The Mankato free press., 1922-12-01
HEAVY STRIDES IN
GOPHER FARMING
Rapid Growth In Mime.
sofa Agriculture
SECOND FARM CENSUS
Interesting Statistics Shown In
Survey Just Completed By
State Commissioner
Associated Press rispatchI

Associated Press rispatchI
st. Paul, November 27-Minneso-
to is showing rapiGgrowth in agri-
cultural activities, and it's number
of firms in the state, also the num-
Der of acres is becoming greater
each year, according to the second
state farm census completed in the
office Of n. J. Holmberg. state com
missioner of agriculture.
The census report released for
publication late Saturday discloses
that there are 170,891 farms listed
in the state, which have a total area
of 27,934,179 acres, as compared
with 1910 farms comprising 26,-
859,526 acres reported in, the census
in 1920. .....
The results of the 1922 farm cen
sus, Mr.. Holmberg explained, are
complete with the exception of %
books not yet received, mostly from
st. Louis county. The final figures,
however, he said, will not materially
change the totals.
The report also Shows that the
number OF owners of farms and the
number of renters has materially
increased over the two year period
when 118,707 owners and 38.463 rem
ters were reported operating farms
throughout the state, as compared
with 120,360 owners and managers,
and 46,5S3 renters reported in the
1922 census The percentage of
renters to the total number of farms
is given as 24.5 per cent.
OF the total acreage reported
that year, 20,746,053 are classified
as improved; 1,314,287 woodland.
and 5,S7S,S39 acres are classified as
"other acreage"
The farms of the state aver
age 1916 acres of which 1918 acres
are termed as improved
r Smaller Wheat State
One of the most interesting fea-
lures of the report is that 1t shows
Minnesota is yearly becoming
smaller wheat producing state.
The total acreage sown to wheat.
both winter and spring wheat, dur
ing the past year was 1,940, 1863
acres as compared with 2,S29.7
acres seeded two years ago.
/ This decreased acreage in the
wheat crop, at one time the leading
farm activity, is conclusive evil
dence, officials said. that Mime
sofa is steadily becoming a state
of diversified agriculture
The growing of wheat is replaced
by increased corn. potatoes. rye.
oats and alfalfa acreage. which
shows that the state farmer Is more
turning to dairying and the grow :
ing of other crops to meet his n
nancial obligations.
Total Corn Acreage
The total corn acreage, the report
shows, was 3,956,250 acres, as COM
pared with 1888 ,005 acres in 1920;
500, ,799 acres were planted to po
tatoes as compared with S02,2 re-
ported planted in the 1920 census;
.1.276,S43 acres of rye as compared
with 5S7,113 acres two years ago;
oats 3.997.6S5 acres as compared
with $3.50 11S acres: and S5,057
acres of alfalfa as compared with
Al 306 acres.
The total number of pure bred
cattle in the state, the census re-
ported shows, was S2.go7. This
number is divided as follows:
Holstein 27.769, Guernsey 5,194,
Jersey 2.011. Brown Swiss 900, Ayr
shire TAI, Short horn 30.S05. Angus
4,17s,, Hereford 9.110, Red Poll 2,99S.
The increase in the number of
pure bred cattle on the farms Of
the state is almost double. The
total number of pure bred cattle
including bulls two years ago was
42,47S, the report shows. The fol-
lowing table shows the compare
tive acreage seeded:
Crop 1920 1922
Barley ...... LOOT, ,199 905.42S
Buckwheat -. 1850 1888
Clover and Til
notify -. .1,2S2,971 1,514,485
Other tame grass
Some Other Results
Other results of the 1922 census
are reported as follows:
Beans, $3.50; sugar beats for SUI
gar, 12.343: other root crops; cab
bage 4,275; onidns, 2,447; fax, 270.-
TAB; land used for pasture, 1,130. 155
461: new land cleared and broken
or drained since April 1, 1921. 1924
brushed off since April 1, last, 50.~~
O54: clover cut for seed. 1884: I'll
notify cut for seed, 64,0S0 acres.
The total number of apple trees
of bearing age, 1,244,630; number
of hives of bees, 29,906; number of
sheep sheared. 1856; silos, 2S,-
go; tractors in use, 1888.
Proponents of diversified farm
ing expressed satisfaction over the
showing the state made in the past
two years, which they hope will
continue until Minnesota will lead
as diversified farming state.
Governor Preus Pleased
Governor j. A O. Preus was
pleased over the showing of the
strides made by farmers in Mime
sofa, particularly in diversified
farming. He said that the results
of the census show a definite trend
towards smaller farms, more corn
and cattle. and pure bred cattle.
Diversified farming" he said,
'is not panacea for the bad bust
nesE conditions the farmer has suf
fered from during the past two or
three years, but it does give the
farmer reasonable assurance of a
fair income every year and an in
come which will be distributed
during the twelve months instead
of coming all at once.
This method of farming will
also conserve soil fertility. Mime
sofas soil and climate are excep-
tionally weA adapted Ito dairying
and cattle raising and when the
in diversified farming is that we
must make the best possible use OF
our resources. Another advantage
is diversified farming is that we
have less difficulty in getting the
products to market"
49,
In Paris. they are sewing on siR