The Washington times., 1902-07-22
MANY new FARMS In
THE PAST DECADE
Large Increase in Agricul-
ture of Country.
CENSUS BULLETIN ISSUED
Larger Acreage Than Ever Before and
Number of Farms Greatly Increased
Value of Products Given in Detail by
Director Merriam.

According to the Census Bureau the
people of the United States are still given
largely to farming. despite the constant
reports that have appeared from time to
time that rural sections are being de-
populated and cities overcrowded. An
advance bulletin on agriculture in the
United States was issued by the Census
Office yesterday. 1t says in part:
1.-The farms OF the United States, June
l, 1900 numbered 5,7S9.657. and were
valued at sl6, 1874. .e9O.24 OF this amount
So, $50. .19S,191. or 2l.4 per cent, represents
the value of buildings, and s13.114 ,492,o ,o56.
or 7S.6 per cent, the value of land and
improvements other than buildings. On
the same date the value of farm imple-
ments and machinery was S76i .26l $50,
and of live stock. s3.07S.05O.0il. These
values. added to that of farms, give s20.-
514, ,0O1, ,s3S for the total value of farm
property"
Animal Products.
The products derived from domestic an
imals, poultry. and bees, including ami
mails sold and animals slaughtered on
farms. are referred to in this bulletin as
animal products" The total value of
such products, together with the value Of
all crops, is termed total value of farm
products" This value for 1899 was 81,
739, lis, 1852, OF which amount sl.IlS.990,-
221, or 1868 per cent, represents the value
OF animal products. and 81 e20, ,l2S,53l, or
e3.1 per cent the value of crops, includ-
ing forest products cut or produced on
farms The total value OF farm products
for 1899 exceeds that reported for 1889 by
s.. .279 oil ,29S, or 92.6 per cent. part of
this apparent increase is doubtless due to
more detailed enumeration in 1900 than
In 1890.
Value of Products Fed.
'1n 1899 the reported value OF products
fed was ssTi .s41 .O46. leaving s3.7si.177.706
as the gross farm income. The percen-
tage which this amount is Of the total
value of farm property is referred to in
the text OF the bulletin as the percentage
of gross income upon investment" For
the United States. in 1893. it was 1873 per
cent AS no reports of expenditures for
taxes, interest, insurance. feed for stock.
and similar items have been obtained
by any census. no statement of net farm
income can be given.
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 1880, and 25.7 per cent
more than in 1890. The total acreage Of
farm land has also increased, but. up TO
1850, 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. TIE total area of improved
land has increased in every decade since
1850.
Gains Have Varied.
This gain has been more rapid in
certain decades than in others, but on
the whole it has outstripped that In
unimproved land. and consequently the
per cent of farm land improved mas
shown a considerable increase since 1880.
This gain was uninterrupted until 1890.
since which date there has been loss.
due to the use of a more strict definition
OF the term improved land in 1900 than
in 1890, and to the addition of vast areas
of unimproved grazing lands to the farm
area of Western States.
Little Loss in Improved Area.
"The increased areas devoted to all
crops indicate that there has been no
loss in improved area except in few
OF the older States, where the more in
tensive cultivation of small areas has
resulted in the abandonment OF the
poorer lands to pasture. This view is
sustained by the fact that the decrease
in the last decade In the per cent of
farm land improved is greatest in the
Western and South Central divisions
The former reported but 2s.0 per cent
of its farm land as improved in 1900,
as compared with 4S.7 per cent in 1890,
and the latter BIO per cent in 1900, as
compared with 42.4 per cent in 1890.
The North Atlantic and North Central
divisions show a decrease of so and
II per cent, respectively. The only in
crease was that of 3.6 per cent In the
South Atlantic division.