The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-02
FARMS IN IDAHO.
Census Bureau Gives Out Some Inter-
esung Information.

bulletin of agricultural and farm
statistics of the state of Idaho has just
been issued by the census bureau at
Washington which gives reliable data
OF great interest to the people of the
state. From this bulletin it is ascer-
tanned that the number of farms has
increased since 1900 from l7,471 to 3d.
oOi and the number or acres in farm
land from 1904 1903 acres to 5,2S3 604,
while the average farm acreage has de-
creased from 1884 III 1900 to 111.5 in
1910. The total value of all farm
lands has increased from S67, 271 POP in
1900 to $305,317 1855 in 1910.
VI the more than 800 ,UUO 900 valu
alton given to all farm property in the
state $2l9, ,316 of it is for the land.
which is an increase of 519.S per cent
over $35 ,4S6,36S in 1900. Buildings are
valued at $25,112, 500; implements and
machinery at $10,476,051; domestic an
imals, poultry and bees at $49,775,3O9.
The average value of all farm prop
erty is $9,911 per farm, an increase of
1914 per cent over an average value
of $3.50 ten years before. The aver
age value per acre is $41.63, an in
crease of 276.1 per cent over only
$11.07 on acre in 1900.
The average debt on mOrtgaged
farms increased from $1190 in 1890 to
$1917 in 1910, or Gil per cent, while
| the average value of such farms rose
from $1,000 to $S477, or 114.1 per cent
Thus the owners equity increased
from $2770 to $6560, or 1868 per cent.
| AS result of the greater relative in
| crease in farm value than in farm
debt, the ratio of the mortgage indebt-
| (r,n tn. I, i
| farms, which was 80 per cent in 1890.
has decreased in 1910 to 22.6 per cent.
| Nearly two-fifths of all farms in
! Idaho are in the group between 100
and ia acres in size which includes
the l6O-acre farms; but this group has
fallen somewhat behind the average
rate of growth in the decade since 1900,
at which date it included more than
one-half the farms in the state.
! A study Of the distribution of farms
by size groups discloses the fact that
the number of places under three
acres reported as farms is not much
more than half as great as 10 years
ago. This decrease may be due to a
different Interpretation by the emu
merators of what constitutes a farm
or may represent an actual decrease in
/ that type of farm. Every other group
shows a considerable actual and rela-
tive increase, but the relative increase
is most marked in the groups between
3 and SO acres, each of which consti,
tuted considerably larger proportion
of the total number of farms in 1915
than in 1900.
Prior to the present census no at.
tempt was made to secure informa.
ton on the farm schedules concern.
ing the nativity of farmers. The table
which follows shows the color and ma
tivity of farm operators by character
of tenure for 1910.
About four-fifths of the Idaho farm
ers are native whites and almost one
| fifth foreign-born whites. Only 4O5
or 1.3 per cent of all farmers, are non
whites, 344 being Indians, SO Japanese
% Chinese and 10 negroes. Among
the native whites, 11.3 per cent arr
tenants, as compared with per cen
among the foreign-born whites ant
1873 per cent among the nom whit,
farmers.-Capital News.