The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-01
FROM 81 TO 1927 PER CENT
Total Number of Farms and Farmers
Showed Decrease, However, There
Now Being 216,so7 Farms
in the State.

sus OF agriculture, as a part of the thir-
teenth deeennial census, was issued by
Census Director Durand to-day. 1t re-
lates to the state of Iowa and contains
principally the results Of the census bu-
reau's tabulation of the number Of all
farms and farms OF specified classes, and
also gives the acreage and value of farm
land in the state in 1910 in comparison
with the twelfth census figures. 1t was
prepared under the supervision of Chief
Statistieian LeGrand Powers, of the diyi-
sion OF agriculture. IL is stated that
the tabulation totals, while tentative In
character, will not be appreciably
changed by later reyisions.
Similar statements concerning the
other states are being prepared. and
early issuances Of those for Indiana.
Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin may
be expected. Following these there viii
be Others showing the same facts for the
individual counties within each state.
Statistics relative to the acreage and
yield of crops, and the number of do
nestle animals on farms and ranges will
be next in order.
These advance statements form anoth-
er of the important innovations institute
ed by Director Durand in order to give
the public the earliest possible use Of
the census data, and they antedate, BY
more than six months time, the custom.
airy publication OF these data in bulletin
form at previous censuses.
The Extraordinary Increases.
Comparisons between the 1910 and
1900 totals for Iowa show many remark.
able changes While there have been
noticeable decreases since 1900 in the
total number of farms farmers, owners,
part owners, total acreage, improved
acreage, etc, on the other hand, those
are greatly overshadowed by extraordi-
nary increases in the value of land
buildings and implements, and in the ex-
penditmes for labor, which range from
81 TO 1921 per cent.
From 1900 to 1910, according to Di-
rector Durand's statement, the total
value OF Iowa's farm land alone rose
from Sl,256, 752 600 to S2,799, OBS 900, an
increase of 81 .542, 1913, 600, or no less than
1921 per cent; the value OF all farms,
including that OF their buildings. in.
creased from 81 ,4g7 ,555 900 to ss.253, TIg,. |
600, gain Of sl,756, 1874, 600 or ll7.3 per
cent; and the value OF the buildings
alone rose from $40. 500 900 to S454.694.. !
900, an increase Of S2I3, sol 900, or ss.s
per cent. The value of farm implements
and machinery rose from S57 96l 600 to
S95,2T3, 900, a gain OF S3T 1912, 600, or 64.4
per cent; and expenditures for labor
from sl8,376,000 10 S24,7332, 900, an in
crease of sS,356000 or 81 per cent.
IL Is expected that later data viii
show that the number Of people EN-
ployed on the Iowa farms did not in.
crease, therefore the reported increase
in the total expenditures for labor rep.
resents approximately the relative in
crease in the wages OF the individual farm
laboFer.
Decrease in Number of Farms.
The total number Of farms dropped,
during the decade, from 22s,622, to /
2l6,s07, decrease Of ll,sl5, a triae /
over per cent. This falling off in the /
number of farms is one that has been
anticipated by all students of agricul. /
tural conditions in Iowa, and is believed
TO correspond quite closely with an an
ticipated decrease in the rural popula. |
ton of the state.
The number OF farms operated by
white farmers decreased from pos, 1875 /
to 2l6e03 the amount being ll.792 or 1
50 per cent; while the diminution in
the number OF eolored farmers was from
2227 to 204
The number of farms cultivated by 1
their owners fell from ll6,lss to los. sos. I
a decrease Of l0,400, or per cent. Those /
cultivated by part owners decreased 4
from 29,0ss TO 26,5Sl, the difference be.
ing 2,457, or S.5 per cent; while those
reported as being cultivated by part.
nership of owners and tenants decreased /
from 2,l29 to 62l, loss of l,50s, or 70.s
per cent.
The, farms operated by tenants in
creased from 1876 TO s2039, gain Of
z, 1903, or 20 per cent. There was also
an increase amounting TO 2l.3 per cent.
in the number Of farms operated by
hired managers. In 1900 there were
] ,5sl such farms, while in 1910 the num-
Der is 1878.
The farm acreage reported in 1910 is
80 ,905,0 600, as compared with 34,574,000
in 1900, a decrease OF 100000 acres, or
10 per cent. This decrease, in the opin-
ion of the census bureau, probably rep
resents less perfect enumeration of
land in the several townships owned by
people residing in other townships, due
to the change in the census date from
June TO April Is. Much Of this land
is in pastures and meadows, and intend
ed for lease, but, az the date OF the
in April il had not been
leased for 1910 and was therefore unoc-
cupied and unreported,
The improved acreage of farms also
decreased, but in smaller proportions
than the total acreage. The improved
land reported in 1910 numbered 284d7,-
900 acres, while in 1900 the acreage re-
ported was 20,s9S,000; the decrease
amounting to Ia per cent
The expenditure for fertilizers in Iowa
has never been very large, aud was
smaller in 1910 than at the census OF
1900 decreasing from 1887 900 in 1900
10 100000 IN 1910, drop OF CSC per
cent. The census in 1910 secured in
formation for the arst time relating to
the amount expended by the farmers for
the purchase OF feed for live stock this
was Sls.5T5.0O0.
OF the 2l6.sO7 farms in Iowa. there
were l0s,O3i. or nearly one-half. on
which all the work OF cultivating them
was performed By their owners; while
The number reporting the expenditures
for labor as stated above, was l0s7z3.
The majority Of the farms purchased no