The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-26

Six Million Farmers and What
They Are Doing-The Rush to
the Towns-Will We Become
Nation Of City Dwellers7
The Money in Farming-Farm
Mortgages and What They
Mean-The Increase in Farm
Values-our Asset of Live
stock--Enormous Crops Which
SCI! fer Billions.
Washington. D. G.
IT. HE FARMS of the United states
determine its market bills.
Ihey nix the prices OF our bread
ana meat, and whether they are in
ereasips or decreasing In number and
hiae determines our food supply. In re-
gard to this have Just had long talk
with Mr.. f. Dana Durand tn. Direc-
tor OF the Census. Mr.. Durnnd is now
compiling the millions of figures fur
inished by tho census enumerators. lie
mas the latest data as to our national
resources. and a large part of his
most important information relates TO
the farms. ! have before me a list
OF the questions which his agents
have put TO every farmer as tt..v
worked their way through the country
counting the people These questions
arc SO many that they would fill a
page OF this newspaper, and the an
swefs give all sorts of Information.
as to the farms. they report their
size and their value. They show what
tho buildings are. and what the farms
cost They tell you all abou. avery
tract that Ia mortgagcd. and also the
expense of running each farm and tho
profit therefrom.
Others OF the answers relate to tho
1.-Two stock of all kinds Tke census
mon have counted the horses, cattle
sheep as we'll Uncle Sam has even
taken count OF the chickens. 10 can
tell you how many fowls we arc rear
Ing. and how many eggs these fowls
produce. He has full details 8 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
go widespread that I cannot mention
tho claRses.
SIX Million Farms.
There are como things. however. that
ere cry important 10 know. One is
that our farm products are not In
creasing as rapidly as our population.
We rave got to sell less stuff abroad,
or draw In our belt buckles O hole
or so tighter. The people arc increes- ,
Ing 'aeter than tho number of farms.
In 1900 we had less than 100000 |
farE'S and we now have only a little
over 100000. The rate of increaas |
hiss been just about 10 per cent, while |,
the Increase of our population has |
been more than twice that amount. !
II may be that our farms are raising
more, but X SO our consumption has |
greatly Increased. for our exports OF /,
Barn prodncta are rapidly falling II !
Is certain that we have fewer farmers !
from year to year.
MT. Durand's figures show that there |
Is eteady growth from the country |
TO the city. In 1880 about IS per cent. |
OF our population lived In the cities. |
In 1900 more than 20 per cent. were !
away from tho farms. and the city pop /
nla ton to-day 10 per cent higher.
AS 1t Ia now. OF every hundred men,
women and children In the United
States, more than torty-six are living
In towns. and the percentage is so ,
Increasing that II is only q question |
or time when half OF all Uncle Sans |
children Will be city jewellers. This
means that there are more people to
cat farm products and fewer people 10
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 Ngardens OF the United /
States are steadily decreasing. es far
as the number OF farmers is concerned.
This is SO OF Iowa, Illinois and Others