The number of farms increased from 127,577 in 185o to 224,248 in 1900, fell to 172,419 in 193o, but rose again to 191,284 in 1935. In 1930, 142,283 farms were worked by their owners. The total value of all farm property in 1930 was $1,535,484, of which the land value represented $529,696 and the value of farm buildings $673,321. The gross farm income for 1934 was $238,000,000.
For the most part farming is of the general and live stock type. In most countries all of the rough and most of the concentrated food for stock is produced on the farms. Tame hay in 1934 was first among crops in acreage though in value its harvest of 2,562, 00o tons, yielding but $39,711,000, stood after corn. Over half the crop acreage in 1934 was devoted to cereals, the yields and values of which were as follows: Indian corn, 52,896,00o bu. ($44, ; wheat, 14,759,000 bu. ($13,873,000); oats, 24,915,000 bu. ($13,205,000) ; buckwheat, 3,105,00o bu. ($1,707,000) ; rye, 2,344,000 bu. ($968,000); barley, bu. ($1,144,000). Pennsylvania ranked first among the States in buckwheat produc tion. Most of the buckwheat, barley, and oats is grown in the northern and western counties, while Indian corn, wheat and rye are raised more extensively in the south-east. Potatoes also were a major crop, the 1934 yield of 34,000,000 bu. being valued at $18,700,000. The 1934 tobacco crop of 18,255,000 lb., of which about nine-tenths was produced in Lancaster county, added $1,698,000 to the total crop value. In 1926, 17,000,000 bu. of apples were raised, Pennsylvania ranking fourth among the States in production. In 1934, though she retained this relative position, her yield was only 8,554,000 bu. The apple district is centred in Adams county in the central part of the State, though Erie county is an important producer. Peaches are also grown in most of the southern orchards, the production for 1934, how ever, being but 442,000 bu. as against 2,498,000 in 1926. Pears, once grown in quantity, totalled only 385,000 bu. in 1934.
Dairy farming predominates in the northern tier of counties where a shorter growing season and glaciated soil favour pastures and the raising of hay. In 1924 the total value of dairy products ($73,999,263) was exceeded in but three States. In 1935 the number of milch cows was 875,000, valued at $38,375,000. All
cattle numbered 1,454,000, a decrease of 92,000 since 1920. Live stock farming predominates in southern and western Pennsylvania. The number of sheep dropped from 1,531,066 in 1900 to 526,000 in 1935; about half the entire number were to be found in Wash ington and Greene counties. There were in 1935, 565,000 swine, a drop of 626,000 since 1920. The poultry business is more important than any other live stock branch except dairying. There were raised in 27,424,000 chickens; and in the same year 141,833,333 dozen eggs, with a value of $37,444,000, were produced. Pennsylvania is strategically situated for marketing agricultural products.
Besides having practically all the anthracite, Pennsylvania has the thickest bituminous coal-measures, and most of the coal ob tained from these is of the best quality. They form the northern extremity of the great Appalach ian coal-field and underlie an area of 15,0o0 sq.m. or more in the west of the State. The Pittsburgh district, comprising the counties of Allegheny, Washington, Fay ette and Westmoreland, is excep tionally productive, and the coal in Allegheny and Washington counties is noted for its gas producing qualities, while in Fayette and Westmoreland coun ties the famous Connellsville coking coal is obtained. Penn sylvania's bituminous output in creased from 18,425,000 tons in 188o to 79,842,000 tons in 1900 and 153,042,00o tons in 1926.