106 The Tariff and the Farmer. 



in capital before and after: from 1870-80, 31.7%; from 

 1890-1900, 50.7%. In 1880 returns of value of capital were 

 given by former methods, in 1890 came the change indi- 

 cated above, and the apparent gain was 133.8%. In 1850 

 the total annual value of agricultural products must have 

 been more than twice that of manufacture. In 1900 the 

 total annual value of the latter was nearly three times 

 that of the former. Under somewhat similar conditions 

 where manufacture shows a twelve-fold increase, agricul- 

 ture in the fifty years, forty of these under the highest 

 kind of protection, shows less than two-fold. Is it strange 

 that the poverty of returns in agriculture caused such a 

 desertion of farms that where in 1880 the 44.3% of those 

 engaged in farming fell to 35.7 in 1900! 



Summary of the chief links of the chain proving de- 

 cline in agricultural prosperity : 



(1) In the nation, a rapid decline in the percentage 

 of gain in value of agricultural property in the last forty 

 years. 



(2) A great decline in the percentage of gain in value 

 of the average acre of land with buildings, with a posi- 

 tive decline of 7% in such value in the last decade. 



(3) The great percentage of mortgaged and hired 

 farms in 1900. 



(4) The small increase in the total annual value of 

 agricultural products during the last fifty years. 



(5) The large decline in the percentage of those who 

 follow agricultural pursuits. 



What a pity that there are no data as to the amount 

 of wealth in possession of manufacturers and the holders 

 of bonds and stocks of manufacturing companies, by 

 decade periods ! 



