Farm Mortgages and Tenancy

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 26, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 46.

Farm Mortgages and Tenancy

The Census Bureau Bulletin does not indicate such a great year of prosperity for the farmers as it does for the trusts. There are 6,361,502 farms of all kinds in the United States. Of 3,948,722 of them, 1,327,439 are mortgaged, an increase in 1910 of nearly 18 per cent over 1900. And 2,621,283 are not mortgaged, an increase of only 4½ per cent. Of the remaining 2,412,780 farms, the bureau discreetly makes no report on the subject of mortgages. Of these, something over 58,104 are operated by managers, and 2,354,676 are occupied by tenants. There has seemingly been a tremendous growth in tenantry instead of ownership. One third of those who pursue agriculture do not own the soil they till. It is a question as to who owns the millions of rented farms.