418 



REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



the Mississippi there is far more general indebtedness than in the cen- 

 tral district east of that river. Further investigation in that region 

 and on the Pacific coast is contemplated. 



To give a better idea of the state of farm-making and land develop- 

 ment in the States repjorted on the following table is presented, show- 

 ing the number and size of farms, amount of land held, and propor- 

 tion unimproved, according to the last census, in the States included 

 in these investigations: 



states. 



Number of fanns. 



1880. 



1860. 



Land in farms. 



1880. 



1860. 



Average size 

 of farms. 



1880. 



1860. 



Per cent, 

 unimproved. 



1880. 



1860. 



New York 



Pennsylvania . . 



Ohio 



Michigan 



Kentucliy 



Indiana 



Illinois 



Missouri 



Kansas 



Nebraska 



North Carolina 

 South Carolina 



Florida 



Alabama 



Mississippi 



Louisiana 



Texas 



Arkansas 



241,058 

 213,542 

 247, 189 

 154, 008 

 16(5, 453 

 194.013 

 255,741 

 215,575 

 138, 561 



63,387 

 157,609 



93,864 



23,438 

 135,864 

 101,772 



48,292 

 174, 184 



94,433 



196, 990 



156,357 



179,889 



62,422 



90,814 



1.31.826 



143,310 



92,792 



10,400 



2,789 



75,203 



33,171 



6,568 



55, 128 



42,840 



17,328 



42,891 



39,004 



Acres. 

 23,780,754 

 19,791.341 

 24,529,226 

 13,807,240 

 21,495,240 

 20,420,983 

 31,67.3,645 

 27,879,270 

 21,417,468 



9,944,826 

 22,363,558 

 18, 457. 613 



3,297.324 

 18,855.334 

 15,855,482 



8, 273, 500 

 36,292,219 

 12,061,547 



Acres. 

 20,974,958 

 17,012,140 

 20,472.141 



7, 030. 8.S4 

 19, 163, 2«1 

 16, 388, 292 

 20,911,989 

 19, 984, 810 



1,778,400 



631,214 



23,762,969 



16,195,919 



2,920,228 

 19, 104, 545 

 15, a39, 684 



9, 298, 576 

 25,344.028 



9,573,706 



Acres. 

 99 

 93 

 99 

 90 

 129 

 105 

 124 

 129 

 155 

 157 

 142 

 143 

 141 

 139 

 156 

 171 

 208 

 128 



Acres. 

 106 

 109 

 114 

 113 

 211 

 124 

 146 

 215 

 171 

 236 

 316 

 488 

 444 

 346 

 370 

 536 

 591 

 »i6 



25.5 

 32.2 

 26.3 

 39.9 

 50.1 

 31.8 

 17.5 

 39.9 

 49.9 

 44.6 

 71.0 

 69.3 

 71.3 

 66.2 

 67.1 

 66.9 

 65.1 

 70.2 



31.5 

 38.5 

 38.3 

 50.5 

 60.1 

 49.7 

 32.6 

 68.7 

 77.2 

 81.2 

 72.6 

 71.8 

 77.6 

 66.6 

 68.0 

 70.9 

 89.5 

 79.3 



The points of greatest significance in this table are the small pro- 

 portion of unimproved land in the Ohio Valley, less than three-tenths 

 of the area, and the great reduction in size of farms in the cotton 

 States and increase of their number. The latter fact is due largely 

 to the renting of old estates on shares or otherwise to several tenants 

 who report separately, making the number of farms far more than 

 the number of proprietors. There is no immediate prospect of a 

 change of this system, though the individual tenants hold by a very 

 uncertain tenure. The tendency will, doubtless, still be strong 

 towards subdivision of lands, both by sale and rent. 



NEW YORK. 



The result of the investigation in New York shows that three-tenths 

 of the farms are mortgaged, and that one in twenty of the farm pro- 

 prietors is hopelessly in debt, if the estimate, which is based upon 

 extensive information, is reliable. The interest is ample, but not 

 excessive, averaging, as is assumed, 5-J- per cent., though the legal 

 rate is 6 per cent. Mortgages ran to neighboring farmers and mer- 

 chants and to insurance and trust companies. It is thought that one- 

 tenth of the farm-owners are possessors of other forms of property. 

 It is doubtless true, in many localities, that the value of such prop- 

 erty is fully equal to the amount of indebtedness of less prosperous 

 farmers. The State agent says: 



In the best sections of the State the farmers are making money Or holding their 

 own, and are less in debt than ten years ago; while in the more improductive parts, 

 and those more easily affected by drought, there has been a considerable increase, so 

 that on the whole farmers are more in debt than they were ten years ago, but the 

 average indebtedness is not heavy. There are a large number of farms, which were 



