ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 193 



A few weeks ago when we received the report on Iowa's population 

 from the census bureau at Washington we were confronted with figures 

 which show a decrease in the population for the state in the past ten 

 years of three-tenths of one per cent, and that while the cities and towns 

 had actually shown an increase, the loss of rural population was greater 

 than the increase made by the cities and towns. Immediately following 

 this report there appeared in the headlines of the newspapers, throughout 

 the country, a question asking "What is the matter with Iowa?" We be- 

 lieve the most intelligent answer which can be made to this, is that Iowa 

 has been too prosperous. Farmers have been seeking for an investment 

 of surplus money; he buys his neighbors lands and adds it to his own farm, 

 his neighbor emigrating to some western state where he can purchase 

 cheaper lands. Farm lands are still increasing in value from year to 

 year, the advance never being more marked than within the past twelve 

 months. But, it has been the consolidation of farms, and the increased 

 holdings of the individual, that has caused a marked decrease in our 

 rural population. Wallace's Farmer says: "The very productive capacity 

 of Iowa soil has tended to decrease the population. The farmer, when 

 work becomes a burden, and help in the house impossible, believing that 

 the rent of his farm will keep him in comfort off the farm, moves to town, 

 taking his younger children with him. This explains why there are 

 some sixty thousand less children in attendance in the rural schools of 

 Iowa than ten years ago." Continuing, Mr. Wallace farther says: "When 

 the census returns are all published it will be found that Iowa has not 

 been peculiar in this reduction of rural population. It will show a de- 

 crease in the older counties of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and to some 

 extent, southern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota." 



FABM STATISTICS. 



The first reports under the new statistical law were received by the 

 department the fore part of the past season. The data was gathered 

 by the assessors, at the same time the regular yearly assessment was 

 made, upon blanks prepared and sent out by the department of agricul- 

 ture. These statistics will be of great importance to the student of 

 agriculture, as they contain considerable data never before gathered. 

 Besides the acreage, average yield, and total yield of farm crops for 

 the year 1910, it will give the total number of silos in the state, by 

 counties, 1,556 in number, or an average of about one to every 130 

 farms. It will be interesting to note what the next report will show 

 with reference to the number of silos in the state. It is my belief that 

 more silos have been erected in the past year than there were on the 

 farms one year ago. 'Pen years ago the manure spreader was just coming 

 into its own; today statistics show over 60,000 in use on the farms of 

 Iowa, or about one to every three and one-half farms. Thousands of 

 miles of tiling have been laid within the past ten years. The reports 

 show that the fields of Iowa contain over 124,000 miles of tile. Data 

 was also gathered showing the average monthly wage paid farm help 



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