The Church on the changing frontier

by Helen Olive Belknap

II

FARMS AND FARM PROPERTY IN THE RANGE COUNTIES ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL CENSUSES FOR 1910 AND 1920

Farms Operated by Owners		Beaverhead				Hughes				Sheridan				Union
		1920		1910		1920		1910		1920		1910		1920		1910
Number of farms		559		456		245		308		734		626		2,282		1,891
Per cent. of all farms		87.1		85.1		67.5		82.1		75.5		78.3		86		98.3
Land in farms (acres)		490,453		324,248		151,684		124,686		455,057		302,076		2,043,800		716,506
Improved land in farms (acres)		214,638		194,592		69,052		45,675		68,729		63,631		216,881		70,047
Value of land, buildings (dollars)		12,753,847		6,021,007		6,291,101		3,136,356		10,454,136		6,742,704		22,052,531		3,973,909
Number of farmers owning entire farm		506		439		165		219		591		503		1,670		1,822
Number of farmers hiring additional land		53		17		80		89		143		123		612		69
Color and Nativity of Owners
Number of native whites		385		305		187		224		595		519		2,241		1,809
Number of foreign-horn whites		174		151		47		64		131		105		38		77
Number of non-whites		0		0		11		20		8		2		3		5
Farms Operated by Tenants
Number of farms		46		55		112		63		198		164		344		22
Per cent. of all farms		7.2		10.3		30.9		16.8		20.4		20.5		13		1.1
Land in farms (acres)		42,489		43,196		117,163		34,283		86,147		108,233		292,004		14,305
Improved land in farms (acres)		18,536		25,565		65,200		16,136		28,832		28,922		37,362		1,705
Value of land and buildings (dollars)		1,410,170		1,056,695		3,459,605		933,680		3,663,700		2,616,525		3,424,668		88,840
Color and Nativity of Tenants
Number of native whites		37		38		396		57		173		150		289		20
Number of foreign-born whites		9		15		141		6		24		12		54		2
Number of non-whites		0		2		0		0		1		2		1		0
Farms operated by managers
Number of farms		37		25		6		4		40		9		26		10
Land in farms (acres)		104,067		93,871		16,060		6,100		84,592		11,234		179,718		83,200
Improved land in farms (acres)		37,429		55,373		9,985		720		15,824		2,815		19,505		878
Value of land and buildings (dollars)		2,900,920		1,520,630		352,500		103,560		2,483,650		240,200		1,834,472		306,210

As is usual in districts that have been homesteaded, the proportion of ownership is high. But because of absentee ownership, land companies operating over large areas and high taxes, the rate of tenancy is increasing.

III

ACREAGE AND VALUE OF CULTIVATED CROPS IN THE RANGE COUNTIES ACCORDING TO FEDERAL CENSUSES FOR 1910 AND 1920

		Beaverhead				Hughes				Sheridan				Union
Cereals		1920		1910		1920		1910		1920		1910		1920		1910
Corn						10,740		4,352		292		200		51,077		3,220
Oats		4,118		15,255		2,891		3,684		2,916		8,043		2,819		431
Wheat		2,157		763		4,499		3,761		11,466		9,898		14,094		377
Barley		903		225		1,560		131		801		1,601		552		3
Rye		47		96		962		96		93		224		618		10
Hay and Forage
All tame and cultivated crops		36,243		26,996		4,667		827		35,067		35,766		7,925		2,688
Special Crops
Potatoes		198		408		219		272		267		808		619		157
All other vegetables		9		87		25		132		35		367		142		365
		Dollars		Dollars		Dollars		Dollars		Dollars		Dollars		Dollars		Dollars
Value of all crops		$3,883,480		$1,529,830		$1,141,939		$ 225,315		$1,655,937		$1,108,967		$5,198,986		$ 295,293
Cereals		200,733		414,539		539,471		78,654		335,719		368,205		3,050,879		84,410
Hay and forage		3,597,990		1,080,093		505,323		103,592		1,036,246		596,473		1,092,554		152,494
Vegetables		80,421		33,622		49,673		15,336		109,670		110,087		110,700		18,687
Dairy products		64,083		41,176		71,379		29,162		174,759		85,512		313,632		18,230

The most important crops are hay and forage in Beaverhead and Sheridan; in Union cereal crops; in Hughes, both in nearly equal proportions. Dairying is a comparatively new development.