Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-03-17
STATE FIRST IN
T|[LAb[E AREA
Value of Farm Property in
Decade increases 1903
Per Cent

Texas Commercial Secretaries 4 Bus
mess Mems Association has prepare /
the following statements regardir
agriculture in Texas. from bulletin |
inst issued by the Federal Bureau 81 |
Commerce and Labor. The bulletin
is based on figures obtained by N"
Census Bureau az the taking or the
thirteenth Census in April 1917.
L. interesting In detail and shows IN
many WAYS that in the past decao"
Texas has made wonderful strid
toward developing her vast agricu'
tural possibilities
Texas ranks first in land area ar
fifth In population among the STATE
and territories Of continental Unite
States. The surface features ~ the
state possess a great diversity, rang
ing from low coastal plains section
"a the mountain and basin region OF
she trans-Pecos country The aver
age altitude OF the state Of Texas
above sea level is estimated at APP
nroxlmatelv 100 feet, the western
norton Of the state living above TINS
altitude and the eastern part uni
formly below Il over the greater
mart of the state the rainfall is suiti-
lent 10 insure successful grain crops
without irrigation and the normal
preciritation ranges all the way from
flfv inches along the eastern boun-
dary 10 about ten inches In the west
ern counties.
The following table is taken from
tho report and summarizes the more
significant facts relating to this I'm"
OF industry IN lq10 compared win
1900. the date Of the preceding cen
sus
Between 1900 and 1910 there was
an increase Of lSG per cent In IN"
number of farms in Texas as com
rared with an increase Of rs ne
cent In population During the dec
AIDE the total reported farm acreage
decreased lO6 per cent, while the
acreage reported as imp'bved in-
creased SOS per cent The increase
In the number of farms and the de-
crease In farm acreage resulted In "a
lower average size of farms. which
was 26q.l acres in lalo as COM
pared with 3r7.9 acres in 1900. This
NAV he considered as an indication
that the Texas farmer is awakeninE
10 the realization that he has been
irving To do too much and that he Is
now practicing diversification nd
rotation Of crops Is cultivlting less
land and making more money than
ne was ten years ago.
The average value of farm, in
Guiding it's equipment is s'.3ll. an
Increase OF 9i.2 per cent since 1900,
During the decade the average value
~ land per acre increased from
a. 20 to SASS or more than trebled
Irrigation.
Of the il7.77O farms In the state,
5.o3S or I . per cent. were reported
as irrigated in. 1899 The acreage
reporied as irrigated In 1909 w.s
4tl.1aO acres, or l.6 per cent Of the
improved land in farms. OF this
acreage. 2SG.Sl7 acres, or 63.6 pei
cont " the total irrigated area. wa
IN NO rice growing counties The
aica 10 which enterprises existing In
io1O we're capable OF supplying water
was Ga1.re3 acres. and the tota
acreage included In irrigation pro
iects. completed or under wav -
lalo. was l,253.l7g acres.
Formulation. Number of Farms aud
Acreage tS50-tptO.
During the sixty wears from 1885,
W 1910 the population Of the state
has increased continuously and quit,
regularly from 2l2 s'e IN 1859 {,
a.S96.5i2 in 1910. There has beer
an uninterrupted increase IN th'
number OF farms reported. the mum
her increasing from i2.l9S In 1885,
10 Ai7.770 In 1910. or a rate aver
aging s.76O per year Between 1879
and 1900 the average rate Of in
crease was i2.4o6 per year. whil'
during the last decade the numhe
Increased nt the rate Of 6,5iS pc
wear
one Of the mos, gratifying feature
~ the Federal report is that the r.
ported acreage OF improved farm Ian,
increased 7.7Sl.59o acres or 39.S pc
An asterisk 90 denotes decrease
cent In the last decade Thus IN