The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-07-21
Farm P Population Gain
In 1881 Was 648,O 900
U. S. Agriculture Dept Reports Gain as Largest and
Most Significant in 10 Years

Va The farm population was 3D.
100000 persons on January l., 1882
as compared with 30,612,000 on
january 1, 1881, a gain of 648, 900,
according to an estimate issued to-
day by the u. s. Department OF
Agricultural. The increase in
1881 was the largest and most
Significant recorded by the Bureau
! of Agricultural Economics in the
ten years in which the bureau has
been estimating changes in popu-
lati0n. For seven years of this
period annual decreases were re-
ported and only during 1880 and
1881 were appreciate gains indi-
Gated.
The bureau estimates that 1,472,-
1000 persons left farms for towns
and cities last year, and that L.
$4,000 persons moved farmward.
The surplus of births over deaths
gon farms was 441.000. The gain In
ssnumber of persons living on farms
was 648,000. For the year 1880
It was estimated that 100000 per-
sons moved from cities to farms
1 and 1,727,000 persons moved from
farms to cities-these two move
! lp1ents almost balancing each other.
I The surplus Of births over deaths
!. was $4,000 In 1880. There was
/ slight decrease In the number OF
! persons going to farms in 1881,
! and q considerable decrease in the
number going to cities.
In the movement from cities to
/. farms for both 1880 and 1881, and
scontinuing into 1882, were many
/, Farmers sons and daughters who
had previously migrated to towns
and cities. Many of these upon
losing their city jobs have return
I ed to the home farm, many bring
ing families with them. Some city
families have found refuge on the
Farms of other relatives.
n These figures do not take into
account another change that has
been widely heralder as "back-
to-the farm" movement, change
that has been under way since
1880. Many city and town families
are now planting subsistence gar
dens OF Ia to 2 acres where for
/. tnerly they purchased all of their
foods. Some of these families have
moved to abandoned farms as a
means of lowering their house
tents in addition to raising some of
their foods. Others have obtained
small plots Of ground close enough
! to their present homes to avoid
moving. Relief agencies in several
cities have aided by furnishing
Equipment, and the use of plots of
ground In lesser number of
eases these agencies have moved
Families out to houses where some
lcultivatable plots of ground would
be more accessible
The bureau points out that this
movement is not a genuine back
fto-the farm" movement since very
flew of the people are engaging In
Warming as q business. 1t Is al
I1nost wholly an attempt to obtain
f1ow-cost housing and partial sub
Esistence. And for the relief agen-
scies It is a means of reducing some
what the cash cost of meeting the
minimum subsistence needs of
persons for whom they are caring.
In addition, 1t gives the unemploy-
ed something to do and for some
of the children it means an OPP
IDortunity to benefit by an abund-
sAnce of fresh air and sunshine. 1t
would be mistake, however. to
count all these as additional far
1ners.
ITO huHIDcI PcIOOho lCaFiH6
farms exceeded the number arriv-
ing at farms in 1891 only in the
New England and South Atlantic
States. In each of the remaining
seven geographic divisions. the
movement countryward exceeded
the movement cityward, this move
ment being most pronounced in the
East North Central states. West
North Central states and West
South Central states.
These population estimates are
based upon information supplied to
the bureau by thousands of farm
families all over the country. They
are not, however, strictly compar-
able with figures published In pre-
vious years by the bureau. because
this report has ben revised on the
basis Of the 1880 census. The sta
tistics concerning population move
r<4oufa In and from farms for thu