El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-24
FARMING
SHOWS
MORE PROSPERITY
Increased Number of Farms
Mortgaged, But Indicates
Increase in Farm Owners.

Washington, D c., Oct 24.-Statis-
tics with reference to mortgage in
debtedness Of the farms OF the United
States are given il a report, soon to
be issued by director Durand, Of the
bureau of the census. department Of
commerce and -abOr The report was
prepared under the supervision OF
John Lee Coulter, expert special agent
for agriculture. 1t will show greater
agricultural prosperity in America
The total number Of farms in the
United States operated by their owners,
which were mOrtgaged in 1910, is l.
SZI,4 59, while 26zl,283 were reported IS
free from mortgage. These figures
show an increase since 1900 OF III per
cent in the number Of farms mOrtgaged,
and of Al percent in the number of
farms free from mortgage. The report
will show that $500 farms were ope-
rated by managerS-a decrease of 1t
were operated by tenants, an increase
Of 16.3 percent since 1900. No statis-
tics pertaining to mortgage indebted
ness were secured for farms by tenants
tically impossible in many cases to
reach the owners Of such farms to as
certain the facts.
Laud Values Increased.
The total value of the land and build
ings of the 1,OO6,511 farms for which
and its amounts were reported was
$500, 100000, and the amount Of debt
was $1,726, 900, 900, or 27.3 percent Of
the value. The corresponding proper
ton in 1890, as shown in the reports,
was 35.5 percent. There was thus, dur
ing the twenty years a marked diminu-
ton in the relative Importance of mort
gage debt on the farms mOrtgageC, due
primarily to the very rapid increase in
the value Of the land in farms. The
average amount Of mortgage indebted
ness per farm increased from $1,224 in
1890 to S1,715 in 1910, but the average
value per farm increased from S3,444
to S6,2S9, and therefore the owners
equity per farm increased from $2,220
to S4,57f, or more than double.
Mortgages and Prosperity.
In making comparisons between geo
graphic divisions and between censuses
it should be borne IN mind that the
fact Of mortgage Indebtedness is not
necessarily an indication Of lack Of
prosperity. There can be no question
but that American farmers generally
were more prosperous in 1910 than at
the two previous censuses, and yet in
that year q larger proportion of the
farms were mortgaged. The proper
ton of mOrtgaged Indebtedness is
higher in Iowa and Wisconsin than in
any of the other states, and vet these
states are among the most prosperous !
in agriculture. Although n some cases I
mortgages are placed on farms because /
Of poor crops or other mis-Ortunes or |
because Of mismanagement, they often /!
an unpaid portion Of the cost !
Of the farm itself, or money expended /
for additional land, or for buildings /
and implements and machinery and 1
live stock.
In the United States as a whole the 1
number Of farms or farm homes Ope- /
rated or occupied by their owners, !
which were free from mortgage in 4
creased much less rapidly during each (
Of the last two census decades than 4
the number mOrtgaged. The proper /
ton mortgaged was 2S.2 percent in
1890. 81 percent in 1900. and 1876 per
cent in 1910. In 1910 the proportion
# owned farms mOrtgaged was highest
,46.1 per cent? in the west north CEN
raj; the lowest proportions (18.S per
cent, 22.7 per cent, and 20.S per cent
-espectively) being in the south At
antic, east south central, and mountain I
divisions.
In every geographic division except
he middle Atlantic the proportion Of
arms mortgaged was greater in 1910
han in 1900, and in every division ex-
ept the west north central the proper
ion was greater in 1910 than in 1890.
7he most conspicuous increase in pro-
,ortion of farms mOrtgaged has been
n the three southern divisions.