Linn County, Missouri - Chapter 11, 1912

Assessed Valuation of Linn County in 1881 - Some Comparative Statistics - Last Census Bulletin Values Linn County Farm Land at $54.80 per Acre - Thirteen Farms of 1,000 Acres and Over - Rapid Rise in Missouri Land Values - Linn County's Total Taxable Wealth, $10,217,242.05- - Report on Live Stock - Some Important Figures on Missouri - Corn Crop of State Valued at $107,347,000 - Wheat Crop, $29,926,000 - Tenant Farmers Thrive - General Farming Conditions Satisfactory.

The petition for the incorporation of the town of Eversonville was presented to the county court November 7, and granted. Its first officers, as a board of trustees, were J. F. Harris, J. H. Tharp, John Blodgett, W. B. Brinkley and J. A. Hudson.

MeadA'ille was incorporated by the county court, January 4, as a city of the fourth class. George W. Goldman was mayor and John Crafton, marshal.

The assessed valuation of Linn county for 1881 was, real estate, $2,560,063; personal property, $1,612,021; total valuation, $4,172,084. As a comparative table the Government Census Bulletin for 1910 is interesting. It gives the value of all farm property in Linn county at $28,862,815. In 1900 Linn county farm property was valued $14,- 093,253. The percentage of increase between 1900 and 1910 was 104.8. The Thirteenth Census Bulletin of the United States, but recently issued, contains some interesting statistics concerning the development of Missouri counties in the decade between 1900 and 1910. It gives Linn county a population of 25,253. There is but one county in the Second Congressional district that has a larger population. Randolph county has 26,182. For the purpose of comparison the statistics of a few of the larger and more populous counties of the district are here given :

Linn county's approximate land area is 400,640 acres. The other counties mentioned above have the following areas: Livingston, 339,840 acres; Chariton, 491,520 acres; Randolph, 314,240 acres.

The percentage of improved land in those counties is as follows: Linn county, 85.5; Livingston county, 81.1; Chariton county, 85; Randolph county, 78.5.

The value of land per acre in Linn county has increased, according to the government's bulletin, from $23.63 per acre in 1900 to $54.80 in 1910. The government's report of land values in the neighboring counties is as follows :

These figures, compiled by the government, an absolutely unbiased source, tell the story of Linn county's agricultural development and standing better than columns of description.

The high value placed upon the land by the government's report was because of the productivity of the soil and its superior qualities generally. The remarkable fact that the value has considerably more than doubled in the last decade is due to increased energy in development and a better understanding of the soil capacity.

Another development that caused the rapid rise in value of Missouri lands within the period referred to was a recognition by Iowa and Illinois farmers that Missouri land had been valued ridiculously low. As a consequence, in the early part of the decade thousands of farmers in those and other northern and eastern states sold their homes and came into Missouri, taking up the $20 and $25 land as fast as they could get it. This had a great effect in opening the eyes of the Missourians to the real value of their land and prices shot up rapidly. Still, many conservative ones say that the price is yet low ; that it will advance until it is as high as land in Iowa and Illinois, which is not more fertile than Missouri soil and commands a much higher price.

In the above the writer has simply sought to bring out the standing of Linn county as shown by the report of the government. As touching the state in general a recent article in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, compiled from the same source, presents the following interesting and valuable information for the farmer:

The Missouri farmer, aided by his able assistants, the Missouri hen, the Missouri cow, and the Missouri mule, succeeded in almost doubling the value of farm propertj' in the state during the decade ending April 15, 1910, the date of the United States census which reveals these figures. The census report on Missouri's agricultural resources has just been issued from the office of E. Dana Durand, director of the census.

The Census Bureau sagelj^ remarks, however, that in taking into consideration the increase in values in agriculture the general increase in prices of all commodities during the same decade should be borne in mind. It may be, therefore, that the farmer is not so much better off now than he was ten years ago, despite increased prices paid for his produce.

The total acreage of improved land in the state rose during the last decade. Only 78.6 per cent of improved land is reported as farms, of which 71.1 per cent of the total area of the state is improved land. The unimproved condition of many of the counties in the Ozarks is to be blamed for this. A glance at the map which accompanies the report shows that six counties, Iron, Shannon, Reynolds, Carter, New Madrid and Pemiscot counties show less than 40 per cent of land area in farms. More backward in this respect even than these swampy or mountainous counties is the city of St. Louis, which is reported by the Census Bureau as having only 13 per cent of its area in farm lands. However, St. Louis city and county make the best showing in the value of their farm lands. With the farm lands of Jackson county, whereof the metropolis is Kansas City, they have the exclusive privilege of being designated on the map with a solid color showing value of farm lands over $125 per acre. The map indicates that the average value of lands in Taney county is $8.18 per acre ; in Shannon county, $9.94 an acre, and in Ozark county, $6.29 per acre.

The leading crop in Missouri is corn, valued at $107,347,000, with wheat valued at $29,926,000. The value of the state's hay and forage crops is $33,845,000. Oats is valued at $10,254,000, and potatoes at $4,470,000, while cotton shows the comfortable total of $3,392,000. The statistics show that the acreage of corn has decreased slightly, as has also that of wheat. The acreage of cotton has doubled and that of oats, hay and potatoes has increased.

Great as is the credit that belongs to the Missouri farmer, it must be remembered that he owes most of his profits to his dumb servants, the horses, mules, cattle and poultry. The value of farm animals for the state was $285,839,108, an increase of 78 per cent over the value ten years before. Strangest of the figures is the decrease in the value of Missouri cattle, despite the increase in the price of meat. The figures furnish an alibi when Missouri farmers are accused of getting the extra price the consmner pays for steak in these days. Although census reports give no reason for the decline in the value of Missouri cattle, the figures support the claims of the farmers that they are raising beef on an unaccountable narrow margin, their profits being kept down by the packers. The value of Missouri cattle was $72,883,664, a decrease of 3.7 per cent in ten years. Of this number the value of the dairy cattle was $30,620,097.

"The value of horses and colts is more than one and one-half times that of the cattle, and the two together represent about 65 per cent of the value of all the live stock, while mules and mule colts represent 15.2 per cent, swine 11.2 per cent, and poultry 4.2 per cent.

The number of turkeys, geese and ducks decreased during the past ten years, but this was more than offset by the increase in the number and value of the chickens. The estimated value of all poultry was $11,871,000, or an increase of 107.5 per cent.

About three farms in every twenty report bees. The number of colonies of bees decreased slightly, but their value increased from $508,217 to $584,549, or 15 per cent. There are only 277,244 farm owners in Missouri, holders and producers of all this wealth. Of these, 259,111 are native white and 14,467 are foreign born. Whites mostly own the fanns they work, for only 12.7 per cent of them are tenants.

Great as was the increase in the value of farm products, there was a corresponding increase in the cost of producing them. Farm labor cost $18,644,695 in the year of 1909, or an increase of 90.2 per cent over the amount expended in 1899. The cost of feed was $17,148,- 008, which was probably larger than in 1899, although the figures for that year were not reported. Fertilizer cost $671,073, which was an increase of 81.1 per cent. Only 6.6 per cent of Missouri farms use fertilizer, and the average expenditure for that purpose is only $36.40 per farm.

The census report indicates a tendency towards larger and better cultivated farms in Missouri. The average farm increased from 119.3 acres to 124.8 acres. There was a decrease of 2.7 per cent in the number of farms and an increase of 1.7 in the area of farm land.

Very satisfactory is the showing regarding tenant farmers. Thirty out of every hundred farms in Missouri are operated by tenants, but there has been no appreciable increase in the number of tenants during the decade. About two-thirds of the tenant farms are rented on a sharing basis and the remainder are rented for cash.

That portion of the report which deals with mortgaged farms shows that the number of mortgages has increased from 80,662 in 1899 to 88,486 in 1910. This condition is generally taken as an indication of prosperity, showing that the farmers have borrowed money to put into their business. The report shows that the amount of the mortgage debt of Missouri farms is '$112,465,403, secured by lands and buildings valued at $398,476,000.

Taken altogether, the figures indicate that, despite the movement of population from the country to the city, the farmer continues to prosper. Those who move to town sell their land to neighbors, so that there has been an increase of the size of farms, yet the farmers continue to work their own lands in the majority of cases. The decrease in the acreage of corn and wheat is due to the tendency toward a more diversified system of farming. Cattle feeding for beef production seems to have fallen off slightly, but the number and value of other domestic animals kept, such as horses, mules, swine, poultry and bees, has increased.