The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-28
UNCLE SAM AND
OUR FOOD
What the Census Shows as to the American Farm
and its Products.
BY FRANK q. CARPENTER


BY FRANK G. CARPENTER
Six Million Farmers and What The
Are DOing-The Rush to the Towns
Will We Become a Nation Of City
DweIlers?-The Money in Farming
Farm Mortgages and What They
Mtan-The Increase in Farm Values
Our Asset of Live StOck-EnOrIn-
Gus Crops Which Sell for Billions.
copyright, 1911, by Frank G. Car
w PsHaH1:S D.. c.
The farms Of the United States de-
termine it's market bills. They fix
the prices Of our bread n meat, and
whether they are increasing or de-
creasing in number and size deter
mines our foe supply. In regard TO
this have just had a long talk with
Mr.. E. Dana Durand, the director OF
the census. Mr.. Durand is now COM
piling the millions Of figures furnished
by the census enumerators. He la
the latest data Is to our national re-
sources, and a large part Of his most
important Information relates to n
farms I I've before me a list or
the questions which his agents have
put to every farmer as they worked
their way through the country count
ing the people. These questions are
SO many that they would fill a page
Of this newspaper, and the swe
give all sorts of information.
AS to the farms. they report their
size and their value. They show
what the buildings are. and what the
farms cost They tell you all about
every tract that is m~ortgaged, and also
the expense of running each farm and
the profit therefrom.
Others Of the relate to the
live stock Of all kinds. The census
nen have counted the horses, cattle
and pigs, and the mules, goats and
sheep as we'll. Uncle Sam has ven
taken count Of the chickens. He can
tell how many fowls We are rearing,
and how many eggs these fowls pro-
duce He has full details as to the
food crops, even to such vegetables
as onions. green peas and celery. He
has counted the orchards, and even
the nuts. In fact, his information is
SO widespread that I annot mention
the classes.
Six Million Farms.
There are some things, however,
hat are very important to know. One
is hat our farm products are not in
creasing as rapidly as u population.
We have got to sell less stuff abroad.
or draw in our belt buckles a hole or
so tighter. The people are increa-
ing faster than the number OF farms.
In 1900 We had a little less than
100000 farms, and we O have
only a little over 100000. The rate
Of increase has been just about 10 ner
cent, while the increase Of our popula-
ton has been more thai twice that
amount. 1t may be that our farms
are raising more, but if so our con-
sumption has greatly increased, for
u exports Of farm products are rap
idly failing. It is certain that we
have fewer farmers from year to year.
Mr.. Durand's figures show that
there is a steady growth from the
COInfrv to the cjtv Tn 1890 ShNJ1f SH
per cent of our population lived in
cities. In 1900 more than 40 uer
cent were away from h farms and
the city population today is 6 per cent
higher. AS it is noW, of every hum
dred men, women and children In the
United States, more than ~forty-six are
living in towns, and the percentage is
so increasing hat 1T is only a Ques-
ton of time when half OF all Uncle
Sans children will De city jewellers.
This means that there are more peo-
pie to eat farm products and fewer
people to raise them. 1t must mean
higher prices.
Furthermore there is no doubt that
the cities are growing at the expense
OF the country. Mr.. Durand tells me
that some of the chief bread lands and
market gardens Of the United States
are steadily decreasing, as far as the
number of farmers is concerned. This
is SO Of Iowa, Illinois and others Of
our richest farming States. In In
diana, Iowa and Missouri more han
half OF the counties have fallen off
IN population. The same condition
holds true Of eastern Kansas and 9th
ers OF our most important farming
sections.
How the Cities Grow.
On the other hand the cities are
growing faster than Jonah's gourd.
which sprouted up into a shade tree
in a night. Those which contained
$4,000 and yer increased more thar
35 per cent between 1900 and 1910,
and this Notwithstanding there had
been an increase OF 80 per cent during
the census preceding. Some OF the
cities have had on Seven-league boots
The growth of Birmingham, Ala, has
beer more than 245 per cen in a dec
ade. that OF Los Angeles PHI pei
cent and OF Seattle 194 per cent
Spokane has grown 1S3 per cent il
the past ten years. Portland 129 ane
YNot-o;f z