Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-05-17

those nelu ny tncm ia Ao0V' - -
hardly probable that such a number
of negro families have realized such a
great advance. But, after making due
allowance for the small tracts of land
of the character mentioned. 1t is al
most certain that the final figures OF
the census will show substantial
raise of a large number of former
wage earners to higher industrial
station in life, and one Of the most
prominent indices of this social uplift
is the relative increase of tenant-op-
Grated farms.
Among tho Prairie Farmers.
In the north central states-Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kan
sas, Nebraska, South Dakota and
North Dakota-there were reported in
1890 1,97S,659 farm families and 1,923,-
1922 farms. Judging from the schedules
the corresponding number of farms in
1900 is substantially 100000 to 2,200,-
900. More than one-half of the in
crease of from 100000 to 275,0O0 Is
found in the newly settled parts of the
various states, in which the increase
keeps pace more or less closely with
the reported increase Of farms. The
remained of these added farms are To-
Gated in the older settled sections, In
which the rural population increases
more slowly, or is stationary or de-
creasing in number. There will, there
fore, in these north central states be
greater actual increase Of owners
than of tenants, and not the reverse,
as was the case in the South Atlantic
divisions.
The increase Of farm owners Is
largely confined to the newer sec
tons. In the older settled portions
a different situation exists. There the
relative changes in the population and
number Of farms give evidence of the
uplifting of at least few families
from the position of wage laborers to
that of tenants, and hence relative
increase of tenant-operated farms, the
same as in the two specified divisions
of states. In 1890 the percentage of
tenant-operated farms in the twelve
states was 20.5, and in 1890 it was 23.4.
The data of population and the number
of farms give evidence Of percentage
in 1900 Of more than rs.
Where Growth Il Rapid.
The settlement of Oklahoma, Indian
Territory and the newer parts of Tex
as, Arkansas and Louisiana, according
to the testimony Of farm schedules,
adds over 25O,0OO farms, carved or OF
the public or unused domain. The
schedules also give evidence of still
greater number of new farms in the
other south central states-Kentucky,
Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi
produced by the subdivision of the
older plantations. In 1890 the farms
in the south central states numbered
1886 72, and the farm families 1885,
s32. In 1900 the farms will approx
mate 1,659,OOO,
A very large proportion of the
farms operated by white men in the
Indian Territory and on the Indian
reservations of Oklahoma will be adj
ditions to the tenant-operated class,
since it Is very difficult for such men
in this section to become owners.
With the exception Of the changes
due to this anomalous condition OF
farms on Indian lands, the situation
so far as it relates to farm tenure in
the south central states, is intermedi-
ate between that described in detail
for the south Atlantic and north CEN
trail states. The percentage Of tenant
operated farms was 1862 in 1880, 1874
in 1890, and will probably be over As
in 1900.
Farms of the Far West.
The farms reported in the western
states-Montana, Wyoming, Colorado,
New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada,
Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Cali
fornia-numbered in 1890, 145,S7s,
while the farm families numbered
169,5S5. The schedules reported indi-
cate the probable existence in the
same section in 1900 of 245,O00, or an
increase in ten years of from $4,000
to 100000 new farms, all carved out OF
tho public domain. The growth OF
rural population in these states has
nearly kept pace with the increase in
farms, and hence we can in general
predict that there will be no great
change in the relative number Of those
operated by tenants. The percentage
of such farms in 1880 was IA, and In
1890, with the settlement of 62,155 new
farms, 1t was only 12.1. In the Same
year the percentage Of farm tenant
families was 1879. With the large re-
ported increase in the number Of
farms in 1900 the relative number OF
ant-operated farms cannot be
greater than 20, and will not be less
than 10 per cent. The data of farm
population available are not exact
enough to make a more definite esti-
mate.
Summing up the foregoing estimates,
the conclusion is reached that of the
$40, 900 to 100000 farms that were
added in the last ten years, substanti-