210 WALTER F. WILCOX 



The proportion of children under 5 years of age to women 

 of child bearing age increased from 1850, to 1860, but has de- 

 creased since then, being in 1900 about three fourths of what 

 it was in 1860. The decline in the proportion of children 

 since 1860 has been less marked in the south than in the north 

 and west. The proportion in the north and west in 1850 was 

 about five sixths and in 1900 less than three fourths of that in 

 the south. 



In 1900 the maximum proportion of children was in 

 North Dakota and Indian Territory, where children under 5 

 years of age were about two thirds of the number of women. 

 In 1890 the maximum was in North Dakota and Idaho. 



In 1900 the minimum number of children was in the 

 District of Columbia and California, being about one third of 

 the number of women. In 1890 it was in the District of 

 Columbia and New Hampshire, 



In 1900 there was a band of states from Maine to Cali- 

 fornia in which the proportion of children was below 500 to 

 1,000 women. This band was broken by Utah, where the 

 influence of the Mormon church was felt. Except for Kansas 

 the proportion for these states was below that for continental 

 United States. 



In 1890 the regions in which the number of children was 

 less than one half the number of women were separated. 



In the north Atlantic states, and in Virginia, West Vir- 

 ginia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Montana, New Mexico, and 

 Nevada the proportion of children increased between 1890 and 

 1900. The increase in the north Atlantic division was proba- 

 bly due to the high birth rate among the immigrants that en- 

 tered from 1880 to 1890. In Maryland, Kentucky, Michigan, 

 Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana the proportion of children has de- 

 creased steadily since 1850. The decrease for the country 

 during the past decade was due in the main to the controlling 

 influence of the states west of the AUeghenies. From 1850 to 

 1880 the low proportion of children in New England and the 

 high proportion in some of the western states, especially those 

 under Mormon influence, were striking. The proportion of 

 white children was high in the south, showing that the pro- 



