AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



millions in Colorado, Mississippi, Oklahoma, 

 Oregon, and Washington. During the past ten 

 years more land has been disposed of by the gov- 

 ernment in Oklahoma than in any other state or 

 territory. North Dakota ranks second in this 

 respect. These facts suggest that the opening of 

 Indian reservations to white settlers has been the 

 most prominent factor in bringing about an in- 

 crease during the last few years in the number of 

 acres disposed of by the government. 



That the free distribution of farms will soon 

 reach its limit is shown by the fact that three- 

 fourths of the total land area of the United States, 

 exclusive of Alaska and the insular possessions, 

 has been appropriated or reserved. Out of the 

 total area of 1,900,947,200 acres, there yet remain 

 about 473,836,000 acres unappropriated and unre- 

 served. Of this 270,267,760 acres have been sur- 

 veyed. This land which is still open for appro- 

 priation is found principally in Arizona, Califor- 

 nia, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New 

 Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wy- 

 oming. Most all of the land which is desirable 

 for agricultural purposes has been appropriated 

 or reserved. When an Indian reservation is now 

 thrown open to settlers there are many applicants 

 for every desirable piece of land. In the summer 

 of 1904 there were in one case 106,308 persons 

 registered with the hope of drawing farms where 

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