4 BULLETIlSr 678, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



POPULATION. 



In 1910 the rural population of Jefferson County, including unin- 

 corporated towns, was 38,992, showing an increase of 42.4 per cent 

 during the preceding ten years. During the same period the city 

 population had increased 9.1 per cent. These figures indicate a rapid 

 growth of suburban population. Outside of unincorporated towns, the 

 increase was over 30 per cent. The increase in actual farm popula- 

 tion was comparatively small, however — probably not over 10 per 

 cent, since an increasing number of people who have occupations in 

 the city are living in homes in the country. Seven per cent of the 

 population in 1909 was foreign born and 32 per cent of mixed parent- 

 age. Much the larger part of the foreign population is German. 



FACTS ABOUT FARMING SHOWN BY THE CENSUS OF 1900 AND OF 1910. 



In 1909, according to the census figures, there were 3,093 farms in 

 the county, an increase in ten years of about 9 per cent. During the 

 previous decade the number of farms under 100 acres in size had in- 

 creased 17 per cent, while farms over 100 acres in size had decreased 

 about 14 per cent. During the same period the area devoted to the 

 raising of vegetables had increased about 29 per cent, and the area 

 devoted to cereals decreased about 22 per cent (see Table I). 



Table I.- 



—Changes in crop production during the decade 1899-1909 





Crop 



1900 

 acreage. 



1910 

 acreage. 



Small fruits: 



818 

 1,137 



443 





631 









Total 



1,955 



1 074 









Vegetables: 



6,525 

 1,093 



5,787 



9 255 





1 107 





6 920 









Total 



13, 405 



17 282 









Cereals: 



33,316 

 18, 136 



31,200 

 9,493 



Wheat - 









55, 672 



43,280 





Within the county, during the decade 1899 to 1909, there was a 

 marked decrease in the production of market milk, while three ad- 

 joining counties farther out, with railway communications, had a 

 marked increase in milk sold (see Table II). The decrease in Jeffer- 

 son County was 43 per cent, while the increase in three outside coun- 

 ties was about 232 per cent. Jefferson county had a large increase 

 in the amount of butter and cream sold, which to some extent made 

 up for the loss in market-milk production. Butter, however, is made 

 in small quantities as a by-product on nearly all types of farms, so 

 that the increase in this product can not be said to make up the loss 



