THE GROWTH OF RURAL POPULATION. 



177 



THE GROWTH OF EURAL POPULATION. 



By prank T. CARLTON, 



TOLEDO UNIVERSITY SCHOOL. 



TN the last decade numerous articles were written and many warn- 

 -^ ings sounded regarding the depopulation of the rural districts in 

 the eastern and north central portions of the United States. To a per- 

 son believing that the country, not the city, furnishes the ' bone and 

 sinew ' of the nation, a study of the census returns for 1890 provided 

 suificient foundation for such articles. Now another ten years have 

 passed into history; new and, in many cases, quite different industrial 

 conditions obtain; a new census has been taken and its results are now 

 available. It is the purpose of this article to discuss the tendencies 

 which are found at the present time in regard to the changes in rural 

 population and to show that an improvement in rural conditions seems 

 to be indicated by statistical study as well as by a survey of the social 

 and industrial situation. 



Taking the township as a basis of comparison, we find that during 

 the decade, 1880-1890, the population decreased in 57 per cent, of the 

 townships of the state of Ohio, in 48 per cent, of those of Indiana and 

 in 56 per cent, of the townships of Illinois; during the decade, 1890- 

 1900, the percentages are, respectively, 53, •43i,'2 and 34. In these three 

 north central states a total of 2,037 townships, or 54^ per cent., de- 

 creased in population during 1880-1890; but only 1,631, or 43 per 



VOL. LXIV. — 12. 



