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Show GRASSROOTS Farmers Are Enjoying More Prosperity Than Ever By Wright A. Patterson THE FACTS AND FIGURES used in this column were provided by a national life insurance company. com-pany. As compared with the conditions of the mid-twenties and early thirties, thir-ties, those operating the 6,372,000 farms of to-day are following the sunny side of the farm prosperity road, thanks to a beneficent government. gov-ernment. Farm mortgages are not now being foreclosed by the thousands thou-sands each day or week, as was true of that time mortgages representing rep-resenting farm purchases made at exhorbitant prices for land. By last year, 1950, mortgage foreclosures foreclos-ures were practically over. The farm had grown from an average 146 acres in 1900 to an average size of 195 acres in 1950, and the mortgage had dropped to an average aver-age of only $850 per farm, a mere 8tt per cent of the value of the farm and its equipment. That reduction of the farm mortgage represents but one evidence .of farm prosperity. That average American farmer farm-er of 1950 was 49 years old. His 195 acres of land and his farm buildings were worth $10,000. His farm machinery and motor vehicles, with live stock and poultry to a value of $2,100, represent rep-resent a total plant value for each of the 6,372,000 farms of $14,300. For each farm there was produced pro-duced In 1950 crops representing represent-ing a cash value of $4,350, plus $350 worth of the products of each farm ased by the fans family. In the aggregate, American Amer-ican agriculture is a big business, busi-ness, and again prosperous, with Its more than six million producing pro-ducing units sharing in the total to-tal of more than 30 billion dollars dol-lars of production, an average for each farm of $4,700, with an average holding of about $14,300 for each farm, exclusive exclu-sive of home furnishings and home equipment. Through the past half century the farm has increased its production despite the fact that the farm population pop-ulation has decreased by some 12 per cent. With better methods, better bet-ter seed, bettor equipment, better livestock and more fertilizer, the man hour production has increased in-creased in the past 10 years by more than 35 per cent. Thanka to the American farmer, the American Amer-ican farm has more than kept pace with other American production. It has done its full part in all of our war efforts. It has provided food for our armed forces, and for those of our allies. Half a century ig0, in 1900 the average net income on American farms amounted to only $350 per year. Twenty five years later it was $960, and in 1950 the average annual an-nual net Income amounted to $2,225. That increase was not all due to the government policies of guaranteeing guar-anteeing a parity priCe for farm products. Much of it was due to the habits of thrift and industry that is so much an attribute of the farm. Those things, mors than the parity prices maintained at the expense . of the taxpayers, were responsible for the restoration of the farm to its place in the national economy. The people of the cities and towns should realize that it Is not congress, nor any one at Washington, who is responsible for present farm conditions, but that such conditions have largely large-ly been produced by the characteristic char-acteristic industry and thrift of those on the farms. The figures are, of course, general averages. There are exceptions. There are farms on which thrift and industry are not found, but such instances are the exceptions rather than the rule. As a whole, the farm is enjoying an unusual degree of prosperity, due to the efforts of the farmers and the farm families. Farming is again an acceptable way of living. Today To-day it enjoys not only Its share of cash income, but the conveniences of living that were so long considered con-sidered the perogatives of the urban ur-ban population where electricity was available. The electric power is provided by the farm owned co-operatives, of which the average farm has invested in-vested $350. That investment provides pro-vides him with a telephone, with electricity for light and power. It provides for him and his family the same conveniences that are enjoyed by those living In the cities. Yes, the American farmer Is again living on the sunny side of easy street His balance at his local bank is as large as is that of , the average city dwellers. |