THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 



57i 



The Population of the United States. 



population in the United States during 

 the past century seems to indicate a 

 boundless growth. But a different in- 

 terpretation appears to be possible. 

 The percentage of increase for con- 

 tinental United States was remarkably 

 constant in each decade from that be- 

 ginning in 1790 to that beginning in 

 1850. For each period the percentages 



are as follows: 35.1, 36.4, 33.1, 33.5, 

 32.7, 35.9 and 35.6. But in the census 

 of 1870 there was a sudden drop in the 

 percentage to 22.6, which is attributed 

 in part to the civil war and in part to 

 defective enumeration. There was a 

 rise in 1S80 to 30.1, followed by a fall 

 to 24.9 in 1890 and to 20.7 in 1900. 

 The decrease in percentage from 1860 



