The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-22
FIGURES ON FARMS
IN UNITED STATES
In the Entire Country Farms
Now Number 5,739,657
ALABAMA HAS 22O,22O
Illinois Occupies First Position In the
Matter Of Total Value OF Farm
Lands, the Figures for That
State Being s2,oo4.s1e.ss7.

washington, July H.-The census bu-
reau today issued a bulletin giving con-
dition of the agriculture in the United
States for 1900.
1t shows there was at that time $780,
657 farms in the entire country which
were valued at s16,674 694247. OF this
amount So 500, 1s5,1s1, or over q per cent,
represented the value Of buildings. and
s14,114 1905. or over IS per cent, repre-
scented the value of lands and improve
ments other than buildings. The value
of farm improvements and machinery
was s761, 261, $50, and of live stock ss.o7S,-
050,04 Those values. added to the value
of the farms, giving a tptal value OF
farm property amounting to $2O,514,o5l-
S3S.
The total value of farm products for
the year 1899 is given at $4,75s, 11S,752, of
which abount si,71s,09O,22i was for ami
NAL products, including live stock, ,poul-
try and bee products. The bulletin places
the average size of farms in the United
States at 146 acres, and 1t is stated that
40 per cent of the farm land is improved.
The total acreage for the entire country
was S41, 2O1.5 46
Number of Farms Increased.
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 were nearly four times as
many farms as in 1850, and twenty-five
per cent more than in 1890. The total
acreage of farm lands has also increased
but up to 1880 less rapidly than the num-
Der 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 New York. To-
gether they contribute A per cent of the
total value of farm property and SS per
cent offthe total value of farm products.
Texas leads with the greatest number
of farms, 352 1870, and also with the highest
acreage, 125, sO7,o17 But only a little over
10 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 ILL
nois, being 1862, 476,273 M ssourl ranks Sec
ond in the number of farms, having 2S4,-
$50. Other states having more than 200.-
900 farms are:
States Having More Than 100000.
Alabama 223, go; Georgia 224691; Illi-
nois, 264,151; Indiana, 22l, S97; Iowa, 22S,-
| 622 Kentucky, 23l, 667; Michigan, 203,26l;
Mississippi, 220S03 New York, 226,720;
North Carolina, 224,6S7; Ohio, 276. 719; Penn
| sylvania, 224, 24S; Tennessee, 224. 623. Iowa
leads the list in the percentage of improv-
| ed lands, more than Sc per cent of the
farm lands of that state being improved
| Illinois follows with more than SO per
cent; Ohio comes next with rs per cent
| and is followed by Indiana with more
than II per cent. Illinois occupies the first
| position in the matter of the total value
of farm lands the figures for that state
being $2004,3l6.S97 Among other states
| values are:
Kentucky SAL, 045, $50; Tennessee $341, 2O2,
OBS; Texas 1862, 76273; Virginia 1928, $751; 77.
The live stock farm lands Of the coun-
| try are put down at a value of 81, sos, 2S4 :
273 or more than SO per cent of the whole.
The hay and grain lands at Sc, 1863, 54S 54S
| o. 81 per cent of the whole; dairy pro-
| ducts over 8 per cent. Cotton over 5 per
cnt. There are 512 coffee farms in the
| country valued at $1932, 915.
A comparison of the number of irriga-
| tors and of the number of acres irrigated
| with the beginning and end of the de-
| cade of 1SS9-1S99, shows that these have
approximately doubled. The number of
| irrigators in the arid states and territories
| increased from 52,5S4 to 1922 $40 or 95 per
cent and the number of acres irrigated
| increased from 1864, Ais to 7263,273 or 103
per cent.