Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-04-18
new JERSEY FARM BULLETIN
Interesting Statistics Of Farm Values
~ in the State -
NgHE PRINCIPAL CROPS.
The Numbers Of Farms Mortgaged
and Number of Tenant Farmers

OF the thirteenth census, Just issued |.
| A farm" for census purposes is all
the land farmed by one person, not
less than three acres.
New Jersey ranks forty fifth in area
and eleventh in population among the
States and territories of continental
United States. OF the total land area
of the state, 53.5 per cent is in farms.
No counties in the state have as high
as 80 per cent of their total area in
farms, while two coast counties, Hud-
son and Ocean, show percentages of
less than 20 The three counties
showing the highest percentages are
| HunterdOn, Mercer and Somerset.
These counties have from 80 to 80 per
cent. of their area in farms.
The counties showing highest aver
age value of farm land per acre are
Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union and
Passaic. 1t should be borne in mind
that the average values are based
upon total farm area, including un-
improved land with improved land,
and that the average is, therefore, far
below the average value of the best
farm land in the several counties.
From 1900 to 1910 there was an in
crease in the population of the state
of 653, ,498, or BAT per cent, while
there was a decrease of 1,163, or 8. 4
per cent, in the number of farms,
and of 267, 100 acres, or 9.4 per cent
in the acreage of farm land. The rel
ative decrease in the acreage of farm
land was SO much greater than that in
number of farms that the average size
of farms decreased s. l acres.
1s<J,
buildings, implements and machinery
and live stock domestic animals,
poultry and bees), has increased in
value during the decade $65, ,299, 900,
or "a. 5 per cent. This great increase
is chiefly made up of increases in
value of $23, 761 900 in buildings and
of $50. $4,000 in land, the decrease in
acreage being more than Offset by an
advance of $15.37, or 1873 per cent.
in average value of farm land per
acre. There lis also an increase of
$40, 755,000 in the value of farm equip
Ement, including implements and ma
chinery and live stock, of which al
most two-thirds represents a gain i'm
the value of live stock. In consider
ing the increased value in agriculture
the general increase in the prices of
all commodities i'm the last 10 years
should be borne in mind.
The average value of farm with
its equipment in 1900 was $5,470.
while 10 years later it was $3.50.
The average value of land rose from
S32. Sc per acre in 1900 to $4S 23 in
1910, this advance being accompanied
by increases in the average value per
farm of implements and machinery
and of live stock
In the so years since 1850 the popu-
lation of the State has increased from
489,555 to 1851, ,167, or more than FIVE
fold.
The number of farms in New Jersey
increased continuously from 1850 to
1880. In the decade 1880 to 1890 the
number reported fell off, the decrease
in this decade, however, being almost
exactly offset by the increase in the
decade 1890 to 1900. Since 1900, as
already noted, there has been a slight
decrease, the number of farms in 1910
being some what less than in 1880.
Farm acreage in the state has not
changed materially during the whole
period 1850 to 1910; the acreage in
1910 is, in fact, somewhat less than
that reported for 1850. The land in
farms constituted smaller proper
ton of the total area of the State than
shown in amy previous census The
percentage in farms has, however, ne
yer been high in New Jersey, the max
imum, 62.2, being reported for 1870.
Acreage of improved land showed a
slight increase at each census, 1850 to
1880; since 1880 it has decreased
slightly during each decade. Improv-
ed acreage was, however, somewhat
greater in 1910 than in 1850. The
percentage of farm land improved in
creased continuously during the per-
iod 1850 to 1890, from 64.2 to ISL.
It declined in the decade 1890 to 1900
to 69.6 and increased slightly in the
last decade to 70.1.
The total wealth in the form of
farm property is $685., $4,000, of which
S5.2 per cent. is represented by land
and buildings, 81 per cent. by i'm
plements and machinery, and 9.6 per
cent. by live stock. During the 20
years 1850 to 1870 the aggregate value
of farm property increased from $135,
342, 200 to $229, 9,484, 900. In the sue
ceeding 20 years the aggregate value
declined to $182, 2,453 ,000 and in the
20 years 1890 to 1910 increased to
$254,S33 600. The increase during the
decade 1890 to 1900 was, however, in
considerable. Since 1900 farm values
have increased one-third, or 34.5 per
cent. 1t is true of land and buildings
as of total farm property that the in
crease during the last decade amount
ed to one-third Of the value in 1900,
being 49,. per cent. The value of
farm implements and machinery has
shown an Increase at each census,
1850 to 1910 The increase during
the last decade, however, amounting
to 40.5 per cent, is greater in amount
than the increase from 1860 to 1900.
The aggregate value repoi ted for live
stock has shown considerable f1uctua-
fions, but the increase during the last
decade, from $17,613, 900 to $24,589 900
amounts to SO Is per cent.
In average size, the New Jersey
farm, which was rs 8 acres in 1910. |