320 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



only 15.4 per cent of the land brought into farms during the 

 decade was improved during that time, it is clear that nearly 

 58,000,000 acres of land which was in farms but unimproved at 

 the beginning of the century was improved between 1900 and 19 10. 

 In 19 10 the improved land in farms represented 25.1 per cent, 

 or about one-fourth of the total land area of the United States, 

 and represented 54.4 per cent, or slightly more than one-half, of 

 all land in farms. It is reasonable to believe that as we proceed 

 in the new century, much of the woodland and other unimproved 

 land in farms, situated as it is in the most favorable farming 

 regions of the United States, will be improved and developed. 



Attention was called above to the fact that in 1900 only 49.4 

 per cent, or slightly less than one-half, of all land in farms, or 

 only about one-fifth of the land area of the United States, was 

 reported as improved. The census of 1900 showed that in 1899 

 only 283,218,280 acres of the improved land were devoted to 

 crops for which it was possible to secure a statement of acreage 

 reports. Thus in 1899 only 68.3 per cent of the improved land 

 in farms was actually used for cropping purposes. In other 

 words, only 33.8 per cent of all land in farms was reported to be 

 in cultivated crops. This was only 14.9 per cent of the total 

 land area of the country. The census of 19 10 presents a corre- 

 sponding report. In 1909 only 311,293,382 acres of land were 

 reported as actually in crops for which acreage reports were se- 

 cured. The crops with acreage reports, therefore, occupied only 

 16.4 per cent of the total land areas; 35.4 per cent of the total 

 land in farms; and 65.1 per cent of the total improved land. 



The question necessarily arises as to the use made of improved 

 land not accounted for in 1909 and 1899. These statistics have 

 been criticized, it being contended that much land was reported 

 as improved which should in fact be reported as unimproved. 

 Having been intimately associated from its beginning with the 

 census of agriculture taken in 19 10, but with no desire to defend 

 it if it should not be defended, I wish to call attention to the 

 fact that in 1909 the area reported as improved, but for which 

 no crops were specified, must have existed in the form reported 

 in order to represent current conditions. In the first place, no 



