Milford chronicle., 1914-06-05
DO FARMERS MOVE
TOO FREQUENTLY ?

mers, ana can they know their farms a
they should Would constant chang
mean low yields of crops, and little in
terest in the community These ar
some of the questions affecting rural com
mnnities that are coming to the fore
ground and for the first time a partia
answer can be given with authority.
During the agricultural census of 1910
the following question was submitted t
each farmer in the United States for an
swer How long have YOU lived on this
farm ?" of the o .36l 502 farm operator.
IN the United States, April IS, 1910
S,794, l6a, or 81 per cent. answered the
question satisfactorily. From the data
obtained from the answers to this inquiry
bulletin will be issued soon by Direc
tor William J. Harris. Of the Bureau OF
the Census Department OF Commerce II
was prepared under the supervision of
John Lee Coulter, expert special agent
in charge of agriculture.
The statistics in this bulletin will show
the length of the period of occupancy
of farms in the United States BY states,
geographic divisions. and sections, for
different periods of time ranging from
less than one year to ten years and over.
and these data are further classified &C
cording to the character of the tenure
and of the color of the farm operators
The statistics are given for 1910 only, as
no corresponding data have been collec-
ted heretofore.
One of the most important facts to be
shown in this bulletin is that approx /
mately 81 per cent of all the farmers |
who answered the question satisfactorily |
had occupied theis farm less than five /
years. This per centage applies to all |
farmers, white and colOred, whose an
swers were recorded, and for the entire
United States. This short period of oc-
cupancy for over half of all the farmers
in this country becomes all the more sig
nihgant when it is taken into considera-
ton that it requires three or four years
for farmer to become acquainted with
the various conditions on his farm, such
as soil, climate, etc. and put il in good
condition for raising crops.
Another important fact to be brought
out in the bulletin is that different CON
ditions are found in different sections ,
of the county. In the North 81 per cent. ,
OF nearly three-ffths OF the farmers. had
operated their farms for five years or =
longer, while only p per cent. had been !
there one year or less. In the West the
were A to p per cent, re-
ipectively; while in the South only Al
per cent. had been on the same farm I
i've years OF longer, and "a per cent. or y
over one-third, had been there one wear d,
IT less. A greater number of farmers :.
lad operated their farms less than one y
ear than from FIVE to nine years in y
lusive. More than 900, 900 farmers :.
eported that they had operated their u
arms less than one year. about 62S, nj
w reported residence of ''one YEAR" y
n average of about 4S7 900 reported a %
esidence of two years, three years, " ~,
nd four years. and an average of less y"
nan 10000 reported residence for per- Il
IDS of five to nine years. -
With respect to the comparison between -
'hite and colored farmers, wide differ ~
noes also appear. For the entire Uni
ID States 49.6 per cent. of white farm
rs reported that they had been on their 49,
rms less than five years, while "a per N,
snt. of all colored farmers made the q
lme report. In the cases Of farmers ~
rowing occupancy for five years and ~
yer, the opposite is the case. In the
onth Y per cent. of all white farmers II
nd q per cent. of all colored farmers
ere reported as having been ON their
rms less than one year and II IS per
it'll l2.l per cent. of all colored farm sv
s had been there only one year How ac
er, a considerably larger number of sci
bite farmers than of colored farmers fol
manned on the same farm as operators ST
r period of ten years and over. the vic
opOr1On being p per cent. and 10 per ev,
MT, respectively. One-third -53 per an
nt.-Of the white and 50 per cent. of bel
{ colored farmers Of the South had Z
en- residents Of the same farm one wear thu
d less, indicating that Approximately moi
E same proportion of the two races was min
the class of what might be called float An
3 farmers. ser
The figures returned by this "occu- mil
ncy OF farm census also show that DOS
z farmers classified as owners, free. 30 eve
I'VE from farm to farm much less fire. the
emily than the share tenants" far [
RS who rent farms on shares. For sha
ample, for the United States as a whole tim
ly 1868 per cent. of owners, free. " tar
reported as having occupied their tim
ms one year or less, while S2.27 per pen
It. OF share tenants are reported as lon,
wing occupied their farms for the same T
18th OF time. For the l0-year period far,
I over the showing was equally as sig so
lcant. Whereas, 48 per cent of own his
B, free, " reported that they had occu- he he
d their farms for 10 wears and over. ont
y 8 per cent. of share tenants" had nro
upied their farms for the SAME length lone
time. n
The showing of greater stability of mir
upancy by the farmers in the North Con
compared with the farmers in the tino
ith and the West, is more significant gen
en- comparisons are made of the pro fere
,tion Of farm crops. Corn is grown inc,
ensively both in the North and in the soIn
18th aud probably is the best crop to Sta'
as basis Of comparison. According vice
the figures from the reports of the eve
sus, the average yield of corn per
E IN 1909 in the New England states
IS bushels; in the Middle Atlantic
ties, 81 bushels; in the Fast North
trial states, 80 bushels; aud in the NJ
st North Central States, % bushels Sun
lie IN the South Atlantic States, where and
farmers shifted from farm to farm +,
re than in the North and West. the beer
rage yield of corn per acre was 10 Dicl
heels; in the East South Central States. VI
and in the West South Cen the,