The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-22
BILLIONS IN FARMS
r,cUREs AS SHOWN By CENSUS
ARE IMMENSE.
AGRICULTURE LEADS ALL.
an YET THE FARMER MILLION
AIRES ARE FEW.

,rba Total Number of Farms in
roited states in 1900 5,739,657
with n Total Valuation of Over
sixteen Billion DOlIars-TotaI VAL
ne of All Farm Property Was over
twenty Billion and the Total VAL
ne of Products for 1859 Was Nearly
Five BilIion-COttOn Lands Only 3
Per Cent. of Total Valuation.
washington, July 21.-The Census
Bureau to-day issued a bulletin giving
the condition of agriculture in the
United States for the year 1900 1t
shows that there were at that time s.
729 657 farms in the entire country,
which were valued at SIC, 1914, 694,247. OF
This amount SO. $50, 1913, 1911, or over 81 per
cent. represented the value of build
ing. and $13, ia, 492,056, or over IS per
cent. represented the value of lands
and improvements other than build
ings.
The value of farm implements and
machinery was 1851, PSI, $50, and of live
stock $3,O7S, O50,041. These values, add
ed to the value of the farms, gives a
total value of farm property amount
ing to 14,0O1, 1888.
The total value of farm products for
the year 1899 is given at $4,739, lis, 752,
of which amount 81, 71S, $50, 221 was for
animal products. including live stock,
poultry and bee products.
The bulletin places the average size
of farms in the United States at 146
acres, and it is stated that 40 per cent.
of the farm Land. is improved. The to-
tai acreage for the entire country was
Sn, POI, SAG.
The number of farms in the United
States has increased in every decade
for the last so years, and SO rapidly
that in 1900 there were nearly four
times as many farms as in 1850, and 25
per cent. more than in 1890 The total
acreage of farm land also has in
creased, but up to 1880 less rapidly
than the number of farms, thus in
yoving steady decrease in the aver
age size of farms. Since 1880, how
ever the total acreage has increased
more rapidly than the number of
farms, so that the average size of
farms has increased. The total area
of improved land has increased in
every decade since 1850.
A comparison by states indicates that
the most important states in the agri-
culture of the country are, beginning
at the West, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North
Carolina. Together they contribute "A
per cent. of the total value of farm
property and 3S per cent of the total
value of farm products. Texas leads
with the greatest number of farms,
S52,l90 and also with the highest acre
age. 125S07,017. But only a little over
Is per cent. of the farm land in Texas
was improved and the value of the
farm land in Texas was less than in
Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Mis-
souri,, Iowa or Illinois, being 1852, 49,
2I3 Missouri ranks second in the num-
her Of farms, having 284,SS6. other
states having more than 200, 900 farms
are Alabama. 223, 220; Georgia, 224,-
69l; Illinois, 264,151 Indiana, POI, 1897;
Iowa 22S,622; Kentucky, 231, 667; Michi-
gan. 2OS,261; Mississippi, 22O,S03; New
York 226,720; North Carolina, 224, 637;
tennessee, 224,623. Iowa leads the
list in the percentage of
improved lands, more than
S6 per cent. of the farm lands of that
state being improved. Illinois follows
with more than "a per cent; Ohio
comes next, with rs per cent, and is
followed by Indiana, with more than
" per cent. Illinois occupies the first
position in the matter of the total val
ue OF farm lands, the figures for that
state being $1,000, S16, S97 Other state
values are:
Tennessee, $341, 2O2,O25 Texas, $685.
4l62I3; Virginia. $323, SIS 977.
The live stock farm lands of the
country are put down at a value of ST.
9Oo,2S4'213, or more than Sc per cent
OF the whole; the hay and grain lands
at S6,3I9,54S,543, or 81 per cent of the
whole dairy products over per cent;
cotton over 5 per cent. There are SIP
conGe farms in the country, valued at
1892