The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-26
Another sign of prosperity: The Hen
nepin county delinquent tax roll is the
smallest ever. -
THE LAY OF THE LAND

In a recent speech before the Massa-
chusetts state board of agriculture, ex-
Senator Boutwell, said that great accu-
mutations of wealth will not work great
injury so long as we keep in sight OF
family distribution of wealth through
farming, and he said it was good thing
that farming was not so profitable as to
induce rich men ITO engage in 1t to any
great extent. ~
The current census reports on the agri-
culture of the United States suggest that,
while farming does not produce the sud-
den wealth which may be acquired in a
stock exchange in an hour by stock
manipulation, it may be said to have
money in it for those who ARE cont ent
with slow accretions. The census bulle-
tins show multitude of interesting facts
touching agriculture, few of which may
be cited to suggest the enormous strength
and progress of the industry and the saw
ing influence exerted by having a large
percentage of the population anchored to
the land, that proving a conservative
force essential to the security Of every
nation.
1t is shown that in 1900 there were
5,739,657 farms in this country, valued at
S16,674, ,694, ,247. of which 21 per cent repre-
sented value of buildings and 7s per cent
represented the value of lands and i'm
provements other than buildings. Farm
machinery and implements were of the
value of s761 ,261, $50, and Of live stock.
An nTon nd1 - 10 Nf fo1s
erty being $2O,514, ,O01,SsS. The value of
farm products was $4739, ,118,752, Of which
$i,71S, $780, 221 represented animal products.
The average size of the farms was 146
acres, and 49 per cent Of the farm land
was improved, the total acreage of the
country being S41, POI $40. The industry
! has increased rapidly since 1850, there
being four times as many farms in 1900
as in 1850, and rs per cent more than In
$780, Forty-four per cent of the total
farm value is contributed by Missouri
- Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio; Pennsylva-
mia and New York, and they cont rfbute
38 per cent of the total value of farm
products. Texas makes big showing,
being big state, her figures being '352.19e
farms and 125, ,S07, ,071 acres in farm lands
only Is per cent Of which was improved
Missouri has the next largest number OF
farms, 2S4,SS6. Iowa leads in the per-
centage of improved lands, which are sc
per cent of the whole. Illinois follows
with "a per cent, Ohio. with 7s per cent
and Indiana with II per cent. Illinois is
first in farm land valuation ($2,004, ,316,
S97 Iowa shows 81, 1884, ,345,546, and Min
nesota, $7ss, ,6S4,642 In these two states
the percentage of increase in the number
Of farms and in population did not differ
very much. In Minnesota the value of all
farm property increased 80 per cent, while
the value of farm lands and buildings in
creased very nearly 100 per cent about
three times the percentage of increase OF
population, and the value of farm prod
ucts increased 127 per cent, about
four times the increase in
number of farms. In Iowa the
increase in this respect was 12o per cent
In Minnesota the value of manufactured
products increased, in the decade, $780,
600, 600, as compared with the 500, 900 ,00(
increase In the value of farm products.
Even a cursory glance at the farming
statistics revealed in the bulletins cover
ing the period 1S9O-19O0, shows how false
was the reiterated assertion, made with
crazy embellishments, that the gold
standard and the money trust were
pauperizing the farmers and enslavins
~ & i !