Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1902 — FIGURES ON FARMS [ARTICLE]

FIGURES ON FARMS

Census Returns Show That Agriculture Thrives In Indiana. INCREASE IN LAND VALUES Show That the Farmer Is Getting Hie .Share of the Country’s Preyent Era of Prosperity—Remarkable Increase in Value of Farm Products In 1900 Over 1890—Number of Farms Increases. The census returns for 1900 show that the Indiana farmer Is prosperous beyond precedent. A comparison of conditions in 1900 with those prevailing in 1890 gives no idea of the Improvement which has taken place during the shorter period dating from 1894, 1895 and 1890, that era of contracted markets, reduced prices and depressed business conditions which leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth every time the thought of it recurs. From a business standpoint the decade ending with 1900 wap only six years long, because the four years of the only Democratic administration of this generation represent a period of retrogression rather than of advancement.

But even as compared with the' prosperous year of 1890, 1900 showed a remarkable expansion of Indiana agricultural interests. While the total value of our farm property increased from 8869.322,787 to 8978,616,471; of land, improvements and buildings from 8754,789.110 to 8841.735,340; of implements and machinery from $93,361,422 to 8109,550,761. the value of farm products increased from $94,759, 262 to $204,450,196, or 1153 per cent It cannot be argued In Indiana that the land is falling into the hands of the few. There were 23,000 more farms in 1900 than in 1890. There were 11,000 more owners of farms in Indiana in 1900 than there were ten years before. Indiana is a great agricultural state, and is fortunate in the fact that her Interests are about evenly divided between farm and factory. A billion dollars are invested in farming in this state. The conservation of interests sd great may well engage the attention of the Indiana voter. It is hardly necessary to resort to statistics in order to demonstrate the fact that another low tariff administration is hardly what the Indiana farmer and factory worker need in order to insure a continuance or the betterment of present conditions.