Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-12-22
Our Agricultural Statistics.
FROM CENSUS REPORT CONCERNING MARYLAND.

FROM CENSUS REPORT CONCERNING MARYLAND.
Maryland ranks forty-first in land area
and twenty-seventh in population among
the States and territories of continental
United States. The average value of farm
land per acre for the whole State is $32.32.
There are 4S,923 farms in the State, an
increase of 2,9l1 in ten years. The value
of this property is put down in the census
report as $286,167 ,02S, some eiehty-one
millions more than in 1900. The average
value of all property per farm is $5,S49.
In average size the Maryland farm has
decreased continually since 1850. 1t now
averages 1884 acres, or less than half as
many as go years ago. Most of this change,
however. occurred during the first 80 years,
when the decrease amounted to $3.50 acres.
The decrease was 20 acres during the last
80 years.
The average value of a Maryland farm
including its equipment, is $5,840. of
which $4,94l represents the value of land
and buildings. $685. that of live stock, and
$242 that of implements and machinery.
The average value of land and buildings
has increased $l392 per acre during the
last decade. During the decade immedi-
ately preceding however, it decreased $l.47
With this slight exception il has contnu-
ously increased since 1850 and is now
more than two and one-half times as great
as at that time. The value per farm of
equipment, which includes implements and
machinery and live stock, is nearly twice
as great as in 1850.
In 1910 the total number of farms owned
in whole or in part by the operators was
33,5l9. Of this number, 21,0S4 were re-
ported as free from mortgage, 1927 were
reported as mortgaged, and for 308 no re-
port relative to mortgage Indebtedness was
obtained. The number of mortgaeed farms
constituted 36.5 per cent. of the total
number of owned farms, exclusive of those
for which no mortgage report was obtained.
The percentage is almost exactly the same
as it was in 1900, but is considerably larger
than it was in 1890. 1t may be noted that
the percentages given for the three CEN
suses are comparable, but that the num-
Der of mortgaged and unmortgaged farms
reported in 1890 is not entirely comparable
with the numbers reported at the later
censuses, because at the census of 1890
the farms for which no reports were secured
were distributed between the two classes
of mortgaged and unmOrtgaged farms. 1t
can be seen, however, that both owned
farms free of MORTGAGES and those mort
Gagged have increased materially in num-
Der since 1890.
There has been remarkable stability in
the number of acres devoted to the leading
crops during the past three decades. The
greatest acreage of corn was reported in
1879 and the lowest in 1889. The acreage
of wheat was greatest in 1899 and lowest
in 1889. Since 1889 the acreage of pota-
toes harvested has shown a steady increase
in each decade. Tobacco shows net loss,
while oats have lost over so per cent. Hay
and forage have made gains in each de-
cade, increasing 6.4 per cent. from 1899 to
1903.
Corn is grown by more than out of S
farmers. winter wheat by nearly in 10,
oats by less than 1 in S. rye by in 10, and
other cereals by very few. More than 6
farmers out of every 10 report hay and
forage. and more than out of 10 potatoes.
About one-fifth of the improved land is
reported in corn. about sixth in wheat,
and about an eighth in hay and forage.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
The following table presents the more
important agricultural data of Montgomery
county, all of which is new. 1t shows
population, number of farms. farm area,
and value of farm property number and
value of domestic animals and of poultry
and bees, for 1910: