Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-02-15
Census Figures
ShowIncreased
Farm Values

Taking no account of the prune
and loganberry crops in this sec
ton, the. census figures for farm
values and farm products of Mar
ion county have just been supplied
the Salem Commercial club. Why
these two principal staples should
always escape the notice of the
census taker is unknown, but it
can be easily seen that Marion
county produces a great deal more
than is given credit for. The ac-
curacy of the figures presented
here are to be questioned, since
the compiler added a post script
saying that they were subject to
change at any time.
An increase of Al per cent IN
the value of farm property in
Marion county has been made
within the last ten years. Farm
land and building in 1910 were
valued at s32,9O6,949 while in
1920 they were valued at 6,393,-
558, and increase of 13.486,6O9.
The increase in farms was lit
tie more than 55 per cent, there
being in 1910, 3,49O farms and in
1920, 1861 farms. These were
operated in 1910 by 3,450 white
farmers and 40 colored farmers. In
1920 the number of colored farm
ers was decreased to rs and the
number of white increased to
1866.
Land in farms decreased from a
total acreage of 394. AIS in 1910
to 367,788 in 1920, the percentage
of decrease 6.8. Improved land in
creased from 211,O87214,G53 in
1920, the percentage being IT.
There are more acres in wheat
at present than in any other prod
uct, though It is not by any means
the largest crop. In 1909 that
county had 2S,426 acres in wheat
and harvested 533,943 bushels, and
in 1919 the wheat acreage was As
1872, with harvest of 1,059,945 or
an increase in the production of
wheat in the last ten years or more
that SO per cent.
Oats has been the largest crop
within the last decade, but there
has been a decided decrease in the
of acres. In 1909, 52,337
acres were harvested which pro-
duced crop Of 1,754,754 bushels
IN 1920 the oat acreage harvested
fell to 41,856 and yielded crop of
|, ,349,356 bushels.
The production of hay increased |
from 50,754 tons in 1909 to 655,693 |
-ons in 1920. This was due to the !
Increase in acreage devoted to the
'aising of hay for in 1909 there !
vas 30,656 acres harvested, and in |
1920, 1861 acres harvested.
The apple crop of the county !
las almost doubled within the |
asst ten years, though the increase |
n the number of trees is a little
more than 10 percent. In 1909 ap-
lie growers harvested 153,534
'ushels from 174,454 trees, but in
919 thy harvested 31O,534 bushels
rom 192,991 trees.
Horses decreased in use on
arms from 11,28S in 1910 to TO-
70 in 1920, while mules increased
rom l57 in 1910 to 1855 in 1920.
he number of cattle on Marion
ounty farms also decreased from
5,375 to 21,376. Sheep took a
lmble in numbers from 29,31O in
$40 to 23,5 in 1920, and goats
ell from 4,446 to S,162. In the
'ay of meat production pork
GEMS to be the only increase ex-
erienced, for in 1910 there were
Z 9SS swine on the farms and in
92O there were 21,794.
The value land and building in
ne entire state of Oregon is
omputed to be $675,213,2S4.
his means that Marion county
18th its $46,393,55S of farm land
nd building value has over seven
ercent of the farm wealth of the
ate in land alone.