The Redwood gazette., 1936-01-30
Census Figures

70 STATISTICS released by government
nj bureaus are more interesting than
federal farm census figures, particul-
arly as they apply to ones home county. The
report for Redwood county for 1884 as com
pared with the previous census Tor 1879
makes a particularly interesting feature OF
this weeks Gazette.
Politically it has been entirely natural
for Democrats to credit as much OF the IN
crease in farm prices as possible to the AAA
program, recently outlawed, at the same
time blaming the extreme advances IN food
prices to the drouth. Just as naturally Re
nublicans have credited the drouth with the
advance in prices of farm commodities and
cursed the AAA for the higher cost OF llv-
ing.
It is interesting to note that of 47O,6O6
acres of land in the country available for
crops in 1929 less than five per cent or 22,-
$50 acres were idle under the farm program
in 1885. The reduction meanwhile In bush
els of grain harvested amounted TO approx
mately 70 per cent, far out of line with The
acreage retired and proving concluslvely
that as far as this county was concerned,
the drouth was far larger factor in crop
reduction than the AAA.
AS we have said, these figures will be
variously interpreted. They explain why
food imports increased, a condition which
hardly could have occurred had the yield
from acres planted under the AAA beer
normal. They indicate also that no such a
rebound of farm prices as occurred would
have happened had the yields anticipated by
the government been realized
1t is apparent from the general reduc-
ton in yields, which far outdistanced the
price increases on what was raised, that the
benefit payments were most welcome In
come in the face of crop failure, form of
insurance against the hazards the farmer
faces and real factor in keeping trade
alive.
Other trends in the farm situation are
only slightly less interesting. That there
was an increase of 80 farms during the five
year period and reduction in the average
acreage from 204.6 to 1892 is good omen.
It indicates trend toward more intensive
and better farming, the general belief being
backed by European experience of many OF
our farmers that smaller farms mean better
farming That a population increase was
provided for in the reduction is equally ap-
parent Nearly 1000 acres previously not
farmed were placed under plow in the i've
year period.
That there were AZ more full farm own
ers at the beginning of 1885 than in 1929
also is a good sign while the reduction OF Al
part owners and the increase in the number
of tenants is regrettable result of the de-
preston pinch of farm mortgages. The fall
in the price of land, while also bitter to take,
will have tendency to encourage and facil-
itate purchase of land which if the next i've
years are at all normal will mean further
increase in the number of farm owners.
The gradual passing of the horse in
favor of machine farming is reflected in the
reduction in the number of horses and mules
while the increase in the number of cows
and heifers, even in view of the drouth, in
dicates trend toward dairying and stead
ier year around farm income. Sheep became
a more popular farm animal during the per-
iod while the hog output was cut in half,
partly due to the AAA but largely to the
shortage of corn and small grain available
for feed.
While the figures would be far easier to
interpret were 1929 and 1884 both normal
crop years, they may prove unusually val
liable taken as they were after the drouth
in bringing the necessity of protection for
the farmer to- the attention of the public.