370 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



By this table it will be seen that the largest increase during 

 the last three decades has been in the Western division, consisting 

 of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, 

 Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. This divis- 

 ion increased its population from 18(J0 to 1870 by 60"02 per cent ; 

 in the next decade, 78-46 per cent; and from 1880 to 1890, 71-27 per 

 cent. It is natural that the greatest increase should occur in the 

 division named. 



Some of the Southern States did not show as great a percent- 

 age of increase as they would have shown had the census of 1870 

 been more thoroughly correct ; but the imperfections of the census 

 of 1870, which imjDerfections showed an enumeration probably 

 much less than the real population, when compared with the 

 more accurate census of 1880, resulted in an exaggerated increase 

 between those years ; consequently, with the census of 1890 com- 

 pared with the exaggerated increase between 1870 and 1880, the 

 relative percentage of growth is apparently less ; yet, on the 

 whole, the Southern divisions show very satisfactory percentages, 

 as will be seen by consulting the last table. 



The increase and decrease of population during the decade of 

 years from 1880 to 1890 show casually that in a very large number 

 of counties the population has really decreased, and an examina- 

 tion of the figures by counties gives proof that in four hundred 

 and fifty -five there has been an apparent loss of inhabitants, 

 arising from an actual decrease in poj^ulation or from a reduction 

 of territory, the latter being the case in fifty instances, consequent 

 upon the formation of new counties. A real loss occurred in only 

 about one hundred and thirty counties, such losses occurring 

 mainly in the central parts of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, 

 New York, northern New Jersey and eastern Virginia, and some 

 localities scattered through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, and 

 Kentucky. Considerable loss has occurred in southern Michigan 

 and Wisconsin, while eastern Iowa has largely experienced a 

 diminution in population. The ebb and flow of mining opera- 

 tions have resulted in a good deal of change in the totals of min- 

 ing counties, as, for instance, such counties in Colorado have very 

 generally lost in population, and with the exception of two coun- 

 ties the number of inhabitants in the entire State of Nevada has 

 decreased. The statement as to loss in mining regions is also true 

 of California. The increase, however, in our great Western do- 

 mains has been over one hundred per cent. The Great Plains 

 have increased rapidly, and so have the agricultural areas of the 

 Cordilleran plateau. Northern Michigan, western and southern 

 Florida, Arkansas, southern Missouri, and central Texas, exhibit 

 a growth that is really phenomenal, and the southern Appalachian 

 region has increased its population largely. Southern New Eng- 



