Milford chronicle., 1911-09-01

creased from 1900 to 1910 by S22,
4S2, 900, or 55.2 per cent. OF this
increase, SIS, 100000 was in land
buildings, 81 ,O56, 600 in implements
and machinery, and 81, 1856, 900 in
domestic animals, poultry, and bees
During the decade from 1900 to 1916
the relative gain was greater than
during any other decade since 1850,
while for the two decades ending in
1880 and 1900 decreases of value
we're reported. The absolute amount
of the gain from 1900 to 1910 was
more than one and one-half times
that reported for any other decade.
Average Acreage and Values PEI
Farm, 1850 to 1910.
In average size the Delaware farm
has continuously decreased from
I157.7 acres in 1850 to 90 acres in
Il91O-over 60 acres in 60 years.
The decrease during the last decade,
I14.1 acres, was the largest for any
decade during the period, while that
of the preceding decade, "a acres,
was the smallest.
The value per farm Of farm equip
ment, which includes implements
and machinery and domestic ami
mails, poultry and bees, was in 1910
nearly two ana a half times as great
as it was sixty years ago and little
less than one and a half times as
great as ten years ago.
The average value Of a Delaware
farm including its equipment, is a
little more than $500, of which
about 81, 900 represents the value Of
land and buildings, S629 the value
Of domestic animals, poultry, and
bees, and 1895 the value Of imple-
ments and machinery.
Farm Tenure, 1880 to 1910.
While farms increased 1, 1,149 in
number during the last decade, the
number operated by owners and
managers increased l ,490, as COM
pared with a decrease Of 341 in the
number operated by tenants.
In 1880 and again in 1910 about
AZ out Of each hundred farms were
operated by tenants in 1890 and
1900 the proportion was even higher,
in 1900 amounting to somewhat
more than one-half. The huctua-
tons in the number and proportion
of farmers who are tenants arise
mainly from the changes among
share tenants. The number Of each
tenants, including those for whom
the form Of tenure was not reported,
has increased slowly since 1880.
Share and share-cash tenancy, on
the other hand, increased rather rap
idly for 90 years but decreased con-
siderably during the last decade.
In 1881 cash tenancy, including
'nonspecifed, " was less than one /
sixth as frequent as share and share
cash tenancy, while in 1910 it was
nearly one quarter as frequent.
Farm Mortgages, 1S9O-19lO.
The eleventh census (1S90) was
the first TO collect data relating to /
mortgage debt on farms. The basis /
Of the returns was the farm home" |
occupied by its owner. The same /
class Of information was secured by
the population schedules of the /
twelfth census $1,000. The agri-
cultural schedules Of the thirteenth
census (1910) secured practically
the same information, except that
the basis was owned farms" instead
Of owned farm homes" a difference
involving, however, no appreciable
incomparability.
The total number of owned farms
!. e., farms owned in whole or in
part by the operator of the farm, is
6, IFS; and Of this number 3. .264, or
37-2 per cent, are mortgaged. The
of owned farms which
are mortgaged increased very ma
-erially from 1890 TO 1900, but only
slightly from 1900 to 1910, the per
9entage being 29.4 in 1890, Sc. 5 in
1900, and, as lust stated, 37.2 in
1910.
The average debt Of mortgaged
arms decreased in 20 years from
%, 147 to S1,51S, or 29.3 per cent.
The average value Of such farms de-
,reased from 81, ,S75 to s4, 355, or
L0.7 per cent. Thus, the owners
equity increased from 81, 72S to 81
537, or 4 per cent. In other words.
while there was a decrease in the
average value per farm it was not so
great as the decrease in the average
lebt per farm. The mortgage in
constituted A per cent of
he value Of the mortgaged farms in
1890, and only "a. 9 per cent in 1910.
Over half Of the farms in Delaware
ire between 30 and 175 acres in size,
md nearly three-fourths are between
70 and IA acres. The "3 to 9 acres"
arms are more than twice as numer-
,us as in 1900. The 40 to 19 acres'
,roup comprises one and a half as
many farms as in 1900, and the 800
o 49 acres" group one and a quarter