Middletown transcript., 1911-09-02
AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN
Census Data Compiled by the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor


| WASHINGTON, D. G., August 30th, 1911
The Thirteenth Census Advance bulletin
on agriculture for the state of Delaware il
about to be issued by Census Director
Durand. It was prepared under the
supervision of DR.. LeGrand Powers, chieI
statist;cian for agriculture. The data rela.
tive to farms and farm property, live
stock and crops, was given out in prelimi.
nary form some time ago. There is, how.
ever, much that is new in the bulletin.
Progress During the Decade of 1900 to 1910
Delaware ranks forty-seventh in both
area and population among the states and
territories Of continental United States.
Although considerable part of its popu-
lation lives in manufacturing center, it
is distinctly agricultural state. Most Of
it is part of the Atlantic coastal plain, and,
as whole, its level and easily titled. OF
the states entire land area about four
fifths is in farms.
The average value of farm land per acre
for the whole state is $685. SO; the averages
for the individual counties range from
$24.45 in the southern to $52.62 in the
northern county.
Between 1900 and 1910 there was an in.
crease of 1900, or 95 per cent. in the
population of the state, and an increase of
l,149. or 11.9 per cent. in the number of
farms, while there was decrease of over
$1,000 acres, or 2.8 per cent. in the area
of farm land, and decrease of about 40,.
500 or 5.4 per cent. in the improved land
in farms. The average size Of the farms
decreased from 10 to 96 acres.
Farm property, which includes land,
buildings, implements and machinery
and live stock domestic animals, poultry
and bees) has increased in value during
the decade 55.2 per cent. or nearly $22,.
100000. Almost halt of This great increase
was due to land, which advanced AZ per
cent. in value; and about third to an in.
crease of over 81, ,550, 900, or 70.8 per cent.
in the value of buildings. There was also
an increase of over 81, ,OOO, 900 in the value
of implements and machinery and of over
81, zoo, 900 in the value of live stock. In
considering the increase of values in agri-
culture the general increase in the prices
of all commodities in the last 10 years
should be borne in mind,
The average value of farm with its
equipment in 1900 was slightly over
d, zoo, WhiIe 10 years later it was more
than $500. The average value of land
alone rose from $22 20 per acre in 1900 to
$33. 63 in 1910.
In the 60 years since 1850 the popula-
ton of the state has increased by Ill 900,
or 12l per cent:
The number OF farms in Delaware,
which in 1910 for the first time exceeded
10000, showed greater increase from
1900to 1910 than during any other decade,
this increase amounting to 1,149 farms, or
an average of nearly 115 per year.
The rates of increase during the decade
in the different counties were 81 per cent.
in New Castle, 1O9 per cent. in Kent and
15.1 per cent. in Sussex, increasing thus
from north TO south. The relative in
crease for the state as a whole was great.
est in the decades between 1860 and 1880.
The land surface of Delaware is approx.
imately ], PSI, 800. Of this area 1,038, 1865
acres or S2.6 per cent. were included in
farms in 1910, representing decrease of
2.7 per cent. during the last decade: OF
the farm acreage in 1910, 1883 acres or
68.7 per cent. we're reported as improved
land, representing Sc. 2 per cent. of the
total land area of the state. The i'm
proved land in farms showed little more
than twice as great relative decrease as
the total acreage of farms, the percentage
of farm land improved being slightly
lower In 1910 than in 1900.
The total farm acreage showed con-
tinuous increase during the first 80 years
for which figures are given, but for the
last 80 years the acreage has been, on the
whole, decreasing. The acreage Of i'm
proved land increased continuously until
1890, but has decreased 6.4 per cent. since
that date. During this period (l890-19l0)
the proportion of the total land area of
the state which was occupied by farms
decreased from $50 to S2.6 per cent.
while the improved land decreased from
1872 to 6s.7 per cent. of the total land in
farm.
Value of Farm Property 1850 to 1910
In 1910 the total wealth in the form OF
farm property was $63, 179, 900, of which
over four-fifths was represented by land
and buildings; 81 per cent. by imple-
ments and machinery, and 1913 per cent.
by domestic animals, poultry and bees.
The total value of farm property increased
from 1900 to 1910 by $22, 4S2, 600 or 55.2
per cent. Of this increase SIS, 20, 600
was in land and buildings, 81 ,056, 600 in
implements and machinery and 50, 706, 600
in domestic animals, poultry and bees.
During the decade from 1900 to 1910 the
relative gain was greater than during any
other decade since 1860, while for the two
decades in 1880 and 1900 decreases of
value were reported. The absolute
amount of the gain from 1900 to 1910 was
more than one and one.half times that re.
ported for any other decade.