The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1915-09-09

the last United States census report,
gives the values of Michigan farms and
farm property in 1910, viz;
Land .................. S6l5.25S'S4s So
Buildings .............. 2s5.S7s.s5l 26.2
Implements and machin-
Domestic animals. poul-
try and bees ......... lS7,sOS'7sS IL {
Total ............Sl, OsS,SbSS19
OF the sum OF $1,0SS,S ,379, includ
ing the total agricultural valuations of
the state, 56.5 per cent represents land
values, 1852 per cent buildings, 1871 per
cent domestic animals, poultry and
bees, and 4.6 per cent implements.
These enormous valuations, when
compared with those of an almost
purely agricultural state, such as Iowa.
are a trifle under one-third less. We
must not, however, lose sight of the
fact that only 51.5 per cent of Michi-
gan land is now in farms, and that the
state has four distinctive industries
besides agriculture, the products OF
our manufactures alone being two and
six-tenths times greater than those of
Iowa for 1910.
The increase in total value Of Michi-
gan farm property during the past dec
ade of the present century amounted
to ST. per cent, a much greater in
crease than has occurred any decade
since 1870. Even yet, however, Michi-
gan farms are changing hands at fig
TO han m
for similar lands in neighboring states
to the south and west. The average
value per acre of Michigan farm land
in 1910 is given as $32.4S, eight cents
above the average for the entire coun-
try.
Number Of Farms.
In 1910 there were 206960 farms in
Michigan, varying in size from acres
to 1000 acres and over. From 1850 to
1880 the number of farms increased at
the rate of 1897 per year, while from
this time on to 1900, the increase
dropped to 2,463 per year. During the
ten years preceding 1910 the annual
increase amounted to $40 farms only
The total acreage of farm land i'm
proved has risen but slightly since
1900.
Average Acreage per Farm.
The average acreage of Michigan
farms decreased from 12S acres in
1850 to S5S acres in 1890, increasing
by 1910 to 91.5 acres. The various
sizes of Michigan farms are distribut
ed approximately as follows, viz: q
acres and under, IL per cent; 20 tc
40 acres nearly % per cent; so to 9!
acres, about 35 per cent. and 100 tC
ia acres, % per cent. Forty, 80 anC
100 acre tracts comprise five-sixths o.
the farms of the state. The average
size for all farms in the United State:
in 1910 was 1881 acres.
Status Of Land Not in Farms.
The 4S.5 per cent of Michigan lant
not in farms exists largely under the
following conditions, viz: (D AS lanC
covered with standing timbers
CD cut-over timber lands; 90 sane
areas, and (4 lands as yet unre
claimed by drainage.
The lands of group 1) are held II
varying acreages by private parties
companies and corporations, control
ling lands in some instances by hun
dreds OF thousands of acres. In mos
instances these large organizations ar,
interested primarily in timber or min
eral resources or both, and are inter
ested in agricultural development onl!
in so far as the final disposal of thu
land is concerned. The removal of tn,
timber in the commercial production
of lumber is rapidly placing on tn,
market lands with good agriculture
possibilities. These lands can be re
claimed more economically and salts
factorily IL the reclamation Begin
soon after the timber is first removed
succeeding forest growths make tn
work more and more difficult as tn,
years so by.
Group t2l includes large areas of SC
called cnt-over lands In the state. com