The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-09-11
FARMS IN UNITED STATES
Small Increase in Number During
Past Decade

Washington, Sept. Census Dir
ector Durand has given out an impor-
| tant advance statement from the
Bureau of Census containing addition
al figures and details of the agricul-
tural statistics of continental United
States collected at the thirteenth de-
cennlal census, April 10, 1910. 1t
shows that during the ten years
which followed the census OF 1900 the
population of the United States In
creased Il per cent, but the number
of farms did not keep pace with the
! increase in population From $751;
372 in 1900 the number grew to g.
340,357 an increase of 6O2 9S5 or lO,6
per cent. For the whole United
| States this is the lowest rate OF in
crease which has been noted since
] the number of farms was first record
| ed in 1850
The small growth in the number
of farms has not been compensated
by any growth in the size of farms,
the average number of acres in farms
having decreased from LAG in 1900 to
1888 in 1910. The increase in the to-
tai acreage devoted to agriculture
! was only S5,137,0OO acres or AZ per
cent. The actual area in farms was
1913, 592 900 acres in 1900 and SIS,f29,'
900 acres in 1910.
Improved land, however. increased
more rapidly than the total farm acre
age or number of farms, the advance
being from 414,499,000 acres In 1900
to 477.44S. 900 acres in 1910, gain OF
62.949, 900 acres, or 1872 per cent IN
ten years Yet this percentage OF
increase was only about two thirds
the growth of population, showing
that at the best the number OF acres
under cultivation and used for the
production of crops had not kept pace
with the increase in the number oil
people.
In striking contrast with the slow
! growth in the number and acreage oil
| farms and the area of improved land
during the ten years is the enormous
rise which has occurred in the value
of farm property. Farm land, exclus
i've of buildings, which was valued
at s13, O5s, O0S, 900 in 1900 had more
than doubled before 1910, being then
returned as having a value OF S2s,
S6.770.000. The enormous increase
here recorded OF SIS 1928, 1921 900 repre'
ents an advance OF 1l7.4 per cent II
the value OF all land In farms. The
average value OF farm land per acre
increased from 1857 in 1900 to $S2-
40 In 1910, gain Of 1862 per acre
or 1887 per cent.
Farm buildings valued in 1900 a
sS.556, $40, 900 have increased to -.
2s4, 737, 900 in 1910, a growth OF q
per cent. Implements and machinery
show a corresponding but slightly lest
pronounced growth In value. In 1901
they represented s749,776,0OO anC
In 1910 s1,262, 022 600 an increase II
value OF 6S.S per cent.
Hired labor on the farms absorbed
in 1900 an expenditure OF 1857 ,3s2,OO'
and In 1910 $645, $4,000 an increase o
sos per cent. Expenditures for fer
tilizers are much less important be
ing In 1910 s114,27IOOO. Compared
however, with an expenditure OF S0S'
432. 900 in 1900, this represents al
increase OF 1879 per cent.
The total number OF farms operated
by owners including those ownlnI
only part OF the land operated BY
them. was 3,eS3,705 In 1910 as com
pared with S,65s,323 in 1900, an In
crease OF 2sO.Ss2. The total number
operated In 1910 by tenants was 2
Sls.254 as against 2.O2i,s64 In 1900, al
increase Of 324,290. The number con
Quoted by hired managers was 51Ss'
in 1910 and 5s,Os5 In 1900, a decrease
OF 1857, =
or the total number OF farms, 3,
Ss3. 7O5 operated In 1910 by owners
there were 2,622,34l or 66.7 per cent
reported as owned free OF debt
while 1911 1854 or 1873 per cent wer'
reported as mortgaged. There wer
1875 farms for which no mortgage
report was secured and these are In
cluded In the farms reported rs fire.
from debt