FARM, or FERME, an old Saxon word which originally signified provisions; and which afterwards came to be used instead of rent, because anciently the principal part of the rent of lands was paid in corn, poultry, &c. Hence the word farm, by a gradual departure from its original sense, came to signify the estate or lands (firma) so held; and the person holding lands in this way was called a firmarius or farmer.5
According to the census returns of 1851, the total number of farms in Great Britain was 283,378; of which 223,271 were in England and Wales, 56,150 in Scotland, and 3957 in the islands in the British seas. Of the total number of farms,
| 190,573 | were under | 100 acres. |
|---|---|---|
| 52,912 | from 100 to 200 | |
| 20,603 | ... 200 ... 300 | |
| 9,031 | ... 300 ... 400 | |
| 4,063 | ... 400 ... 500 | |
| 2,248 | ... 500 ... 600 | |
| 2,816 | ... 600 ... 1000 | |
| 1,132 | ... 1000 and upwards. |
The size of 2558 farms was not stated. The average size of farms is 102 acres; and altogether they occupy about one-half of the territory of Great Britain. For observations on farms, see AGRICULTURE, vol. ii., p. 364, et seq.