Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1883 — Farms and Products. [ARTICLE]

Farms and Products.

Indianapolis J carnal. An inspection of the fat volume sent out from the Census Bureau will reveal some interesting facts. Comparing the number of farms in 1870 with the number in 1880, the following results are found: 1880 1870 Total number of farms 4,006,907 2,659,987 Under 100 acres 5,296,374 2,075,888 One hundred to 500 acres 1,695,983 565,054 Five hundred to l,oooacree 75,972 15,873 Athonsand acres and over., 28,578 3,720 The signification of these figures is apparent. It will be observed that while the number of farms has increased 1,348,922 in the ten years, but 133,036 of that increase was on farms of less than 100 acres, while of farms of less than fifty acres there were less in 1880 than in 1870. In the number of farms of from 100 to 500 acres there was an increase of 200 per cent Of farms of from 500 to 1,000 acres the increase was nearly 500 per oent., whtieof farms of 1,000 acres and over the increase was nearly 900 per oent. The showing is not a favorable one, the apparent tendency being toward a system of landlordism and tenantry. But, of course, this evil can not in this country reach the dimensions it has attained in

‘England from the fact that the law of entail does not obtain here. It is a difficult matter to keep large estates and large fortunes in one family, and it was to preserve the aristocracy of England within certain families that the law was so framed that vast estates could not be divided. When an “aristocratic’' family in America deteriorates, the is inevitable, a division of the estate is inevitable; and it is almost sure tq be divided among a number, so that it will be next to impossible to keep vast ranches together from generation to generation, and the fear of land monopoly need not eause serious alarm. It is curious to note that in this connection that the State which has the largest number of farms of 1,000 acres and over is Georgia, 902. Then following in order, Alabama, 698; Virginia, 641; South Carolina,4B2; Mississippi, 481; Louisiana, 371; North Carolina, 311; California, 262; Illinois, 194: In New York the number of farms of so great extent is only twen-ty-one.

The total lands in farms in the United States was 556,061,835 acres in 1880, againt 407,735,041 acres in 1870. Of thin land 284,771,642 acres were improved in 1880, and 188,921,099 acres in 1870. The value of the farms was $9,262,803,861 in 1870. The value of farming implements and machinery was $406,520,055 in 1880, and $326,878,429, in 1870. From this it will readily be seen that a very large proportion in the number of new “farms” must have been made on the frontier,sinoe the value has increased less than 10 per cent, during the ten years. But |while this is true, it is equally apparent that many Small farms have been absorbed by large ones, the increase in acres being but about 30 per cent while the increase' in the number of large farms, as shown above, was from 75 to 80 per cent, and an actual decrease in the number of farms of fifty acres arid under. In the chief productions there was. an enormous increase noted during the . ten years cited, as shown by the following table: 1880 mst 8ar1ey........ 4*. 87,4*6 29,701,806 Buckwheat 11,817,52 0, 21,721 Indian com 1,754,91,674 700,0*4^40 Oats 4»i7,8'.H,999 282,107,167 Bye 19,881,59. 0,918,796 Wheat, 489,4-13,187 287,745,0 V Cotton 6,755,*60 h,011,996 Wool 166,081,751 100,102,887 Potatoes, Irish 109,458, 89 1*8,887,474 Potatoes, aweet 88,378,098 21,709,824 Hay, tons 86,205,712 27,810^48 Tobacco, lbs.". .... 472,001,167 262,786,841 Batter, lbe 777,250.287 521,09 ,888 Cheeee, lbs *7.272.489 W4W.153