Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-17
MINNESOTA | FARMS.
HAlF OF LAND AREA or STATE
IS DEVOTED TO AGRlcuL. ID
TuRAL INDUSTRY. vi
TENANTS ARE INCREASING
Average Value of Agricultural Land
1852 an Acre, According to Re.
port Of the Bureau Of tho j
@-'.r 81
Fl Census.

Observation-Disclosures ranks thir-
teenth in land area and nineteenth in
population among the states and terri
tories OF continental United States, &C.
cording to census bulletin Just is
sued.
Over one-half of the entire land area
OF the state is in farms, the propot-
ton of farm land showing a gradual
Increase from the northern to the
southern part of the state. The north
eastern part of the state is made up
OF counties each having less than 20
Per cent Of its land area in farms,
while in the extreme southern port of
the state is belt of counties each of
which has 80 to 80 per cent or 80 to
IS per cent of it's total land area In
farms. Two Of the counties in the
southern part have from IS to 100 per
cent of their total area in farr, land.
The average value of farm land per
acre for the whole state is 1852, and
the average falls between SO and 325
In most counties of the northern half
OF the state, and between $25 and $50
in most Of the counties of the south
ern half of the state and in all but two
OF the counties that form the extreme
western border of the state. In the
southern part of the state are ten
counties in each of which the average
Is from $50 to SIS per acre. In Ram
sey county. in which is located the city
OF st. Paul, the average value of
farm land per acre is from 800 to
$l25, Hennepin county, adjoining Ram
sey and in which Minneapolis is located.
shows an average from SIS to $500
per acre.
Progress During the Decade.
Between 1900 and 1910 there was an
increase OF 24,314, or 1876 per cent, in
the population of the. state, while the
number of farms increased only 1.478.
or per cent. The land in farms in
creased 1,427, 1926 acres, or 81 per cent
while the improved land in farms in
creased 1,200,94S acres, or SIS per cent.
The average size OF farms increased
from 1897 to 177.3 acres.
Farm property which includes land.
buildings, implements and machinery,
and live stock domestic animals, poul-
try, and bees), has increased in value
during the decade, $685., 727, 900, or 87.2
per cent. This great increase is chief
ly made up of increase of Sass, 800 900
In the value of lands and $133,119, 900
in the value of buildings. There is
also an increase of $94,8O8, 900 in the
value OF farm equipment, which in
cludes implements and machinery and
live stock, of which more than three
fourths represents gain in the value
of live stock, and the remainder the
increase in the value of implements
and machinery.
Average Farm Worth $e,456.
The average value of a farm with
It's equipment in 1900 was $500,
while ten years later it was $9,456.
The average value of land rose from
$21.31 per acre in 1900 to 1862 in
1910.
In 1850 Minnesota was a frontier
territory for which the census repor-
ted only SOFT Inhabitants and 1877
farms. Naturally the succeeding GEN.
sus showed large increases in the num-
Der of farms as we'll as in population.
The greatest increase in the number
OF farms took place in the decade 1870
to 1880, the increase for that decade
being $45,886. This was followed by
an increase of 24,465 in the next ten
years and of 37,808 in the decade 1890
to 1900. But by 1900 the period of ra-
pid increase of farms apparently had
come to an end, the last ten years.
1900 to 1910, showing an increase of
only 1,478. In fact, in many of the
southern and southwestern counties
the number of farms decreased be-
tween 1900 to 1910, but this decrease
was a little more than counterbalan-
ced by the increase in the rest of the
state.
The land surface of Minnesota is ap-
proximately 51,749,12O acres in extent.
OF this area 27,675,823 acres, or 53.5
per cent, are included in farms. OF
The farm acreage 19,643,533 acres, or
Il per cent, are reported as improved
land, representing 38 per cent of the
total land area Of the state. The total
acreage of farm land increased 5.4
Der cent during the last decade. The
reported acreage of improved land
shows greater relative increase from
1900 to 1910 than does the total acre
age in farms, the percentage of farm
land which is improved being a little
greater at the present census than in
1900. T.
$1,476, 100000 Total Farm Value.
The total wealth In the form of farm
property is oyer 31,476,000,000, of
To Test Bridge Fund Law.