150 . REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



lated for tlie possession of her own public lands, and has consequently 

 an immense domain open to settlement. The other Gulf States were 

 all erected out of the public domain, and have been endowed by the 

 general government with various laud grants under tlie educational, 

 swamp land, and other laws. Of the Southern inland States, only Ar- 

 kansas is a public-land State, and hence has had numerous grants from 

 the general government, of which a considerable portion remains un- 

 sold. In Tennessee, where the unoccupied lands had been ceded to the 

 Union by North Carolina, the lands were found so covered by contra- 

 dictory private claims that the general government ceded tliem to 

 the State of Tennessee. From our returns we conclude that the mass of 

 these lands have passed into private ownership, as only two counties, 

 Fentress and Meigs, note any remnant within their borders. West Vir- 

 ginia and Kentucky report no lands of this character. 



In Ohio no State land is reported; in Indiana our correspondent in 

 Jasper County reports 40,000 acres. In IS"orthern Michigan large bodies 

 of State lands are yet undisposed of. Wisconsin has largely disposed 

 of her lands, yet several counties report from 10,000 to 20,000 acres. Min- 

 nesota has a large amount of State land undisposed of ; only half the 

 couuty of Crow Wing has passed into private ownership. Iowa has 

 mostly disposed of her State lands. Considerable tracts are scattered 

 through Missouri ; but Kansas, iSTebraska, and Coloradopresent very large 

 areas. The Territories have received but small endowinents as yet, and 

 consequently have but httle to offer. On the Pacific coast numerous 

 tracts of State land await disposal. 



Of lands granted for rail and wagon road construction the total area 

 is 198,165,794 acres, of which 59,308,581 were granted to foiuteen States, 

 viz, Illinois, Mississipx)i, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansax, Mis- 

 souri, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, California, and 

 Oregon, in behalf of railways chartered by them. To the corporations 

 commonly known as the Pacific roads were granted about 135,000,000 

 acres. The locality of many of the later donations cannot be deter- 

 mined till the public surveys along their lines shall have been completed. 

 The endowments vary in amount. The earlier roads, such as the Illi- 

 nois Central, Avere allowed the odd-numbered sections within six miles 

 on either side of the road, and selections of odd-numbered sections be- 

 tween that limit and fifteen miles to replace sections within six miles 

 to which i)rior rights had attached. In some of the later grants the 

 limits of the original and reserve tracts were increased to 20 and 30 

 miles respectively. Some of these grants have lapsed through Aiilure 

 of the grantees to comply with the conditions required by law. Of the 

 above aggregate, 3,857,213 acres were granted to three States, viz, Wis- 

 consin, Michigan, and Oregon, for military and wagon roads. 



Of unoccupied lands belonging to individuals, vast areas are reported 

 in aU sections of the Union. In the mountain and forest regions of the 

 older States, for instance, we are informed that from half to three-fourths 

 of whole counties are held, without occupation or cultivation of Jiny kind, 

 by i:)rivate parties. Much of this represents valuable mineral lands, and 

 other woodlands largely on mountain slopes. Such lands are to a small 

 extent available for agricultm'e. There is no doubt that in a great many 

 instances men have more real estate than they can i^rofitably manage, and 

 that many ehgible farm tracts are available to purchasers from this 

 source. Our reports, however, are too fragmentary to admit of tabula- 

 tion. 

 • The prices of farm lands, bcyth cleared and timbered, were made sub- 



