The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-07-01
A DECADE OF FARMING PROGRESS I'm
NORTH CAROLIEA.

what direction they are going and
with what speed they are travelling.
For this purpose there is hardly any
thing of greater interest than the
census statistics on farming cOndi-
lions. We do not know therefore that
we can employ our editorial columns
to better advantage this week than
by giving a review and summary of
the census bulletin ON "North Caro-
lima Agriculture" which has just come
from the press. 1t ought to be of in
terest to every farmer; but some peo-
pie don't like figures, and u apology
to this class is that it will certainly
be ten years before We infict on them
another statistical summary of the
States farming interests. This n
we have prepared with considerable
care, endeavoring to present in it all
the more striking and noteworthy
facts that were gathered by the census
numerators and set forth in this bull
letin of ID large pages.
A GOOD SHOWING MADE
The number of farms in this State,
according to the bulletin, is 224,637,
with an average value of $866.54, the
total value being $194,655, 900. Of
this amount q per cent represents the
value of farm buildings and 70 per
cent the value of "land and improve
ments other than buildings" The far
mers of the State also own $9,072,6O 0
worth of farm implements and $780,
100000 worth of live stock.
That North Carolina farming is
not going backward is made evident
by a statement at the outset that in
1899 (the census having been taken in
June, 1900, crop statistics are for the
previous year, the total value of
farm products was 1874 per cent
greater than that reported for 1889.
After making due allowance for the
part of the increase due to a more de-
tailed enumeration in 1900" we still
regard this reported growth from $780,
O7O,53O in 1889 to $89,3O9,638 in 1889,
as a really remarkable showing-one
that should encourage all interested in
North Carolina agriculture.
FARMS GETTING SMALLER.
The number of farms now, as we
have said, is 224,637-25 per cent more
than ten years ago and almost exactly
four times as many as fifty years ago.
The average size of the farm is now
101.3 acres, compared with 127 acres a
decade ago, 142 acres in 1880, PIP in
1890, 316 in 1860 and 368 in 1850. The
average size of the farm, it will be
seen, is gradually decreasing; ten
years hence it will be considerably less
than 100 acres.
The value of the farm property of
the State is 10 greater than ten years
ago.
PERCENTAGE OF TENANT FARMERS
INCREASING
The number of farms operated by
owners has increased during the last
decade, but the relative increase in
number of farms operated by tenants
has been so great that while the num-
Der of land owning farmers has grown
from 117,469 to 1859, the latter
number now represents only $50 per
cent of the farms of the State while
the 117,000 in 1890 represented $50
per cent of the farms then in opera
ton. In 1900 SO per cent of the
farms were operated by cash tenants,
1925 per cen by share tenants, $50
per cent by owners; in 1890, the per-
centages were: cash tenants, So per
cent, share tenants 28.2 per cent, own
$50 per cent. In the last twenty
years the number of cash tenants has
more than doubled, the number of
share tenants has increased SIS per
cent, and the number of land-owning
farmers 25.5 per cent.
THREE WHITE FARMERS TO ONE
COLORED
The bulletin gives the number of
white farmers as 169, 773, negro 3d.
996, Indian 86S. In this connection,
the following paragraph from the bull
letin is of interest: "Of the farmers
of the State, 1876 per cent are op-
Grated by white farmers and PA per
cent by colored farmers. Of the white
farmers $3.50 per cent own all or a
part of the farm they operate, and
1874 per cent operate farms owned by
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