No. 4.] OUR AGRICULTURAL ADVANCE. 89 



Improved and Unimproved Farm Lands. 

 Another matter which it will be interesting to notice in 

 this connection is the disproportionate increase of unim- 

 proved farm land. Expressed in percentages of the total 

 area of farm land, the figures for the United States are as 

 follows : — 



1880, 53 . 1 per cent improved. 



1890, ...... 57.4 per cent improved. 



1900, 49.3 per cent improved. 



The falling off of 8 per cent in the last decade is espe- 

 cially remarkable. In the State of ]\Iassachusetts the 

 figures are still more striking. They follow herewith : — 



1880, 63.4 



1890, 55.3 



1900, . 41.1 



In the case of Massachusetts there has been an aljsolute, 

 as well as a proportionate, decrease, as is shown by the fol- 

 lowing figures : — 



1880, .... 2,128,311 acres improved farm land. 

 1890, .... 1,657,024 acres improved farm land. 

 1900, .... 1,292,132 acres improved farm land. 



Without going any further, it might be assumed that this 

 decreased acreage of cultivated land indicates a more inten- 

 sive cultivation on the remaining acres. This possibility 

 deepens into a certainty when we study the — 



Value of Farm Products. 

 The total values of farm products (reckoned for the year 

 preceding the census year) for the United States and for 

 Massachusetts for three particular years are shown here- 

 with : — 



