The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-01-23
THURSDAY, JAN. 90, 1913.

That the expansion in agriculture
during the Twentieth century VIII De
in marked contrast to the expansion OF
the Nineteenth century is pointed out
by J. l.. Coulter, of the Federal Census
Bureau, in an article in the Quarterly
Journal of Economics.
Mr.. Coulters article is entitled "Ag-
ricultural Development in the Unlted
States,n but 1T is devoted mainly TO
the situation in the decade covered 10y
the last Federal census. He notes
that the rapid movement for the eX-
tension of agriculture into all parts OF
the country "came almost to a stand
still with the close of the century"
Between 1900 and 1900 the area avail
able for farming purposes was very
largely occupied. The increase IN the
acreage of land in farms from 1900 TO
1910 was only AS per cent or an aver
age of about 100000 acres a year,
whereas the increase for thirty years
prior TO 1900 was at the rate Of nearly
100000 acres year. Mr.. Coulter
therefore concludes that "the high tide
was reached before the close OF the
last century, and that "the expansion
since 1900 has been and doubtless will,
continue to be comparatively small
'In 1900 only AL per cent OF the
land area of continental United States
was actually included in farms. In
1910 this had increased to 46.2 per cent.
OF course it is not possible that the
remaining 53S per cent can all be
brought into farms. This represents
the land in mines, the mountain areas,
the land occupied by cities, towns and
villages, the railroad rights of way,
the public highways, deserts, swamps
and forests. Much of this, however,
can and will be made available for
agriculture"
Further development, Mr.. Coulter
shows, is not limited to the bringing
OF new land into farms, since much Of
the land at present included II the
farms of the United States has never
been improved. "The census reports
for 1900 showed that only 49.4 per cent,
or slightly less than one half OF all the
land in farms, was improved. In other
words, only Dis per cent OF the total
land area of the United States was re-
ported as improved at that time, Mr.,
Coulter says:
cit would seem strange il only one
fifth Of the total land area of the United
States could be actually used for agri-
cultural purposes. IT may he noted, in
passing, that much of the unimproyeQ
land is also used for agricultural pur-
poses, inasmuch as it is used more or
less for grazing. Yet the total income
from the use OF this unimproved land is
very small. 1t would seem that the
farmers of the United States, inasmuch
as they were free to choose the best
land available at the time they became
farmers and inasmuch rs they have
now looked over the entire country,
would choose land which could be most
ItdhilA lIDllON'Al' hllAA, lh'l'lNl'i ~ -
very likely that the lands now in farms
in the United States are in the sections
most adapted TO agriculture. 1t is
therefore, reasonable TO conclude that
much OF the development of the Tween
tieth century must turn TO improving
land already in farms
Development Of the Twentieth cen
fury, MIR Coulter says, will be along
four distinct lines. The first will be
"to make farms out OF land not now
in farms by drainage Of wet places, ir-
rigating dry places, pulling stumps,
moving stones and the like. The sec
ond will be somewhat like the first in
that it will be 10 improve the wood
land and other unimproyed lands now
in farms. The third viii be to put
into active and more constant use the
land already reported as improved. -
The fourth will be the movement to
ward more intensive cultivation, bet
ter farm methods and better organiza
tions OF the farm work. Unless som,
of these movements progress witt
much greater rapidity than now the
high cost Of living will 20 ever
higher -