PART III. VALUES, RENTS AND FARM WAGES. VALUES OF FARM PROPERTY. VALUES OF FARM PROPERTY. The values of farm lands, buildings, implements and live stock are given in the following table by county groups for 1897 and 1898, and for the Province for each of the sixteen years, 1883-98: Each of the districts have an increase in the total value of farm property; in fact, the only group of counties failing to show an increase in each of the four items given is the Lake Ontario group, which failed to equal its own figures for value of land. Taking the figures for the Province, an increase is noted in the value of each of the four items, the improvement in the value of farm land being the first made since 1886. The value of all farm property (crops excepted) is now placed at $923,022,420, being an increase of $17,928,807, and the first gain in the value of total property since 1892. VALUE PER ACRE OCCUPIED. The following table gives the value per acre occupied of the various classes of farm property by county groups and for the Province for the years 1897 and 1898: Every district shows an increase in the total value of farm property compared with the preceding year, the average for the Province being $39.46 per acre occupied, or 71 cents of an increase. This increase is distributed as follows: Farm land, 6 cents; buildings, 16 cents; implements, 6 cents, and live stock, 43 cents per acre. VALUE PER ACRE CLEARED. A still better basis of comparison is afforded by the following table, as the values are here given per acre cleared or in uɛe, by county groups and for the Province; Total 30 27 26 82 24 66 31 14 30 91 26 25 23 12 24 38 28 23 27 311 28 63 29 64 Taking the figures for the Province, buildings have increased 14 cents, implements 9 cents and live stock 69 cents per acre cleared, compared with the figures of the previous year. Buildings reach the highest average value per acre in the Lake Ontario district, implements in the Lake Erie group, and live stock in the West Midland counties. last named group also has the best figures for total values per acre. The Districts. Leased farms. RENTALS OF LEASED FARMS. The following table gives, by districts, the average value and rental of such leased farms as were reported in farmers' schedules returned to this Bureau in 1898 : The average rental of a farm is given as $222, which is $3 more than in 1897. The rental per acre occupied is $1.76, or 3 cents more than in the previous year, while the rental per acre cleared is $2 50, or an advance of 6 cents. The per cent. ratio of rental to the value of the farm is 4.47, which is exactly the same as that of 1897, and 14 cents more than the average for the thirteen years 1886.98. VALUES OF LIVE STOCK. VALUE OF HORSES. The value of each of the four classes of farm horses is shown in the table following, by county groups and for the Province, together with the total value for 1897 and 1898; also the value of all classes of cattle sold in the year: 385,141 590,146 97,770 65,053 4,541, 202 435,957 237,246 West Midland. 5,464,120 1,120,398 951,400 148,165 7,681,083 624,320 Stallions. 28,006,617 2,700,479 An increase nas taken place in the value of each of the four classes of horses, the total for the Province being $38,659,896, or $2,548,091 more than in the preceding year. The Lake Ontario counties still lead in the total value of horses, although the West Midland district has the highest values for breeding mares and colts, and the St. Lawrence and Ottawa districts in stallions. Sales of horses during the year amounted to $2 884,187, against $2,700,479 in 1897. The West Midland group made the best record of sales. Districts VALUE OF CATTLE. The following table gives the value of the various classes of cattle, together with their total values in 1897 and 1898, and the value of cattle sold in 1898, by county groups and for the Province : There is an increase in the value of every class of cattle except oxen, the total for the Province being $47,286,254, or an increase of $4,602,697 over the previous year. The West Midland and the St. Lawrence and Ottawa groups have the highest values. The total value of the cattle sold during the year was $16,121,559, being an increase of $2,771,336 compared with last year's figures. The West Midland counties far exceed any other group in the matter of sales. VALUE OF SHEEP AND HOGS. The table following gives the values of all classes of sheep and hogs on hand and sold in 1898, by county groups and for the Province; also the figures of the Province for 1897: Totals (1898 4,175,693 2.324,002 6,499,695 2,460,379 3,346,895 5,373,347 8.720 242 11,852,535 6,533,210 10,080,812 515,753 662,953 1,215.432 1,878,385 2,817.236 426,666 567,354 383,135 616,468 927,238 1,494,592 2,179,970 678,844 1,295,312 1.525,962 219,604 304.677 524,2811 720,729 49,741 109,459 125,176 The total value of sheep on hand is $6,499,695, or $496,501 more than in the previous year, both classes having shared in the increase. The sales of sheep in the year, however, have fallen off by $77,792. The immense increase in the value of both classes of hogs on hand has raised the total value to $8,720,242, or $2,187,032 more than in the preceding year. The sale of hogs in 1898 exceeded those of the preceding year by $1,771, 723. VALUE OF POULTRY AND TOTAL LIVE STOCK The following table gives the value of poultry (by classes), and also the total value of live stock on hand and sold during the year, by county groups and for the Province: The only comment necessary to make upon the foregoing table is that the totals of every column show a decided increase in 1898 over their respective figures for the preceding year. VALUE OF LIVE STOCK PER HEAD. The values of the various classes of live stock per head on hand on July 1st, 1898, is shown in the following table: All classes of horses, cattle, sheep and swine are credited with an increase in value per head. Poultry do not make so good a showing, as both turkeys and geese have a slight decrease in value per head, although other fowls make a corresponding increase. |