328 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
The Farms of the United States. 
Their Total Number in 1870 and 1880, 
and tlie number in each State and 
Territory in 1880.—The Eeading States 
arranged in Groups showing the num¬ 
ber of Farms of different sizes, from 
less than Three Acres to over One 
Thousand Acres each. 
The tables of figures herewith may at first sight 
appear to be “dry reading” to some, but a little 
examination will reveal a very large amount and 
variety of interesting information, presented in 
the most condensed form. The figures are epito¬ 
mized partly from the official Census for 1880 (ex¬ 
cept in the four lines marked with a *), partly from 
advanced figures kindly furnished to the American 
Agriculturist by Mr. C. W. Seaton, Supt. Census, etc. 
After repeated efforts, we have been unable to ob¬ 
tain the four * sets, except for the first two columns 
giving the total number of farms in 1870 and 1880, 
which are official. The detail figures are not yet 
made up at the Census office, and we insert esti¬ 
mates based upon comparisons of the population, 
etc., of similarly situated States and Territories— 
founding the detail estimates of Massachusetts, for 
example, upon the official figures for Connecticut, 
and those of Tennessee upon those of Kentucky. 
Our detail estimates for Texas and for the seven new 
States and Territories grouped together, may be 
somewhat wide of the mark in individual cases, 
but this will not materially affect the total results, 
and have no effect upon the other comparisons. 
TABLE A.—The Farms of the United States and Territories. 
States. 
Total Number of 
Farms. 
Number 
Occu¬ 
pied by 
Owners. 
Rent¬ 
ed for 
Mon¬ 
ey. 
No. 
Rented 
on 
Shares 
1,000 
Acres , 
and 
Over. 
500 
to 
1,000 
Acres. 
100 
to 
500 
Acres. 
50 
to 
20 
to 
50 
Acres 
10 
to 
20 
Acres 
3 
to 
10 
Acres 
Un¬ 
der 
3 
Acres 
1870. 
1880. 
Acres. 
Alabama. 
67,382 
135,864 
72,215 
22,888 
40,761 
1,868 
4,645 
44,254 
26,447 
41,721 
13,055 
3,597 
277 
Arkansas.... 
49,424 
94,433 
65,245 
9,916 
19,272 
618 
1,793 
37,976 
21,787 
19,282 
10,780 
2,070 
97 
California. .. 
23,724 
35.934 
2S.810 
3,209 
3,915 
2,531 
3,108 
20,214 
3,969 
3,475 
1,430 
1,641 
143 
Connecticut.. 
25,503 
30.598 
27,472 
1,920 
1,206 
17 
133 
9,511 
8,107 
7,288 
3,247 
2,261 
34 
Dakota. 
1,720 
17,435 
16 757 
72 
606 
74 
246 
16,253 
547 
210 
63 
36 
6 
Delaware .... 
7,615 
8,749 
5,041 
511 
3.197 
9 
66 
4,631 
2,039 
1,205 
484 
311 
4 
Florida. 
10,241 
23,438 
16,198 
3,548 
8,692 
377 
652 
6,562 
4,381 
7,640 
2,456 
1,301 
69 
Georgia. 
69,956 
138,6>6 
76.451 
18,557 
43,618 
3,491 
7,017 
53,635 
26,054 
36,524 
8,694 
3,110 
101 
Illinois. 
202,803 
255,711 
175,497 
20,620 
59,624 
649 
3,249 
116,562 
76,080 
46,594 
8,:99 
4,170 
138 
Indiana. 
161,289 
194,013 
147,963 
8.582 
37,468 
275 
1,320 
72.103 
64,030 
43,403 
8,019 
4,663 
200 
Iowa. 
116,292 
ia5,351 
141,177 
8,421 
35,753 
364 
2.298 
95,163 
58,519 
23,488 
3,334 
2,063 
122 
Kansas. 
38,202 
138,561 
115,910 
4,438 
18,213 
235 
1,169 
93,823 
31,078 
9,539 
1,658 
997 
62 
Kentucky.... 
118,422 
166,453 
122,426 
16,824 
27,203 
1,112 
3,802 
69,472 
40,594 
30,673 
13,728 
6,759 
313 
Louisiana.. 
28,481 
48.292 
31.2S6 
6,669 
10,337 
1,319 
2,159 
15,031 
8,501 
12,626 
6,108 
1.848 
100 
Maine. 
59,804 
64.309 
61,528 
1,628 
1,153 
116 
378 
25,035 
22,025 
11,489 
3,132 
2,309 
95 
Maryland. 
27,000 
40,517 
27,978 
3,878 
8,661 
77 
728 
19,792 
7,768 
5,948 
3,293 
2,760 
151 
Massachus’s* 
26,500 
38,406 
34,406 
2,500 
1,500 
22 
167 
12,000 
10,000 
9,000 
4,250 
2,900 
67 
Michigan. 
98,736 
154,008 
138,597 
5,015 
10,396 
84 
408 
45.391 
55,777 
45,029 
4,514 
2.737 
68 
Minnesota.... 
46,500 
92,386 
83,933 
1,251 
7,202 
145 
741 
56,375 
25.530 
8,003 
952 
604 
36 
Mississippi .. 
68,023 
101,772 
57,214 
17,4-10 
27,118 
1,833 
3,936 
35.493 
19,318 
26,836 
11,936 
2,336 
84 
Missouri. 
148,323 
215,575 
156,703 
19,843 
39,029 
685 
3,536 
97,359 
58,030 
43,736 
8,647 
3,460 
122 
[Nebraska.... 
12,301 
63,387 
51,903 
1,948 
9,476 
118 
666 
41,542 
16,652 
3,701 
708 
355 
45 
N.Hampshire 
29,642 
32,181 
29,566 
1,237 
1,378 
104 
385 
13,446 
8,716 
5,662 
2,036 
1,721 
111 
New Jersey.. 
30.652 
31,307 
25,869 
3,608 
4,830 
60 
147 
10,674 
9,617 
7,682 
3.721 
2,312 
64 
New Mexico. 
4,480 
5,053 
4,645 
22 
386 
43 
56 
910 
484 
849 
1,055 
1,633 
14 
New York... 
216,253 
241,058 
201,186 
18,124 
21,748 
281 
1,315 
96,273 
70,661 
40,386 
17,229 
14,543 
370 
No. Carolina. 
93,565 
157,609 
104,887 
8,644 
44,078 
1,721 
5,063 
61,806 
34,007 
31,148 
13,314 
7,273 
277 
Ohio. 
195,953 
217.189 
199,562 
14,834 
32,793 
252 
1.309 
92,645 
78,798 
49,365 
14,157 
10,951 
212 
Oregon. 
7,5S7 
16,217 
213,542 
13.938 
741 
1,538 
S52 
1,280 
11,791 
1,723 
679 
207 
172 
13 
Pennsylvania 
174,041 
168,220 
17,049 
28,273 
244 
922 
78,877 
63,927 
S8.331 
16,976 
14,017 
250 
Rhode' Island 
5,368 
6,216 
4,980 
989 
247 
5 
48 
‘2,029 
1,706 
1,391 
607 
418 
12 
So. Carolina. 
51,889 
93,864 
46,645 
21,974 
25,245 
1,635 
3,693 
27,735 
13,612 
25,517 
12,519 
7,035 
118 
Tennessee* .. 
118,141 
165,650 
122.150 
16,500 
27,000 
1,100 
3,800 
69,100 
40,400 
30,500 
13,700 
6,730 
320 
Texas*. 
61,125 
174,184 
125,984 
13,200 
35,000 
1,500 
4,084 
123,000 
37,500 
3,000 
2,725 
2,175 
200 
Utah. 
4,908 
9,452 
9,019 
60 
373 
9 
36 
1.916 
2.056 
3,688 
1,313 
416 
18 
Vermont. 
33,837 
35,522 
30,760 
2,164 
2,598 
97 
585 
19,185 
7,822 
3,973 
1,767 
1,488 
7,012 
5 
Virginia. 
73.849 
118,517 
83,531 
13,392 
21,594 
1,563 
5,561 
53,101 
22,144 
19,322 
9,663 
101 
Washlng’n T. 
3,127 
6,529 
6,058 
209 
262 
62 
252 
5,239 
611 
207 
71 
74 
13 
W. Virginia.. 
39,778 
62,674 
50,673 
4,292 
7,709 
845 
2,255 
30,301 
14,461 
44,719 
8,488 
3,463 
2,797 
64 
Wisconsin.. . 
Ariz; Col.; 
102,904 
134,322 
122,163 
3,119 
8,440 
109 
666 
60,296 
22,718 
3,200 
2,516 
98 
D. C.; Ida.; ! » 
Mon.;Nev.; ( 
Wyoming. J 
4,595 
10,972 
* 7,100 
* 2,500 
* 1,372 
* 400 
* 500 
* 8,000 
* 1.322 
* 400 
* 150 
* 100 
*100 
Total. 
2,949,035 
4,008,907 
3,011,906 
322,736 
674,265 
26,631 
74,174 
1,754,501 
1,041,020 
733,716 237,260 
i 135,701 j 4,694 
’ Estimated, except for the first two columns, which are Official. 
The Total Number of Farms, Families, 
and Dwellings.— The number of farms exceeds 
four millions, or about one farm to every twelve 
inhabitants, old and young. The total number of 
families in the United States in 1880, was 9,945,916. 
There were therefore about 100 farms for eveiy 243 
families, or rather more than two farms to every 
five families—cities, villages and country included. 
About half of the entire population are engaged 
in agriculture.—The dwellings, in city and country, 
number 8,955,812, a little more than double the 
number of farms.—The total of farms for 1870 are 
also given, but that Census was far less thorough 
than for 1880. According to the present figures 
for 1870, there were then 2,949,035 farms. The re¬ 
ports published at that time gave the total number 
of farms at only 2,659,985, and evidently too low. 
Number of Farms, by States. —Illinois 
leads off with over a quarter of a million. The 
rank of the States is shown in the following tables : 
Group A.— Having Over 200,000 Farms. 
Illinois.255,741 I New Y*>rk.. .241,058 I Penn. 213,542 
Ohio.247,189 | Missouri....215,575 | Total. ...1,173,105 
Group B.—Having Over 150,000 Farms. 
Indiana.194,013 j Kentucky.. .166,453 I N. Carolina..157,609 
Iowa. 185,351 Tennessee ..165,650 | Michigan_154,008 
Texas.174,184 1 Total ...1,197,268 
Group C.— Having Over 100,000 Farms. 
Georgia.138.626 I Alabama... .135,864 I Virginia.118,517 
Kansas. 138,561 Wisconsin...134,322 | Mississippi..101,772 
Total ...-.767,662 
The first five contain over 28 per cent of all the 
farms in the entire 47 States and Territories ; while 
the ten States in groups A and B, with 2,030,535 
farms, contain just about as many as all the 37 
others ; and the 18 States in the three groups num¬ 
ber very nearly 78 per cent of all the farms. 
Most Farms to the Area of land surface 
(excluding water areas): Connecticut leads with 
about six and one-third (6.32) farms for each square 
mile, followed by Ohio, Rhode Island, etc., thus : 
Farms to Square Mile, 
Conn..6.32 1 N. Y.5.06, Ill.4.56[Md.4.11 
Ohio.6.0 C Penn.4.80J Del.4.42 Vt.3.87 
R, 1 .5.73 N. J.4.60* Ky .4.16'Tenn..3.34 
In Great Farms, (and Plantations,) having 
1,000 acres or more, Georgia leads, followed thus: 
Group D.—Farms Over 1,000 Acres. 
■Georgia. 3,197 ; Mississippi. 1,8331 Virginia.. 1,563 
■California. 2,531 N. Carolina_ 1,721 Louisiana. 1,319 
Alabama. 1,868 S. Carolina._ 1,635 Kentucky. 1,112 
Texas and Tennessee probably belong in this group. 
Group E.— Farms op 500 to 1,000 Acres. 
Georgia.. .7,017|Miss. 
Va.5,561 Ky.. 
N. C.5,063|S. C. 
Ala.4,645'Mo.. 
,3,9761 Ill.,.3,249 
.3,802 Iowa.2,298 
.3,693 La.2,159 
.3,536' Ark.1,793 
Ind..1,320 
N. Y.1,315 
Ohio.1,309 
Oregon... 1,280 
Tennessee and Texas probably belong to this group also. 
Of Medium Farms, 100 to 500 acres, gener¬ 
ally 160 acres, or “ quarter sections,” the following 
fifteen States have over 40,000 each, viz. : 
Group F.— Farms of 100 to 499 Acres. 
Illinois..l 16,562 
Mo. 97,359 
N. Y.... 96,273 
Kansas.. 93,823 
Ohio.92,645, N. C.61,806iVirginia.53,101 
Penn ... .78,877 Wis. .60,296 Mich.45,391 
Ind.72,103 Minn ... .56,375 Neb.41,542 
Ky.69,4721 Georgia. 53,635 Tex., Tenn.(?l 
Of Small Farms, 50 to 100 acres, many of 
those in the West being “half” or “quarter sec¬ 
tions,” fifteen States have over 25,000 each, viz. : 
Group G.— Farms of 50 to 99 Acres. 
Ohio.78,298 
Illinois..76.080 
N. Y.70,661 
Ind.......64,030 
Penn.. ..63,927] 
Iowa.58,519 
Mo.58,030 
Mich.55,7771 
Wis.44,719 
Ky.40,594 
N. C.34,007 
Kansas. .31,078 
Ala.26,417 
Georgia.,26,054 
Minn ... .25,530 
Tex., Tenn.i?! 
Of Very Small Farms, having 20 acres and 
under 50 acres, Ohio leads with nearly 50,000, and 
16 States contain over or nearly 20,000 such farms : 
Group H.— Farms of 20 to 49 Acres. 
Ohio.49,365|Iowa.....43,403i Georgia..36,524ilowa— 23,488 
Illinois..46,594 Ala.41,726 N. C .34,148 Wis.22,781 
Mich.45,029 N. York.40,386 Ky.30,673 Va.19,S22 
Mo.43,736lPenn_38,33b Miss_.26,836 Ark.19,283 
Of Diminutive Farms, under 10 acres each, 
there are about 135,000 reported. These probably 
consist largely of those cul ti vated as market gardens, 
near cities, and with specially valuable products, as 
Tobacco and early vegetables, etc. The twenty 
States having over 2,100 of these reported are: 
Group I.— Farms Over 3 and Under 10 Acres. 
N. Y.14,543 
Penn ... .14,017 
Ohio.10,951 
N. C.7,273 
S. C. 7,035 
Virginia. 7,012 
Ky. 6,759 
Indiana.. .4,663 
Illinois.. .4,170 
Alabama. 3,597 
Missouri. 3,460 
Georgia...3,110 
W. Va... .2,797 
Md.2,760 
Mich.2,737 
Wis. 
N. J.... 
Miss.... 
Maine. 
Conn... 
.2,516 
.2,342 
.2.336 
2.309 
.2,261 
Group K..—Farms Under 3 Acres. 
In Butter, made on the farm, not including 
factory products, New York leads with 111,922,423 
lbs., followed by Pennsylvania, Ohio, etc., thus : 
Pounds of Butter by Census of 1880. 
N.Y. 111,922,423 
Pa... 79,336,012 
Ohio 67,634,263 
Io«fe.55,481,958 Ind...37,377,797 
Ill.V .53,657,9431 Wis...33,353,045 
Mich.38,821,890 Mo...28,572,124 
Vt....25,240,826 
Kans.21,671,762 
Minn 19,161,385 
These twelve States produced just three-fourths, 
or 75 per cent, of all made in the United States and 
Territories. Six others produced over 10,000,000 
pounds, and twelve others over 5,000,000 pounds. 
In Cheese, made on the farm, not including fac¬ 
tory products, New York also leads far ahead 
with 8,362,590 pounds, followed by California and 
others producing over 500,000 pounds each, thus : 
Pounds of Cheese by Census of 1830. 
N. Y..8,362,590 
Cal.... 2,566,618 
Wis...2,281,411 
Ohio. .2,170,245 
Vt.... 1,545,789 
Maine.1,167,730 
Iowa..1,075,988 
Ill.1,035,069 
Penn..1,008,686 
Conn. 
Mass. 
N. H. 
...826,195 
.. .817,028 
...807,676 
Three States, New York, California, and Wiscon¬ 
sin, are credited with about one-half of all farm- 
made Cheese in the whole country, while the abova 
12 States produced seven and a half times as much 
Cheese as all the other 35 States and Territories. 
Farm Animals in the United States, 
Nearly One Hundred and Thirty-one Millions.— 
Sundry Surprising and Interesting Figures, 
Comparisons, Etc. 
The full Census Reports for 1880, when com- 
New York.370iOhio.212 
Kentucky. .313 Indiana_200 
Alabama.. .277 Maryland . .151 
N. Caroli’a.277 California .143 
Pennsyl’a. .2501 Illinois 138 
Iowa.122 
Missouri.. .122 
S. Carolina.118 
N. Hamps.,111 
Georgia... .101 
Virginia. .101 
Louisiana. .101 
Wisconsin.. 98 
Arkansas .. 97 
Maine. 95 
Dairy Products of the United States. 
The last three columns of the large table (B) 
supply some striking, as well as interesting items. 
The Milk consumed as milk (529,979,992 gallons) 
would fill a round lake 5 feet deep and about 4,300 
feet (five-sixths of a mile) in diameter. If loaded 
upon railway cars, 100 cans of 40 gallons each to 
the car, 13,249 cars would be needed, and these 
would make up a train over 100 miles long, allow¬ 
ing 40 feet to the car. 
In Millt used, Illinois leads with 45,419,719 gal¬ 
lons, followed by Massachusetts, with two-thirds 
as much, and New York with over half the quantity. 
pleted, will present many useful statistics.—In the 
dfeantime, we have prepared from official advance 
sheets for our readers several items, comparisons, 
etc., which will be interesting, and serve for future 
reference, in a more condensed form than they will 
appear in the official tables. If, before examining 
the following statements, any reader will ask him¬ 
self, and answer, in what States we shall find the 
greater number of Horses, Mules, Cows, Sheep, 
Swine, etc., we think the one who does so will be 
much surprised at the facts brought out by the of¬ 
ficial enumerations epitomized on next page. The 
numbers given take into account chiefly the ani¬ 
mals in possession of owners or cultivators of 
farms, excluding neat cattle, sheep, and other ani¬ 
mals kept on western ranches, on public lands; 
also excluding Horses, Mules, Cows and Swine in 
cities and villages, not used for farming purposes ; 
also excluding spring lambs of 1880, and reckon- 
