The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-08-11
TEN YEARS Of SOUTHERN
AGRICULTURAL INCREASE

Baltimore, Md, Aug. lin de-
tailed review of agricultural progress
in the South in 10 years the Manu-
facturers Record says this week:
In 10 years the value of the South's
farm lands has largely more than
doubled and the value of it's farm
buildings has increased 80 per cent.
These facts speak eloquently of the
wonderful agricultural advance which
in 10 years has caused the value of
the South's farm lands to increase
by more than $2S21 100000 and the
value of its farm buildings to grow
from $685., 1SS,000 to $1,314,429,0 900.
In 1910 the South had 1862 ,090, 900
invested in agricultural machinery,
against $167,349,0O0 in 1900. In 1917
it used $74,7O3,OOO worth of fertiliz.
ers, while at the same time greatly
| increasing its use of cowpeas, vetch
and similar crops for the betterment
of the soil, as compared with $780,
OO6,O00 spent in 1900 for fertilizers.
In 1910 the aggregate value of farm
lands, farm. buildings and farm imple-
ments and machinery in the South
was $6,7S6, $4,000. an increase of 49,
| 545, 065,000, or 1894 per cent, over
1900. The aggregate value in the
rest of the country of these elements
of fixed farm capital in 1910 was $780,
153 468, 900, an increase of $15 ,037, 49,
900 or 1865 per cent
Farm Lands Show Increase.
In the 1O-year period the average
value per acre of farm land alone
increased from $15.64 to 6324S, or 1903
per cent. in the whole country, and
from $6.SS to 1854 or a gain of 1870
per cent, in the South.
The average value per acre for the
whole South in 1910 was less than
BALI the average value for the whole
country, and in that year the average
value per acre in no Southern state
equaled the average value for the
whole country But the greater rate
of increase in the average value per
acre in the South indicates the gen.
efal advance in agricultural condi-
tions in that section of the country.
In the very fact that as yet South
ern farm lands average but one-half
as much per acre in value as farm
that, too, despite the fact that the
average value per acre of the leading
crops of the South exceeds the aver
age value per acre of leading crops
in the rest of the country, Is strik
ingly emphasized the vast wealth to
be created In the South by the in
evitable enhancement of its farm land
values.
In the 10 years the value of farm
lands alone increased from $2,388, 593,
900 to $5,209,676,00o, a gain of So,
S21,0S3,000, equal to 1881 per cent in
to $23.174, 145,000, or a gain of S12,
511, 705,000, equal to 1873 per cent
in the rest of the country. Texas has
become the third Of five states in the
country having farm lands valued al
more than 81 500, OOO, 900, these states
with their land values. being Illinois
$3,OS1 1854, 900; Iowa, $2.799, OPS, 900;
Texas, $1,61S,51S,OOO; Nebraska, 81,
r13, OF 600. md Kan4as s1,534.552 900
Farm Buildings.
Tho Increase in the value of farm
buildings in the whole South was
from sGS5, 1SS.O00 to s1.314,429. 900. ;
cain Of $629.'4l 400, equal to 80 pc
Hrt, while in the rest of the countr!
the gain was from $2.S7l. 10000 Il
''9-9. SOC, 900. or nv s2,10S,170, 900
equal to 7O.4 per cent.
The South nearly doubled the valu
. of its farm buildings within 10 years
most striking illustration Of 1t
growing agricultural prosperity.
There was an increase Of 62,934,o0
acres in the improved lands In farm
in the United States, and nearly one
quarter of that increase was in tn
South, the improved acea in that sex
ton increasing from 116,7s1 900 acre
to 1S1, s5S,00o acres. or by 15,177.oo
acres, equal to 10 per cent. The lart
est increase in any state in the Sout
was in Texas, from 19,576,oo0 acre
to 27,12s,000 acres. equal to 80 pc
cent, Florida ranking second in rat
Of increase, from $4,000 acres t
1903, 900 acres, or 10 per cent; Mi
sissippi third, from 7594.0o0 acres
$3.50 900 acres or IS per cent; Geo
gia fourth, from 10,616,000 acres
I Q o6d nm acres or 1R per cent: A