Norwich bulletin., 1922-03-03
FARMS IN STATE FEWER
BUT OF GREATER VALUE

Cattle Commissioner James NJ Whit
tlesey has received from Washington a
copy Of the bulletin, issued by the cen
sus bureau, and giving figures relating
to agriculture in Connecticut. The fig
ures show a notable Increase in the
value of farms and a great decrease in
their number.
For the decennial period ending 1920
the number of all farms in this state
decreased from 26,S15 to 22.655, a total
decrease of 4,160 or 1876 per cent. The
land area of the state is given at g.
0S4, 500 acres. The acreage of land in
farms is 1898, $50 or 286,89S acres less
than 1910. falling off of 1871 per cent.
Improved land fell from 9Ss,252 acres
to 701,086 or 29.1 per cent, and the
unimproved land increased from 43s,793
acres to 514,975, an increase Of 1853
per cent.
1t is of special interest to note that
notwithstanding the great decrease IN
the number of farms and in the reduc-
ton IN the acreage of farm land the
| value of all farm property in the state
| increased from $15s,399,f71 to $226,-
! 991.617 In 1920 an increase Of 42.4 per
! cent. The ayera ge value per farm of
| all farm property increased from 1894
| % s10,019 or 66.S during the decennial
period.
In the year 1880 the number of farms
In the state was 22.445, or 21o less than
the number in 1920. But in the inter
vening decades there was an increase
IN the number of farms. The greatest
increase was in the decade from 1870
to 1880 when the number jumped from
25,50S to 30,59S or 20 per cent. But af-
ter 1880 there was a gradual decline in
the number of farms until In 1920 II
reached the low level of 22.655 farms.
Acreage Falls OF.
In 1850 the acreage of farm land II
Connecticut was 2,SS3,S7s acres and. X
years later in. 1920 it had fallen to l..
S98,9S0. The improved land in. thes,
70 years fell from 1,768,178 acres t.
701,0S6 acres. But there has been 8
great increase in the value Of farm
property in the 20 year period.
In 1850 all farm property increased in
value from $82,GS6,453 to 1925, sly
The value Of land and buildings went Ut
from $72,726,422 to $19o.270.S27; fnpie-
ments and machinery from $1,SS2,541 tc
S13,24S,097; and live stock from $7,467,-
400 to $23, 472,s93 The average size o.
, farms in 1850 was 1862 acres in 1850, and
in 1920 it had fallen to S3.s per farm bur
the value had increased in the 10 year:
from 34.43 per acre to $119.53.
The number of farms under 20 acres II
The farms from 175 to 4ss acres in area
numbered 2,163 in 1910 and in 1920 they
were 2,263 in number In 1920 there wer,
, 80 farms of 1000 and more acres or Jus
one less than trere were In 1910.
In 1920 169,245 acres were held by ten
ants as against 217,S32 in 1910. The farm
land owned by the occup6ers in 1920 con
: tanned 1,542,54 acres and in 1910 the acre
age was 1,S31,S07.
The number of farms owned by natiN
. born persons fell from 1854 in 1910 t
i, 1896 in 1920. The farms owned in 1872
q by persons Of foreign birth in Connection
, are given. The countries with the mum
! bers of farms ownel by the natives of eac
! are given in the bulletin as follows; Aus
! tria, $751; Canada 3,S1; France 1T; Ger
: many, LII Hungary, 20S; Ireland, $50
Italy, 1928 /; Poland, 1875 {; Russia, 997 /; Scot
. land, 90; Sweden, 672, Switzerland, 100
: al lotfer countries 556.