Compares Farm Census Figures for Two Counties
The county papers have already carried the report of the summary of the Farm Census for Accomack and Northampton Counties but this summary was for each county alone and made no effort to compare results in the two counties. Such comparison would prove interesting as well as furnish a little food for thought.
In 1920 Accomack reported 3413 farms while in 1925 the number was 3206, a loss of 207 farms. Northampton gained 179 farms in the same period, reporting 1259 in 1920 and 1438 in 1925. These farms in Accomack were operated by 2075 white farmers in 1920 and 2226 in 1925, a gain of 149 white farmers. Northampton reported 760 white farmers in 1920 and 907 in 1925, a gain of 147. Accomack shows fewer farms but more farmers in 1925 than in 1920 while Northampton shows an increase of both which is what one might naturally expect. Accomack shows 1131 colored farmers in 1920 and 1192 in 1921, a gain of 61. Northampton reports 499 colored farmers in 1920 and 531 in 1925, a gain of 32.
As to owners there were 1242 in 1920 as compared to 1370 in 1925, showing 128 more farm owners in 1925 than in 1920. Northampton showed a much greater increase, the 563 owners in 1920 changing to 729 in 1925, an increase of 216. It would be interesting to know why. Accomack's eight managers of farms in 1920 had dropped to four in 1925 while Northampton's thirteen had reduced to two. Accomack had 1956 tenants in 1920, and 2044 in 1925, a gain of 88. Northampton dropped in the same time 683 to 657. This explains part of the increase in farm owners, probably.
The farm acreage shows some interesting figures. In 1920 Accomack showed "all land in farms" to be 156,788 acres. In 1925, 144,513, showing 12,275 acres less in 1925 than in 1920. Northampton also shows a decrease, her 82,892 acres changing to 79,464. The value of lands and buildings also shows a decrease in one county, a valuation of $16,351,025 in Northampton changing to $14,669,905. In Accomack the figures show $21,406,910 in 1920 and $22,273,700 in 1925. Why does Northampton show a decrease in the value of land and buildings while at the same time showing an increase in the number of farms? I believe generally Northampton lays claim to better buildings on her farms than does Accomack.
Reports frequently show that the automobile has displaced the horse and the census reports bear this out. Whether or not the decrease of horses in Accomack from 5231 to 4795 in 1920 can be traced entirely to the automobile is another question since the mules increased at the same time from 2973 to 4348, a loss of 436 horses but a gain of 1375 mules. Northampton's horses dropped from 2892 to 2,520, a loss of 372 horses but at the same time she only gained 397 mules, going from 1841 to 2238. Are there more tractors at work in Northampton than in Accomack and is it the tractor that is taking the place of the mule? Cows show an increase in Accomack but hogs show less, and the report for Northampton is the same. Accomack has 2538 dairy cows in 1920 and 3399 five years later. Northampton had 1,110 in 1920 and 1773 five years later. Hogs in Accomack changed from 10,319 to 9659, and in Northampton from 8,921 to 5071, a loss here of 3850. What does Northampton do for meat? Incidentally, this report is in keeping with that all over the country.
The crop reports probably are the most interesting. 32,341 acres in Accomack in 1919 produced 559,185 bushels of corn, a yield of 17.3 bushels per acre. In 1924 25,255 acres produced 537,381 bushels, a yield of 21.2 bushels per acre. Here was a loss of 7086 acres planted in corn but a gain of 3.9 bushels per acre. Was the gain due to improved methods in farming? Northampton had in 1919 23,024 acres in corn, producing 669,650 bushels, a yield of 29 bushels per acre. In 1924, the acreage had dropped to 15,884, with a yield of 407,815 bushels, a yield per acre of 25.6 bushels. Northampton's loss per acre in the five-year was about equal to Accomack's gain.
Now for potatoes, one of the three things for which the Eastern Shore has long been noted. In 1919 Accomack had 30,611 acres in Irish potatoes, producing 4,272,665 bushels of potatoes, a yield of 140 bushels or 46.6 barrels per acre. In 1924 she had 35,282 acres in Irish potatoes producing 6,731,160 bushels, a yield of 191 bushels per acre or 63.6 barrels to the acre, a gain of 17 barrels to the acre during the five year period, as well as an increase of 4,671 acres.
At the same time Northampton had 22,656 acres in Irish potatoes, producing 3,248,099 bushels of potatoes, a yield of 143.3 bushels or 47.7 barrels per acre. In 1924 she had 33,434 acres, producing 6,165,840 bushels of potatoes, a yield of 184.4 bushels per acre or 61.4 barrels. According to these figures Accomack had a yield of two barrels more to the acre in 1924 than did Northampton though Northampton had increased her acreage by 10,778 and Accomack 4671.
In 1919 Accomack had 18,835 acres in sweet potatoes and raised 3,332,168 bushels, a yield of 177 bushels per acre or 59 barrels. 1924 she showed only 14,727 acres with a yield of 2,540,156 bushels giving 179 bushes per acre, or 59.7 barrels. Practically no change as to yield in the two years, though a considerable loss as to number of acres.
Northampton had in 1919, 4,848 acres in sweet potatoes producing 846,682 bushels, a yield of 178.7 bushels per acre, or 59.9 barrels. In 1924, 2746 acres produced 421,808 bushels, a yield of 154 bushels or 51.3 barrels per acre, a loss of 8.6 barrels per acre.
This study has been made, not with a view of pointing out the respective merits of one county as compared to the other, but to give some idea of the similarities or differences in connection with the things in which both counties are mainly interested. We may read figures after figures when applied to either of the counties alone but these figures will take on an entirely new meaning when we see them in comparative terms, and it is only by comparisons that we measure ourselves with some one else.