Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-22
OUR FARM VALUES
Census Report on Agriculture in the
District of Columbia.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HORTICULTURE
There Are One Hundred and 1wen-
ty Market Gardens.
GROWTHS UNDER GLASS

The agricultural interests of the District
of Columbia is the subject Of bulletin is
sued by the census bureau this afternoon.
1.-The farming operations of the District
of Columbia at the present time and the
changes made in the past fifty years are
such as usually found contiguous to
a prosperous city," says L. g. Powers,
chief statistician for agriculture of the
bureau. with the rapid growth of Wash
ington the area in the District devoted to
the raising of crops and the grazing of
live stock has contracted and land values
have greatly increased The land now in
farms Is largely held in anticipation Of it's
ultimate sale for building purposes OF sub
division into building lots. It's present
value is. therefore, not based upon produc-
tiveness, but rather upon prospective use,
so that the smaller acreage devoted to
agriculture in 1909 has greater aggregate
value than had the larger areas in 1880
and earlier years.
Small Incomes.
1.-THE incomes derived from many Of the
farms are insufficient to meet the operat-
ing expenses and interest upon capital In
vested. The owners, when their lands are
used for agricultural purposes, are gener-
ally content with small present incomes.
as the steady advance in values insures
adequate future returns. The thtrty-three
florists establishments form notable ex-
ception in the matter Of present remunera-
ton.
THE eleventh census, in a special re-
port upon commercial Horticulture, gave the
statistics Of thirty-five establishments rails
ing flowers and ornamental plants, but such
statistics were not included with those OF
farms in the general agricultural report Of
n ma kQ ho ff011rn9 Qlpvanth
and twelfth censuses fully comparable, al
lowance has been made for this fact in
some of the tables.
There are $50 farms in the District OF
Columbia. with an aggregate area of S.4ss
acres. of which 1894 are improved ana
1855 are unimproved. The farms contain
22.1 per cent of the 80, 400 acres Of land
surface.
The census Of 1850 reported the largest
area Of land in farms. "a. 263 acres con-
shutting S9.2 per cent of the land surface.
or practically all of the land not occupied
by buildings or used for parks and kindred
purposes OF the total land In farms In
1850 1879 acres, or nearly one-half, We're
unimproved and included a number OF
large tracts Of wooded land. The largest
number Of farms was reported In 1885,
Since that time there has been continual
decrease in the number and acreage OF
farms.
Increase In Values.
'In the last ten years the land. including
buildings. used for ordinary farm pur-
poses, has increased In value from Sc. Ill.,
12O to s., 30, 49, or ia per cent, although
its area has decreased 27.7 per cent. The
value Of the farm implements increased
Isl per cent, while that Of farm products
decreased AZ and that Of live stock "a per
cent.
"There are 80 white and II negro farm
ers. OF the white farmers, 119 are owners, o
part owners, as described; IS are hired
managers. 103 are cash tenants, and 3 are
share tenants.
"Of the negro farmers own their land
In whole or in part. Their farms contain
% acres. Of which % are improved. The
total value Of the land is So, 800, and the
appurtenant buildings are worth 81, 400.
These farms report implements and ma
chinery worth 1890, live stock to the value
Of $3.50, and farm incomes for 1880 amount
ing to 81. IA. Ten farms aggregating 2sS
acres, are operated by negroes as cash ten
ants The reported values are: Land,
STA, 600; buildings, So, 200; implements and
machinery, $1,000, and live stock, 81 ,3S3. The
total income from these farms in 1899 was
10000 Two farms, together consisting Of
q acres. valued at $149, $3.50. are operated
by negroes as sala-ied managers.
Market Gardens.
zone hundred and twenty farms and other
agricultural establishments are ciassed as
market gardens Or vegetable farms, as
they derive more than 40 per cent Of their
income from vegetables.
1.-The live stock on farms has reported
value Of $125,326. OF this amount SCI, 1862
represent the value Of horses and $50 800
that OF dairy cows.
The total value Of agricultural products
was $s70.247 in 1900
In 1890 the number of dairy cows on
farms was S63, and in 1889 they produced
4o9,97S gallons of milk. In 1860 the cows
numbered 1.251. and in 1899 produced S5O,-
$40 gallons of milk. The number of cows
Increased 45 per cent, and the quantity Of
milk $40 per cent.
In 1880 the value of market garden pro-
ducts, including small fruits. was $4 $50
In comparison with the states and terri
tories. the District of Columbia leads in the
use of glass in agriculture. OF the 269
farms and florists establishments. 40. or Is
per cent, report land under glass The
total area OF such land Is 914, $50 square
feet, or II acres.
In addition To the above ten farms mar
Of glass in the propagation of early vege-
tables, fruits, nursery stock and flowers,
the land SO covered having an area of 272-
so square feet. or 6.3 acres.
The Principal Business.
The Importance of commercial Horticulture
Is shown by the following facts: The thir-
tythree establishments in the District
making Horticulture their principal business
in 1900 report 461 acres Of land. valued
with improvements. at $4.063, 800. This is
80 per cent Of the value OF all land used
for agricultural purposes. The value of all
flowers and ornamental plants grown In
greenhouses and in the fields on farms was
$019J6o. This was 59.7 per cent Of the val
ua of all agricultural products of the Dis
trict
The foregoing statistics include reports
nom three government institutions-the
Botanic Gardens. the greenhouses of the
Department Of Agriculture and the White
House conservatory. The numerous pri-
waite Conservatives are, however, not re-
ported.
Death Of Mrs. Bradley.
Mrs E1speth Kflgour Bradley, the wife of
Lot