PART IX 



Farm Statistics for the Year Ending December 31, 

 1920. Collected by Township Assessors, Re- 

 ported by County Auditors and Tabulated 

 by the Iowa Weather and Crop Service 



The statistical books of assessors after being checked and tabu- 

 lated by County Auditors were brought to the office of the Iowa 

 Weather and Crop Service in Des Moines for further checking, 

 inspection and tabulation for the Year Book, as provided by the 

 39th General Assembly. In all but a comparatively few cases, 

 the work of the assessors showed evidence of loyal devotion to 

 duty and the exercise of care and intelligence. The handling of 

 the assessors books at Des Moines afforded much valuable first 

 hand information as to the problems that confront the assessors 

 in the field. Special gratitude is due to those assessors who took 

 the time and trouble to write extensive explanatory notes^ or 

 criticisms. All will tend to improve the instructions with a view 

 to greater uniformity. Many letters were written to assessors or 

 individual farmers where doubtful entries were discovered. Hun- 

 dreds of errors, some very important, were corrected. 



Corn increased 569,938 acres in 1920 over the preceding year ; 

 oats increased 267,844 acres; spring wheat decreased 426,112 

 acres ; and winter wheat decreased 412,388 acres. Spring wheat 

 was almost a failure in 1919 and 1920 and the acreage of 1920 is 

 probably the least in 40 years. Winter wheat, on the other hand, 

 has scarcely dropped to a pre-war level. Potato acreage dropped 

 in 1920 to 65,560 w^hich is the lowest in 40 years. Tame hay 

 and pastures show a liberal increase. Pop corn, which has in- 

 creased steadily in recent years, dropped in 1920 to 17,746 acres, 

 which is about half of the 1919 acreage. Clover seed increased to 

 141,890 acres, which is the largest in the history of the State and 

 placed Iowa in fifth place among the clover seed producing states. 

 The increase was mainly in a belt extending from W^oodbury 

 County southeast and south to Page and Taylor Counties. Most 

 of the eastern counties showed a decreased acreage. Due to the 

 unusual demand, most of this seed was exchanged between farms 

 and not much reached the usual channels of trade. Timothy seed 

 acreage increased slightly but was only about half of the record 

 acreage of 1912. Pastures increased slightly. 



Swine on farms July 1. 1920 fell off 399,548 head as compared 

 with the same date in 1919. Cattle on January 1 decreased 

 268,817 and there was a slight decrease in all other classes of live 

 stock and poultry. 



