in the United States in Fifty Years. 



105 



We see by the preceding tables that the natural increase of the 

 population is inversely as its density ; and this is apparent, whether 

 we compare the increase of the same State at different periods, or 

 the increase of one State or one division with another. Thus, in 

 New England, where, with the exception of Maine, which is com- 

 paratively a newly settled State, the population is most dense, 

 averaging 50 to a square mile, the proportion of children is the 

 smallest, that is, 48.8 per cent of the females ; in the Middle States, 

 the population is 43.G to a square mile, and the proportion of children, 

 55.7 per cent.;; in the Southern States, the population is 15.7 persons 

 to the square mile, and the proportion of children, 67.8 per cent ; 

 in the South-western States, the population is 13.7 persons to the 

 square mile, and the proportion of children 75.5 'per crtej and if 

 the Northwestern States seems to be an exception to i 1.3? rule, in 

 having a greater proportion of children than the Southern|States, while 

 they have also a denser population by 9.6 persons to the square 

 mile, it is owing to the extraordinary fertility of those States, 

 whereby 25 persons to the square mile does not indicate so great aj 

 relative density as 16 to the square mile in the Southern States. 



This rule of the rate of natural increase acts so uniformly, that 

 we may perceive the falling off in the rate, not only in 40 years, 

 as we have seen, but also in each decennial term, of which the 

 largest States in the five great divisions may serve as examples, viz : 



1800. 



Massachusetts, prop, of children under 10 58.9 



New York, 75.7 



Virginia, 71.2 



Tennessee, 84.6 



Ohio, 88.7 



What is true in these States will be found true in the others ; and 



