Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-09-10
Wealth of the Nation in Farms

creased in value. Farm buildings valued
in 1900 as 1856, $4,000 have increased TO
sc, 294 757 900 in 1910, a growth Of n per cent.
Implements and machinery show a CORE
spending, but slightly less pronounced
growth in value. In 1900 they represented
$40 5000 and in 1910 81. 262, 022 900, an in
crease in value Of SIS per cent
Expenditures for Labor and Ferti-
liners.
Hired labor on the farms of the United
States absorbed in 1900 an expenditure of
1857 $50 900 and in 1910 $64b ,O0O an increase
OF sos per cent. Expenditures for fertilizers
are much less important, being in 1910 Sl14.-
277, OOO Compared however, with an ex-
penditure of $3.50 900 in 1900. this repre-
sents 1889 per cent
white and Colored Farmers.
The number of farms operated by white
farmers was SAP s92, or SIS per cent Of all
farms while the number operated by negro
and other nonwhite farmers was 9l7,465, or
AS per cent of the whole. There is a slight
increase In the proportion OF farms operated
by them ten years ago being LA per cent
Whether this increase In the proportionate
number of negro farmers means any in
crease in the relative extent OF farming
conducted by negroes can not be determined
until further tabulations are made showing
the size of farms. by color Of farmer.
ovvnership and Tenure.
The total number OF farms operated by
owners, Including those owning only part
Of the land operated by them, was 1888, 7O5
in 1910, as compared with 365S, 1923 in 1900 an
INCREASE of ESQ Ss2. The total number oper-
ated in 1910 by tenants was 2,S4s,2 as
against 2.024 1854 In 1900 an increase of 1924, 800
The number conducted by hired managers
was 81 1893 in 1910 and 59,0S5 in 1900. de-
crease of 1857.
The farms operated by owners constituted
60 per cent OF the whole number of farms
in 1910 and 637 per cent in 1900; those oper-
ated by tenants 81 per cent in 1910 and
s53 per cent in 1900; and those conducted
by managers l per cent at both censuses
In 1890 the percentage of farms operated
by owners, including those conducted by
managers was 71-6 per cent. This indicated
that the decrease in the proportion of farms
operated by owners was less during the
last ten years than during the preceding
ten years.
Farm Mortgage.
OF the total number Of farms, 1888, 706,
operated IN 1910 by owners, there were
2,622,S41, or 6s.7 per cent, reported as owned
free of debt" while 1.S11, 1884, or 49, per cent.
were reported as mortgaged. There were
S,s7S farms for which no mortgage report
was secured. and these are included in the
farms reported as free from debt The
census bureau has no information respect
ing the indebtedness in farms leased to
tenants or operated by managers.
In 1900 information was secured con-
cerning the owned farm homes At
that time .3!546.2ss, or 10 per cent, were
reported - .efree from debt" while 10eS,-
l64, or 30 per cent, were reported as mort
gagged. There were 126,O59 farms in 1900 for
which no. mortgage report was secured,
and these are inclued with the farm
homes reported as Free from debt" There
has thus been a considerably greater in
crease In the number OF mortgaged farms
than in the number of farms free from
mortgage. The increase In the proportion
of mortgaged farms from 1900 TO 1910, how.
ever. was less than that from 1890 to 1900
Farms Distributed Into Size Groups.
The statement relating to farms distrib-
uted according to size groups shows that
those 'ninteen acres and under" num-
bered s29,3oS in 1910 and 1880 in 1900
gain OF 165, 433; those twenty to forty-nine
acres" 1,40992 in 1910 and 1,257, 496 in 1900,
gain of 15S 1876; those Fifty TO ninety
nine acres" 14S5,74S in 1910 and 1856 0SS
in 1900. an increase Of 6s,7O6; those 100
to TIA acres" ISL, 2S5 in 1910 and 1,422, 1862
in 1900 a gain OF $685. those '175 to 499
acres" 976,597 in 1910 and s6s,02O in 1900
an increase of lOs.577; those 800 to 99s
acres" 124.ssS in 1910 and l02,526 in 1900, a
gain OF 22,3S7, and thoSe %, ZOO acres and
over" 4S,eO4 in 1910 and 47,l6O in 1900, a
gain Of 2,4A The farms of each size
group thus increased in absolute number,
but the increases were at different rates
so that there are some appreciable changes
in the proportion Of farms falling in the
respective classes.
Acreage Group Proportions.
OF the whole number of farms those
nineteen acres and under formed 131 per
cent in 1910 and III per cent in 1900; those
twenty to forty-nine acres" 22.3 per cent
In 1910 and ds per cent in 1900; those
fifty TO ninety-nine acres" 22.s per cent
in 1910 and 23.s per cent in 1900; those 100
TO ia acres" 2S9 per cent in 1910 and "a
per cent in 1900; those '175 TO 474 acres, -
l5.4 per cent in 1910 and Isl per cent in
1900 those over 500 acres" rs per cent
in 1910 and 90 per cent in 800. There has
thus been slight relative decrease in the
medtum-siZed farms, namely, in the two
groups falling between fifty and ia acres
in size, as contrasted with a slight rela-
tive increase in farms below as well as
| In farms above these limits.