all farms, June lst, l90
~ was S3i, 436, ,04O, of which amount SIC
be G67, 22e, or 81 0 per cent, represent Il
III #. value OF buildings. The value OF il
tar Elements and machinery increas
Ia 1e. from s51O,279 in 1850 to 50, 100, 560
~. 1900. Live stock increased steadily
no value from s1,S49, 2s1 in 1850 to "a, l9S
,er $40 in 1890, but in the last 10 yea
In has declined 3. per cent, and is nc
of worth 81, Ill, 054 This decline has be
brought about mainly by decrease
the average value of horses. The farI
with their improvements we're valu
a at SIS, $50. .03l in 1850. That value
10 creased in each decade until 1880, VIII
,as it was s39, $50, $50. In the last lO yea
~ 80 n has fieclined IL per cent