The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-22
TALL CENSUS FIGURES
Average Size of Farms 146 Acres, 49,
Per Cent Improved.
IN SO YEARS THE NUMBER QU .DRUPLED.
The Total Value Ct Farm Products for ihe Year
1899, S4.f39, ll8,75S. The Most
important Agricultural Sta.es
in the West.
(By the Associated Press.). }.

Washington, July 21.-The census bu-
reau today issued bulletin giving the
condition of agriculture in the United
States for the year 1900. 1t shows that
there were at that time 5,7Ss,657 farms in
the entire country which were valued at
$16,674, ,694,247. OF this amount $780,
19S,191, or over q per cent, represented
the value of buildings, and $13,114, ,492,-
056, or over IS per cent, represents the
valu Of oflands and improvements other
than buildings. The value of farm imple-
ments and machinery was 1851 PSI, $50,
and of live stock $307S, ,O50,041. These
values, added to the value of the farms,
gives a total value of farm property
amounting to $2O, O,514, ,001S3S.
The total value of farm products for
the year 1899 is given at $4,739 lis, 1852,
of which amount $1.71S ,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 lag acres,
and it is stated that 40 per cent of the
farm land is improved. The total acre
age for the entire country was $S41, ,201,-
54e
The number of farms in the United
States has increased in every decade for
the last fifty years, and so rapidly that
in 1900 there We're nearly four times as
many farms as in 1850, and 25 per cent
more than in $780,. The total acreage of
farm land also has increased but up to
1886 less rapidly than the number of
farms thus involving a steady decrease
in the average size of farms. Since 1880,
however, the total acreage has increased
more rapidly than the number of fans,
so that the aveage size of fans has in
creased. The total area of improved
land had increased in every decade since
1850.
A comparison by States indicate that
the most important States in the agri-
culture of the country are, beginning
at the West, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, In
diana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New oYrk
Together they contribute A per cent of
the total value of fran property and 80
per cent of the total value of farm pro-
ducts. Texas leads with the greatest
number of farms, 352, 100. and also with
the highest acreage 125, S07, OF. But only
a little over 15 per cent o fthe farm
lands in Texas was improved, and the
value of the farm land in Texas was less
than in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York,
Missouri, Iowa or Illinois, being $685.
1929. Missouri ranges second in the
number of farms having 294, ,SS6. Other
States having. more than 100000 farms
are: Alabama 223, ,22O Georgia 224,691;
Illinois, 264 ISL; Indiana, 221, ,S97; Iowa,
22S,622; Kentucky, 231 ,667; Michigan,
203, POI; Mississippi, 22O,SO3 New York
226, ,720; North Carolina, 224,637; Ohio.
276,719 Pennsylvania, 224, ,24S; Tennessee,
224, ,623.
Iowa leads the list in the percentage
of the farm lands of that State being i'm
proved. Illinois follows with more than
81 per cent, Ohio comes next with 78 per
cent, and is followed by Indiana with
more than " per cent. Illinois occupies
the first position in the matter of the
total value of farm lands, the figures
for the State being ,004,316,S97. Other
State values are:
Tennessee, $341, ,2O2 OPS; Texas, $685.
476,273; Virginia, 1923, ,515,977.
The live stock farm lands of the coun-
try are put down at a value of $685.,
2S4, ,273, or more than 36 per cent of the
whole; the hay and grain lands at $6,
379, ,54S, ,543 or 81 per cent Of the whole.
dairy products over per cent; cotton
over 8 per cent. There are 512 coffee
farms in the country, valued at $1,9S2,915.