OUR AGRICULTURAL POSSIBILITIES 17 



Five — during the decade 1900-1910 the number 

 of farms increased from 5,737,372 to 6,361,502, or an 

 increase of 10.9 per cent., while the total improved 

 and unimproved land in farms increased by but 

 40,206,551 acres, or only 4.8 per cent. Yet while 

 the increase in farm acreage was but 4.8 per cent, 

 the increase in the value of the land was 118.1 per 

 cent. The agricultural land of the country in 1900 

 was valued by the census at $13,058,007,995. Ten 

 years later it was valued at $28,475,674,169. While 

 the rural population increased 11.2 per cent, and 

 the acreage under cultivation 4.8 per cent., the value 

 of the land under cultivation increased 118.1 per cent, 

 and the value of the land per acre 108.1 per cent. 



Six — of the total of 878,798,325 acres in farms 

 in 1910 only about one-half was improved, there 

 being a total of 400,346,575 acres that were unim- 

 proved. 



Seven — the working of farms in the United States 

 is steadily and rapidly passing from the hands 

 of owners to those of tenants with little interest in 

 efficient agriculture or the improvement of theii- 

 holdings. In 1880 25.6 per cent, of all farms were 

 operated by other than owners; in 1890 the per- 

 centage had increased to 28.4 per cent.; in 1900 it 

 had increased to 35.3 per cent., and in 1910 it had 

 still further increased to 37 per cent. In some parts 

 of the country from 60 to 70 per cent, of the farms 

 are cultivated by tenants for non-resident owners. 



