The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-26
NorthYCaroIina Farms.
Thomas ]. Pence.l

The Census Bulletin devoted to agri-
culture in North Carolina, advance
sheets OF which were completed this
week, contains a wealth of information
relative to the agricultural history and
growth Of the State.
Interesting features of the Bulletin
have been collected here. which will
hardly fail to interest North CaroliniaGs.
The report makes the following inter
esting observation
The rapid development of agriculture
IL the decade from 1850 to 1860. the dis
astrous effects of the civil war, from
which the State did not entirely recover
until between 1880 and 1890, and the
steady increase in values since that
period, are most interesting features of
the statistics.
VALUATION OF RMs-EXFENDI-
TURES FOR LABOR AND FERTILI-
ZERS.
Wake county has the largest number
of farms of all the counties in the State.
The farms in Wake number 5,1SS. The
number of farms with buildings are 5,O29
is 476,6OS of which 1876, 54S are improved.
The value of land and improvements in
Wake, buildings excepted. is $3252. Gao.
The buildings are valued at $1,371, 100
The value of land and improvements in
Mecklenburg. Buncombe and Robson ex-
eeeds that of Wake. In Buncombe this
valuation is $4,234, no In Mecklenburg
it is $4150,72O and in Robson it is So,
525, 900. Ashe makes a good showing
with a valuation of $3,021 440. Buncombe
alone exceeds Wake in the valuation Of
farm buildings. The valuation in Bun
combe is $1,60S,040; Mecklenburg is
close third with a valuation of 81, 317. 400.
The value of farm implements and
machinery in Wake is $21S, 500, in David
son $222,O50. in Guilford $2O6, $50 Meek
lenburg $780, 500 and Randolph 1921 $40,
which counties lead in this respect The
valuation of live stock in Wake is $685.
241 Two other counties have a valua-
ton higher than this, Mecklenburg s7OS.-
206 and Ashe s728,767. The value of pro-
ducts not fed to live stock in Wake is
$2,163,811.
Wake spends $126,760 on fertilizers.
Robson leads in this respect, expending
$247 $50. Johnston expends $143, $50 for
fertilizers and Pitt $166,91O
For fertilizers. the average expendi-
ture per farm was approximately $40.
The minimum of less than 81 per farm
was found in a few extreme western
counties, where corn was the principal
crop, and the maximum of $50 per farm.
in Scotland county, the average in the
central counties being about $50 per
farm
The amount paid for labor in 1899
varied greatly in different sections of the
State, the lowest expenditure per farm
being reported from the mountainous
western border counties, and the highest
from the eastern coast counties, where
diversified farming prevails.
The group of medium sized farms. con-
tanning from 100 to ia acres each, com
prises nearly onefourth of the total farm
acreage, and the same proportion of the
total value Of farm property
In general, the average values of the
different forms of farm property rise in
unbroken series of the farms increase in
size. The relatively high value of build
ings on farms under acres. forms the
only striking exception to this rule For
this group of farms values are dispropor-
tionately high, as it contains nearly half
of the florists establishments of The
State and number of city daries. The
incomes from these industries denend
less upon the acreage of land used than
upon the amount of capital invested in
buildings and implements and the