100 The Tariff and the Farmer. 



that, as the wealth of the nation rapidly increased, the 

 percentage of gain to the farmer (where conditions were 

 normal) decreased, and in the last twenty years, 1880- 

 1900, suffered an actual loss of nearly 8 per cent. 



We now enter on a closer examination. The first evi- 

 dence of waning prosperity we present is two tables : 

 one showing the total value of farm land, including 

 buildings, at different periods, with percentage of gain; 

 another giving the total value of all farm property, land, 

 buildings, machinery and live stock, and the percentage 

 of gain. 



Value of all Farm 



These tables show at a glance that there is no material 

 difference in the percentage of gain of the two columns 

 of values. Whether the value of real estate held by farm- 

 ers is considered alone or in conjunction with the per- 

 sonal property, the percentage of gain in value of the 

 first given decade is four times greater than the average 

 of the four following decades. It is not evident from 

 the figures that farm property shared to an equal extent, 

 if at all, in the great inflation of values common to most 

 I^roperty during the war period, 1860-70. During that 

 decade there was practically no increase in the number 

 of acres of land in farms. The value of new buildings. 



