The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-01-13
MARYLAND FARMING LAND
VALUES SHOW SOME GAIN
But Average of $500 An Acre
Still Is Much Below Figure Ar
rived at In 1920 Estimate.

l1FSo CT LII iC-O
Farm land values in Maryland have
increased somewhat during the last
five years, but are still much below
values in 1920, according to estimates
by the United States Department of
Agriculture.
The department places the average
value of farm real estate in Maryland
at SIS an acre on March l, 1926,
against S72 an acre March 1, 1922.
The value in 1920 was s91 an acre and
in 1921 it was SIS.
Other Southern States showing in
creased farm land values for the five
year period include North Carolina,
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Tex
as. The average value for Virginia
is placed at $50 an acre on March l.,
1926, against S57 an acre in 1922, the
1920 value being S6S an acre, and the
1921 value sos.
L. S. Average Declines.
While farm values in Maryland and
other Southern States increased over
the five year period, the average for
the United States as whole shows
decline from S85.26 an acre to S76.47
an acre on March /, 1926.
Since 1920 farmland values in the
United States have declined approx
mately thirty per cent, although the
department points out that the rate of
decline has been less in the later years
thus indicating an apparent trend to-
ward stability.
The department sees two factors
which may aid in checking any fur
Their decline in values. One of these is
the probability that in a number of
areas the foreclosures and other fore
ed foundations have eXerted most of
their influence on values, and the
other takes into consideration the an
nounced reductions in farm mortgage
interest rates and possible further
easing of the credit situation conse-
quent upon Improvement in country
! banking conditions and the large sup
plies of funds seeking employment in
the investment markets.
The report shows that farmland
values at SIS an acre on the average
in Maryland are higher than in any
other South Atlantic State with the
exception of Florida. The average
value for Delaware is sec an acres;
Virginia, $50; West Virginia, s44;
North Carolina, S68; South Carolina,
$50, and Florida, 500. In this latter
State the values are now less than in
any other of the States listed.
The most severe declines since early
1920 are reported in the grain and
livestock states of the Middle West,
coincident with a fall in prices of
these products which held to the low
est levels of any of the country's ma
jor farm product groups.
Values in the Northeastern part of
the United States, extending into
Michigan and Wisconsin and South
into the Virginias, fell relatively lit
tie, partly because prices of dairy,
poultry and vegetable products to
which this region is largely devoted,
maintained the highest levels during
the depression of any of the major
groups of American farm products.
Farm Demand Lively
Particularly in industrial sections
of the East, sustained or rising values
were partially attributed to an ap-
parently active demand on the part of
urban workers for small farms. AL
though not directly entering into the
census enumerations, considerable de-
mand for farms for various recrea-
tional uses is considered to have ex-
erted sustaining influence in areas
in this north eastern section.
With the exception of exceedingly
severe declines since the 1920 peak in
; Georgia and South Carolina the aver
age for the States of the cotton belt
indicates decline appreciably less
severe than for the grain and live
stock producing States of the Middle
West, although sharper than for the
Northeastern dairy belt. In this
movement values followed cotton in
comes and cotton prices.
Up to the 1926 crop season prices
had recovered to favorable levels
after the bad break of 1920 and 1921,
although they were less well sus-
tanned relative to the boom years
than were dairy and poultry prices
and income. Exceptionally severe
ravages of the boil weevil and the
exodus of Negro farm laborers and
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