FARM, a tract of land devoted to agricul ture, under the management of owner or tenant. The size of farms and their tenure differ very much in different countries. On the continent of Europe, where peasant proprietaries, cultiva tion by the metayer system (q.v.), and mixed tenures prevail, farms are generally small. In England, where the land is in the hands of a comparatively small number of proprietors and is let out to farmers who pay a fixed rent and make a trade of cultivating their holdings, these are in many localities large compared with con tinental farms. In the United States the major ity of farms are owned by those who operate them. In 1900 between 54 and 55 per cent were so operated. In 1890 tenants operated 28.4 per cent of all the farms and in 1900, 35.3 per cent.
A comparatively small number are worked by part owners. The short tenure of land usually prevailing in England and Ireland has given rise to many disputes about compensation for im provements effected by tenants, etc. In Scot land it has been customary to give a lease for 19 years.
In these statistics the term *farm" includes, as defined by the twelfth census of the United States, *all the land, under one management, used for raising crops and pasturing live stock, with the wood lots, swamps, meadows, etc., con nected therewith. It includes also the house in which the farmer resides, with all other build ings used by him in connection with his farm ing operations." As thus broadly defined the 6,361,502 farms in the United States in 1910 em braced, in addition to the general farm, the cot ton, the sugar and the rice plantations of the country; large ranges in the Western States as well as smaller stock farms, the extensive farms devoted to the raising of grain; those produc ing chiefly hay and forage, tobacco, hemp, or hops, orchard fruits or small fruits; truck farms; dairy farms; poultry farms; bee farms; florists' establishments; nurseries, etc. In 1910 the farms of the United States comprised 878, 798,325 acres, of which 478,451,750 acres were improved property. The number of farms in the
States has increased so rapidly for several decades that in 1900 there were nearly four times as many as in 1850 and 25.7 per cent more than in 1890. Since 1880 the average size of farms has increased, being in 1900 146.6 acres. The number of farms under three acres was 41,882; and of farms of 1,000 acres and over 47,276. The medium-sized farms contain ing from 100 to 174 acres represented the high est value per acre. The total value of wealth produced on the farms of the United States was, in 1910, $10,501,686,375. This had in creased, in 1916, to $13,448,310,509, of which 67.7 per cent came from crops and 32.3 per cent from animal and other products. There was, on American farms, in 1910, 61,803,866 head of cattle valued at $1,499,523,607, as against 63,617,000 head in 1917; horses 19,833, 113 valued at $2,083,588,195 as against 21,126, 000 head in 1917; mules 4,209,769, valued at at $399,338,308, against 2,915,000 head in 1917; sheep 52,447,861, valued at $332,841,585, against 48,483,000 head in 1917; swine 58,185,676, valued at $399,338,308, against 2,915,000 heads in 1917; goats 2,915, valued at $6,176,423. The total value of farm property in the United States was, in 1910, over $28,475,674,000. On the same date the farm buildings were valued at $6,325, 451,528, and the implements and machinery at $1,265,149,783. The average value of the land per acre was $32.40; and with the buildings in cluded $39.60. In 1910 32.5 per cent of the population of the United States were engaged in farming.
In 1917, 76 per cent of the United States farmers under 25 years of age were tenants. This percentage falls to less than 30 per cent for farmers 60 years of age, showing that the tendency of American farmers is for tenants to become proprietors. See AGRICULTURE; DAIRY INDUSTRY, AMERICAN; LIVE STOCK ; FARM MACHINERY; FARM POWER, ETC.