Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-07-22
CONDITION OF AGRICULTURE
Census Bureau Issues Bulletin on Farms in
United States
NUMBER is INCREASING EVERY DECADE
There Are Now Four Times the Mum
Der of Farms There Were Half
a Century Ago and Acre
age Is Greater.

WASHINGTON, July 21.-The census bu-
reau today issued a bulletin giving the con-
dition Of agriculture In the United States
for the year 1900. 1t shows that there were
at that time 5.793,567 farms in the interior.
which were valued at sic, ,674 694,2 Out of
this amount 1850, ,19S, ,119 or over 21 per
cent represented the value Of buildings and
| s1S, ia 492,O56, or over rs per cent, repre-
sented the value OF lands and improve
ments other than buildings. The value OF
farm implements and machinery was $751;,
261,550 and Of live stock $3,07S, ,050, ,04l.
These values. added to the value of the
farms, gives a total value Of farm property
| amounting to $2O,514, ,O01, ,S3S.
The total value Of farm products for the
year 1899 is given at S4,57s,11s,752. of
which amount $1,71s, $50 .221 was for annual
products, including livestock, poultry and
bee products.
The bulletin places the average size Of
farms in the United States at l46 acres,
and It is stated that 40 per cent of the land
is cultivated. The total acreage for the en-
tire country was SAL. POI ,546.
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 1890. The total acreage of farm land
also has Increased, but up to 1880 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 farms, so that the
average size of farms has increased. The
total area of improved land has increased
in every decade since 1850.
Important Agriculture States.
A comparison by states indicates that
the most important states in agriculture,
beginning at the west, are Missouri. Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and
New York. Together they contribute a
per cent of the total value Of farm prop
erty and 3S per cent Of the total value of
farm products. Texas leads with the
greatest number OF farms-352, ,190-and
also with the highest acreage, 125 ,S07 ,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,
Missouri, Iowa or Illinois, being $685.
476,273.
Missouri ranks second in the number Of
farms, having 284,SS6. other states hav-
ing more than 100000 farms are Ala
bama. 223.220; Georgia. 224.691; Illinois,
ISL; Indiana, 221 ,s97; Iowa, 22S, ,622;
Kentucky. 231.167; Michigan, 203,261; Mis-
sissippi. 220.S03; New York, 226,72O; North
Carolina. 224.sS7; Ohio. 276,71s; Pennsylva-
MIA, 224,24s; Tennessee, 224,62S.
Iowa leads the list in the percentage of
improved lands. more than s6 per cent Of
81, g.
proved. Illinois follows with more than
81 per cent. Ohio comes next with IS per
cent and is followed by Indiana by more
than n per cent. Illinois occupies the
first position in the matter of total value
of farm lands, the figures for that state
being $2004, 31S, S97.
other state Values.
other state values are: Iowa, 81, ,SS4, ,345,-
546; California, S796 ,527 1856; Indiana, $685.
616,471; Kansas. 1864, ,100, 1885, Kentucky,
$471, ,O45,s56; Michigan. $500, ,555 ,764; Minne-
sofa, $7SS, ,6S4, $40; Missouri, $1,O33, ,12l 1897;
Nebraska $747, $50, O57; New York, S1,O60,-
72S,S95; Ohio, $1.19S, ,923,946; Pennsylvania,
81, ,O51, ,629.173; Tennessee, $341, 202 ops;
Texas 1862, ,I76,273; Virginia, s82S,515, ,977
Wisconsin, $S11, ,712, S19.
The livestock farm lands OF the country
are put down at value OF $7,505. .2S4, ,273, or
more than 36 per cent of the whole.
The hay and grain lands at Sc 1873 54S, ,543,
or 81 per cent of the whole. Dairy prod
uce over per cent. Cotton over per
cent. There are 81 coffee farms In the
country. valued at $1,932,915.
chapter of the bulletin is devoted to
irrigation, and the following extract from
1t summarizes the presentation:
arfo oP
and of the number of acres irrigated at
lS89-1899 shows that these have approxi-
mately doubled. The number of irrlgators
in the arid states and territories increased
from 1854 to 1O2,S19, or 95 per cent, and
from 3,564,4l5 to 7,263,273, or l03 per cent
The percentage Of increase In the number
of acres irrigated is somewhat larger than
than in the number OF irrigators and oc-
ours principally in what may be termed
the newer states-Idaho, Montana Utah
and Wyoming. This increase is explained
by the irrigation within recent years of
large areas on ranches in forage crops and
pasture,
condition is noticeable. The increase both
gated has been proportionately less than
in the new states, showing a decrease in
ratio of growth, due TO the more complete
development and utilization OF available
In these states the acreage irrigated has
increased respectively "A and so per cent,
Or taking both states together, 81 per
cent. while the number of irrigators has
increased Sc and 50 per cent, respectively
or together 81 per cent. Thus the number
OF irrigators is increasing more rapidly
showing a more marked tendency toward
the subdivision Of large irrigated tracts
and the cutting Of these into smaller home-
of the offsprings OF his ambition.