Arizona republican., 1902-07-31

Notwithstanding the great expansion of business in all directions, and the
 greater profits made in THE some other branches. FARMER farming remains the FIRST. chief industry of the
 country. This is made clear by an analysis of the figures given in the census bulletin on the condition of agriculture, a synopsis of which was given in our telegraphic ccl- umps few days ago. A comparison of the statistics of agriculture and manufacturing is especially interest ing. The aggregate value of the farms of the United States in 1899 was $16,- 674,694.247 Of this s, ,56O, 19S, ,19l, or 21 per cent, represented farm buildings, and S1S, 114, ,492, ,056. or IS per cent. repre- sented lands and Improvements. Farm implements and machinery were val ued at $161 ,26l ,550, and live stock was valued at $3,07S, ,O50, ,O41. The grand az gregate of these items was $2O CO., S3S, which, ii taken to represent the total capital employed, compares with q total of manufacturing capital az gregating S9,S74, ,G64 ,0S7. In other words, there are two dollars invested in az riculture for every one in manufactur- ing.
 When it comes to comparing the products, of course the manufacturing interest occupies first place. The value of all farm products in 1899 was S4,- 139, ,11S. 752, of which amount $1. 1lS, ,990.- 221 was for animal products. live stock, poultry and bee products. The value of manufacturing products in 1899 was $13,O4O, ,O1S,63 so that the manufac- tured products outclass the agricul- tural outturn three to one. It of course needs to be remembered just the same that manufacture is naturally dependent for the greater part of it's raw material upon agriculture, so that the claim that agriculture is the basic industry is still not vitiated.
 Manufacturing capital is, of course, more mobile or active, hence probably the greater relative value of product. Roughly stated manufacture on q cap ital of 0,000, 900 produces $13000,- OOO,CO0 worth of products. Agriculture, with Q capital of $20,000, ,000, 900, pro- duces only $4, 700, coo, 900 of products, or. in other words, every dollar of manu- featuring capital produces $1.S0 worth Of product, while agricultural capital produces less than 25 cents worth. With these comparisons made, about all that is exactly comparative has been stated, though it might be re marked that there are 5,739,657 farms in the United States, against only 512.- 726 manufacturing establishments and the number engaged in agriculture. though not stated in the bulletin, prob ably far outnumbering the 5,321, ,152 per sons engaged in manufacture.
 Some of the other statistics con- tained in the bulletin are of interest. The average farm contains 146 acres, and one-half of ali the farm land is | improved. There were four times as many farms in 1899 as in 1850. and 25 per cent more in 1899 than in 1890. Up to 1880 the average size of farms tended to decrease. Since then it has in creased. Seven states-Missouri, Iowa | Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York-contribute A per cent of the value of farm property and 3S | per cent Of the value C. farm products Texas has the largest number of | farms, s52. lS0. and the largest acreage | 125. .S01. .111. but only 15 per cent of the farm land in that state is improved | Fifteen sta tes each have more than 100000 farms. Iowa has the largest percentage. S6, of improved land, Hi nois coming next with S4 per cent Illinois leads in value of farm lands with $2004 .316S91 invested. The live stock farms of the country are valued at $1.505. 2S4, 213 or 36 per cent of the whole, while the hay and grain lands are valued at S6,379, ,54S, ,543, or 31 per cent; dairy product farms contribute per cent and cotton per cent.
 As to the products of these farms it is stated that animals furnish one third and crops two-thirds of the total A gain of nearly 93 per cent in farm products in ten years is noted, but i | might be stated that better enumer | atiOn may account for part of the iE crease. All of the s4.739. LIS, 152 of farm products were not directly realized upon. Of the total gross value of crol products $914. .941 04G, or nearly one fourth, was fed. The percentage whicl this amount is of the total oi farn property" is referred to as the per centage of gross income upon invest ment." For the United States, in 1899 it was 1S.3 per cent As no reports O
 expenditures for taxes. interest. insur ance. feed for stock and similar item have been obtained by any census, m statement Of net farm income can b | eriu