Evening star., 1938-06-20
VIRGINIA FARM
INCOME CLIMBS
Greatly Increased Receipts
From Leading Staples
Shown by Report.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Department Of Agriculture re-
ported today the extent Of change in
the economic situation Of Virginia
farmers during the period from 1892
to 1897 rs indicated by the greatly
increased income from the leadins
farm commodities produced In the
State"
The analysis of the agricultural sit
uation in Virginia. prepared by the
department. was printed in the Con-
gressional Record by Representative
Flanagan. Democrat. Of Virginia.
member Of the House Agricultural
Committee.
Cash income Of Virginia tobacco
growers in 1882" the department said,
was $4,744,000. In 1897 it rose to
SIS. 900. a gain Of 3l5 per cent.
The 1887 figure does not include Gov
ernment payments.
"Poultrymen, cattle raisers and
dairymen in this State also profited
from substantial rise In cash income
between 1882 and 1887. Income from
poultry and poultry products rose ST.
$4,000, or 76 per cent: that from cat
tie and calves increased $3.748, 900, or
56 per cent. and that from milk, S4,-
896, 900. or 43 per cent.
Cotton Growers Aided.
Cotton growers of Virginia were
another group who saw an encourag-
ing rise in their farm income during
the period. Cash income from cotton
dint and seedD jumped from s1,l25,-
600 in 1882 to $2,122, 900 in 1897, an
increase Of nearly 100000.
Income from other farm products
raised in Virginia increased during
the 1932.37 period. Income from corn
and hogs rose $6,359, 900, or 1871 per
cent: that from apples. $4,685. 900, or
lis per cent. and that from peanuts,
$3,4l5.00o. or 1874 per cent.
Along with rising farm income, the
department said. Virginia farm real
estate values have mounted and
taxes have declined. After more than
a decade Of almost steady decline farm
real estate values in Virginia reached
the bottom in the year ending March
!, 1888, when the value per acre stood
at 80 per cent OF pre-war. But with
the year ending March /, 1897, the
estimated value per acre rose to ll0
per cent of the l9l2-l4 average
value. Virginia farmers, as a whole,
therefore. found their real estate worth
about Is per cent more early in 1887
than in the first quarter of 1888"
Forced Sales Decline.
The department said fewer Virkinia
farmers were forced into sales or
transfers of their lands and more were
able to make voluntary transactions.
The number of forced farm sales per
1000 declined from 43.3 for the year
ended March. 1893, to alt for that
ending in March, 1897. Voluntary
sales and trades during the same
period increased from l46 to 30.2
per 1000.
Bankruptcies among farmers in the
United States numbered 2,479 in the
year ended June 80. 1897, the depart
ment said, representing a So per cent
decrease from the 5,9l7 bankruptcies
in the fiscal year ending June 80,
1888. In Virginia during the period
they dropped from a total Of 1873 to
1923.
I'm 1881" the department said
taxes on Virginia farm real estate
reached what was probably their all
time peak in relation to value. when
they stood at SO cents for 500 of
value. By 1896 they had fallen to 50
cents per $l00."
Wage-earners on Virginia farms, al
well as landlords and tenants, found
their incomes increasing. the depart
ment said. On April !. 1888. the aver
age monthly farm wage rate per per-
son, with board, was $3.50. Four
years later it was $2o.25. having ad-
vanced 81 per cent above the 1893
level