The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-09-14

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implements, machinery, and domes-
tic animals, is 1920, of which land
and buildings represent $2660, impl =
ments and machinery $241, and do
nestle animals $419. The number Of
farms not having materially increas-
ed the large increase in the value of
farm property per farm in 1900 was
$2064, which it will be noted is only
about two-thirds of the present ay-
erage value.
OWNERSHIP OF FARMS.
Most of the farms in Maine are
owned farms; that is to say, farms
which are operated by owners as dis
tinguished from tenant farms, the
owned farms constituting 95.7 per
cent of the total number of farms.
There are 1853 tenant farms, repre-
senting 43 per cent of the total
number of farms, and 999 farms OPP
Grated for their owners by managers.
About two-thirds of the tenant farms
are rented for cash, the remainder
being rented on shares or else re
turned under tenure not specified"
OF the 56,454 owned farms in the
State of Maine, 14,94S, or slightly
more than one-fourth (26.6 per cent,
were returned as mortgaged. The
proportion of farms mortgaged, it is
interesting to note. is no greater than
it was 10 years ago, in 1900; but
from 1890 to 1900 the percentage Of
farms mortgaged increased from 221
to 267.
OF the 1913 mortgaged farms, all
but "A reported the amount of the
mortgage debt, the aggregate mort
gage debt being $l1.73S.529. The az
gregate value of the mortgaged farms
was reported at $39,774OO5, Twenty
years ago, in 1890, the total NOR
gage debt on farms was reported as
$6,741,9 1922, and total value Of the
mortgaged farms as $1S,37S172.
The average value of the mortgage
ed farms increased from $1449 in 1890
to S2S63 in 1870 the average mort
gage debt increasing from 1892 to
SS45 per farm. The debt increased
less than the value of the farm prop
erty; accordingly the equity in the
average mortgaged farm has increas-
ed, advancing from $917 per farm in
1890 to $201S in 1910 In 1890 the
mortgage Indebtedness was equivalent
to 36.7 per cent of the total value Of
the mortgaged farms. BY 1910 this
percentage had diminished to 295
AVERAGE SIZE OF FARMS, AND
CLASSIFICATION OF FARMERS.
A study of the figures classifying
| farms according to the number OF
acres suggests a slight tendency to-
ward smaller farms. which is also
reflected in the decline in the average
size of farms, the acreage size If
farms in 1900 being 1862 acres, as
compared to 1919 acres in 1910.
/ There has been a considerable in
| crease in the number of farms rang
! ing between and 40 acres and de-
crease in the number ranging from
j so to TIA acres Especially notewor-
thy is the relatively large increase
! in the number of farms of from 3 to
. acres. In 1900 there were 2042 such
/ farms and in 1910, 3i56. The number
of farms between 10 and 19 acres in
/ creased 22.5 per cent; the number oil
farms from 20 to 49 acres increased
IA per cent OF the total number
of farms in the State, 29.S per cent
are between 80 and 80 acres, PIT pei
cert between roo and ia acres, and
1873 per cent between 20 and As
acres; these three groups accounting
for 1913 per cent, or nearly three
fourths of all farms. The farms haV-
ing between 8 and 10 acres represent
/ III per cent of the total number o:
farms, and the farms of 175 acres OF
over represent IA. 8 per cent.
OF the farmers in the State, 81
per cent are native white and S.3 pei
cent foreign-born white. Only 29. OF
less than one-tenth of / per cent of all
farmers, are other than white, OF
these, % are negroes and is an In
dian.
VALUE OF PRINCIPAL CROPS AND
EXPENDITURE FOR LABOR, ETC.
OF the farm crops raised in Maine
the most important by far is the hay
crop, the total value OF the hay and
forage crop in the crop year 1909 be-
ing $15,115,821. The next most Inn
portant crop Ia the potato crop, the