Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-03-23
213,439 FARMS
IN STATE OF IOWA
The Census Figures Give the Value
of All Crops i'm Iowa as $780,
3l9,299 in the Year 1919.
TEN YEAR FIGURES
SHOW FALL IN ACREAGE
Value of Land and Buildings In
creased 1873 Per Cent. Livestock
Increased Sc Per Cent


Preliminary figures on farms anC
farm property in Iowa, released last
night by the bureau of the census
shows the following interesting treno
during the last ten years in this
great agricultural state:
The number of farms decreased IL
per cent.
Total acreage in farms decreased
1.3 per cent.
Total improved acreage decreased
8 per cent.
The average size of farms remain
ed almost unchanged.
Farm tenantry increased. In 1910
tenants operated 37.S per cent Of the
farms; in 1920, ALI per cent.
Value Jumps 12S Per Cent.
The value of all farm property in
creased 12S per cent. In 1910 it was
S3,745, ,S60,544. On Jan. /, 1920 it was
sS,525, ,266,O91.
Value of land and buildings in
creased 1873 per cent; of implements
and machinery, 224 per cent; of live
stock, Sc per cent.
Average value of land per acre in
creased 141 per cent-from $S2.5S in
1910 to $199.52 in 1920.
Ten years ago the number of farms
in Iowa was 217,044. They contained
80, ,930,6S3 acres, of which 29,491, ,199
were improved land. In 1920, there
were 213,439 farms, decrease of g.
COS. These farms contained 33,474 1896
acres, - rhich 2S,951 were improved.
In 1870, y4.I per cent or. cs.e saTsA
area was in farms and 85.5 per cent
of the farm land was improved.
Average Acreage.
The average acreage per farm was
1868 acres in 1920 as against 1868
acres in 1910, an increase of only
half an acre. The improved land of
the average farm was 134 acres in
1920, as against 1859 in 1910, a fall
of almost two acres.
The value of the average farm
land, buildings, and other property
stood at $39,942 in 1920, as against
S17,259 in 1910.
More Farm Mortgages.
The announcement says that in 49,
20, 59.1 per cent of all farms oper-
ated by their owners were mortgaged
as compared with Sis per cent in
1910. The value of the 52,341 farms
for which complete mortgage re-
ports were obtained, was $1,S14 ,260,-
900, and the amount of the mortgage
debt was S4S9,S16,739, or 27 per cent
of the value. The average rate of in
terest paid was 5.5 per cent. In 1910
50,452 farms gave full mortgage re.
ports; the value of the farms was
$735, ,265,0 900, and the amount of the
debt was $2O4,2 700, or 27.S pei
cent of the value. This is a shade
higher than the present ratio.
For the farms reporting the amount
of debt, the average debt per farm
was $9,358 in 1920, as against S4,
04S in 1910. 1t has just about kept
pace with growth in values.
In 1920 the number of white
farmers was 213,33O as against 216,.
S43 ten years ago. Of the white far.
mers in 1920, 1S1, ,109 were native, as
against 1915 in 1910, and 32,22l
were foreign born, as compared with
14S,987 ten years ago, these figures
Iefecting the passing of the land
from one generation to another. Iowa
has 109 colored farmers as against
POI in 1920.
Of the motive white farmers, 100,.
TAI We're owners, 2,278 managers
and $4,000 tenants. Of the foreign
white farmers, 21073 were owners
20S managers, 10,940 tenants. Thu.
80 per cent of the native white far.
mers and 65 per cent of the foreign
born were owners, while 43 per CEN
of the native whites and "a per cent
of the foreign born were tenants.
Of the total number of farms, 121,
8SS were operated by owners, al
against 133,003 in 1910, while SO, 9,O6l
were run by tenants, as against So,
1l5 ten years ago.
The census figures give the value O
all crops in Iowa as $500, ,391 ,299 il
1919, compared with 5000, 9,376,24O il
1000