Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-12-29

| lie by the bureau of the census.
Il the states entire land area
somewhat more than three-fifths is II
farms. The proportion Of land In
farms, however varies considerably
in the different counties, ranging
from 1872 per cent in Mckenzie coun
ty to 95.5 per cent in Trail county
With few exceptions those counties
which have more than 60 per cent OF
their land in farms lie in the eastern
half of the state, which contains sew
eral counties in which the percentage
in farms exceeds go
Rainfall Is Sufficient.
The rainfall over the whole state
of North Dakota is sufficient for
growing grain crops without irriga'
ton, the normal annual precipitation
ranging from about Is inches at the
western boundary to about 20 inches
at the eastern boundary. In the ex-
IRENE western part of the state lrr1-
CATION is practiced to limited ex'
tent.
Irrigation Projects.
OF the 74,360 farms in the state,
60, or. only one-tenth Of per cent,
were reported as irrigated in 1903.
Til acreage reported as irrigated in
1909 was 1929 acres, or less than
one-tenth of 1 per cent Of the i'm
proved land in farms. The area to
which enterprises existing in 1910
were capable of supplying water was
21,917 acres, while the total acreage
included in irrigation projects, com.
pleted or under way, in 1910 was
3S,173 acres.
Average Farm Values.
The average value Of farm land
per acre for the whole state is $3.50.
In practically all the counties In the
western two-thirds of the state the
average value is between SO and
$25 per acre while in the eastern
third of the state the average value
of farm land is generally between
$25 and $50 per acre
Between 1900 and 1910 there was
an increase Of sos per cent in the
population Of the state, of GA per cent
in the number of farms, and of 82.9
per cent in the acres of farm land.
The average size of the farms in
creased 80. acres, or lis per cent.
The aggregate value of farm prop
erty has increased during the de-
cade $719,547,000 and Is now nearly
four times as great as in 1900. This
increase is chiefly made up of the in
creases of 1857 ,028 900 in the value
Of Land and Of $50, s4s, 900 in the value
Of buildings. There is also an in.
crease of @9S,671 90 in the value of
farm equipment, including imple.
ments and machinery and live stock,
Of which more than two-thirds repre-.
sents a gain in the value of live
stock and the remainder the increase
in the value of implements and ma.
chinery. In considering the increase
Of values in agriculture the general
increase in the prices of all commodi.
ties in the last 10 years should be
borne in mind.
The average value of farm with
it's equipment in 1900 was $5,63l,
while 10 years later it was 81. 100.
The average value of land rose from
lib per acre in 1900 to $3.50 in
1871,
Population Increases.
In the 20 years since 1897 the pop
ulation of the state has increased
3S6,v73, or 202.2 per cent, about two
thirds of this increase occurring dur
ing the last decade.
In 1910 there were 74,360 farms In
North Dakota, or slightly more than
two and two-thirds times as many as
in 1890. The absolute increase was
most rapid during the last decade
when it averaged 1903 per year, as
compared with 1,772 a year during
the decade 1S90.1900.
The land surface of North Dakota
is approximately 44,917,120 acres and
Of this area 1885, $50 acres, or 63.3
per cent. are included in farms. III
this farm acreage, 20,455,092 acres,
or y per cent, are reported as i'm
proved land. representing ass per cent
Of the total land area of the state.
The total acreage Of farm land in
creased by 12,SS4,010 acres, or S2.S
per cent during the last decade, and
the acreage Of improved land by 1O,-
$40 ,572 acres, or 1921 per cent. TIE
proportion of farm land which is i'm
proved was higher in 1910 than In
1900. In the decade 1890 to 1900
both total acreage and improved
acreage more than doubled.
The total wealth in the form of
farm property is $974,S14 900, Of
which 84.4 per cent is represented Ny
land and buildings, IS per cent by
implements and machinery, and II 1
per cent by live stock The total
value Of farm property is nearly four
times what it was in 1900. and about
ten times what it was in 1890. The
absolute and relative gains in all
classes of farm property have been
rapid and continuous since 1890.
Farms Too Large.
In average size the North Dakota
farm has increased in each decade
since 1880, the increase In number
Of acres being from Eta AslS90 to
342.s IN 1900 and to 331.3 n 1910,