The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1912-01-05

CATION projects, completed or under
way, in 1910 was 2O1, 6S5 acres.
1t the 20 years since 1890 the popul-
alton of the state has increased 1885, :
2S8, ar e75 per cent. Oyer three
fourths of this increase occurred dur
ing the last decade.
The number of farms increased very
rapidly during the last decade, ad-
vancing from 2,622 in 1900 to n, ga
III 1910, an average of 2,502 a year,
which Is more than ten times as large
as the average increase per year dur
ing the preceding decade.
The land surface of South Dakota
is approximately 40, 1876, 500 acres. OF
this area, 26,O16, 1872 acres, or 52.9 per
cent, are included in farms, and of
this farm acreage, Is, ,s27, POS acres, or
60.S per Cent, are reported as impruv-
ed lard, representing 1922 per cent of
the total land area of the state. In
both the last decade and that preced-
ing the acreage of improved land in
creased at rate about the same as
that of the increase in the total farm
acreage. so that the proportion i'm
proved has varied but little since 1890.
The total wealth in the form of farm
property is 1,166, 097 900, of which
So. 2 per cent is represented by land
and buildings, 30 per cent by imple-
ments and machinery, and 1919 per
cent by live stock. The total value
of farm property is now nearly four
times as great as IN 1900, having in
crease in the total value, and, with
the exception of the relative increase
in the value of live stock, in the value
of each class of property was much
greater in the last decade than in the
decade preceding,
The average size of South Dakota
farm increased from 227.2 acres in
1850 TO 1924 acres in 1900, but during
the last decade decreased to 335. /
acres. The increase occurring be-
tween 1890 and 1900 was due chiefly
to the greatly increased number of
reports secured from very large farms
the number of farms of oyer 1000
acres reported increasing from 1S7 in
1880 to 2,o41 in 1900. These farms
consisted mainly of livestock farms
lying outside the leading grain grow
ing districts.
The average value of South Da-
kota farm, including its equipment,
( is $15,Ol9, of which Si2, 945 represents
the value of land and buildings, 81 ,639
the value of live stock, and $435 the
value of implements and machinery
The average value of land and build
ings is now 1856 per acre, or more
than three and a third times as much
ten years ago. This is a much great
er actual and relative gain than oc-
cured during the preceding decade.
The value per farm of live stock has
increased by about one-third, and
that of implements and machinery
has nearly doubled dunng the last
decade.
The proportion of farms operated
by tenants for the state as whole is
about two-thirds the proportion fol
the entire country. This comparative,
Ily small proportion is partly due tc
the fact that west Of the Missouri
River very small relative number ot
farms are operated by tenants, thus
conforming to the usual conditions
in newly settled districts. IN that
part of the state a large number ot
farms have been acquired within re-
cent years from the Government in
the form of homesteads, this, together
with the general low price of land
making ownership possible to the mar
of small means.
For purposes of comparison with
previous years the four classes of ten
ants distinguished in the returns fol
1910 are grouped in two classes, name
| ly (1) share, including share-cash
and (2) cash, including nonspecified
Throughout the a0-year period the
, number both of share and of cash ten
ants has.been increasing at some
what more rapid rate than the mum
J Der of farmers who own their farms
Share tenancy is, however, muci
more frequent than cash tenancy, al
though the latter form has becom
somewhat more common relativel,
during the last decade. OF the tota
: number OF farms, 19.1 per cent ar
now operated by share tenants an
81 per cent by cash tenants.
/ The Eleventh Census (1S90) was tn
: first TO collect data relating to mort
e gage de5t on farms. The basis of th
/. returns was the farm home occr
: pied by its owner. The same elias