The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-11-12

BY Classifying Ages OF Farmers, II
viii BE Possible to Figure Out Farm
Operations by Age Perlods-Number
Of Owners is Increasing.
Washington. Nov. &c. Dana Du-
rand, director of the census, Is deter
mined that the farm census OF next
year shall be the most complete and
accurate in the history of the govern
ment, and he Is making comprehensive
plans for getting the information he
thinks necessary to carry out his pur-
pose.
When IL IL taken INTO account that
the value of all farm property In
1900 was nearly $2O500,000,0O0 and
that the number OF farms operated in
the United States in 1908 reached the
enormous total of 100000 with to-
tai acreage of 1000.000,000 1t will be
seen readily that the task OF getting
statistics on practically every detail
agricultural life is not an easy one.
The agricultural census of 1850 re-
ported 1.449,073 farms, and that Of
1900, 5.739,657, an addition of nearly
three times as many as had been es-
tablished In the previous $50 years OF
settlement In 1850 there was one farm
for every sixteen persons in the
United States, while in 1900 there was
one for every 1873 persons. In pro-
portion to population, therefore, there
were six farms in 1900 where there
we're only five. in 1850, representing
an addition OF one farm for every 1874
persons added to the rational popu-
lation.
Work Begins In April.
Census enumerators will begin their
work April Is OF next year, and they
are appealing to the 100000 farmers
throughout the country to prepare &C.
curate data between now and then con-
corning their respective farms. Under
the head of personal information"
farmers will be asked to give their
name. postoffice address, color or race,
age, nation in which born, tenure,
length of residence on farm, and, II a
tenant, the name and address of the
person from whom the land Is leased.
BY obtaining the age Of farmers the
census Office will be able to classify
farm property by age periods of the
operators, and thus show what proper.
ton OF farm wealth is controlled by
tween 45 and SO years Of age, or any
other age period. The rate of gain in
wealth as the farmers increase in age
will be general index to the profit
ableness Of farming as an occupation
in different sections of the country.
The question of tenure, from many
standpoints, Is one Of the most inter
are owner. cash tenant and share ten
ant. In 1880, for the country as q
whole. 74.5 per cent of all farms were
operated by their owners: per cent
by cash tenants, and IT'S per cent by
share tenants. In 1900 the proportion
of owners had fallen to 64.7 per cent
while cash tenants increased to 1871
per cent and share tenants to 22.2 pei
cent.
Farm Owners Increasing.
Formerly the decrease in number o.
owners and the increase in number o.
tenants was taken as an indication by
many persons that farm lands were
rassing into the hands of capitalists
and that tenants had correspondence
less opportunity of becoming farm
owners.
Careful study and better census fig
ures however, tend to disprove this
theory. and the constant relative In
crease in the number of tenants /!
taken to indicate that steadily in
creasing number of farm laborers ar,
rising through farm tenancy to farm
ownership, and that growing numbe
of farm owners become Independent
in later life and retire from activ,
management. Their lands thus be
come available for tenant farmers o
farm laborers of the better class.
Under the head of general infor
nation regarding farm acreage, value
and expenses" each farm operate
will be required to state the total mum
Der of acres in his farm and also tn,
number of acres of improved land.
The census office defines a farm a
all the land under the control or per
sonal direction of single individual
or firm, upon which animals, fowls an,
agricultural products are raised o
produced. BY improved land is mean
all land regularly titled or moved, Ian,
temporarily pastured, land lying fal
low, land in gardens, orchards, vine
yards and nurseries, and land occu
pied by buildings. The number o
acres of timbered land will also b.
called for.
Farms Worth $2o,4S9, got, 1854.
Statements will also be called 70
of all land in the farm, including build
ihgs and improvements, the value o
all buildings and that of all nipple
ments and machinery belonging t
the farm. At the last census in 1906
the total value of farm land, wit
improvements and implements wa
32O,439, 90l,l 64, divided into $16,614
647,4Sl for farm lands with improve