THE EXHAUSTION OF THE ARABLE LANDS. 15 



ur:il liovelopiueut doubtless Ijpeause of the sterility ami uncultivable character of a ^reat 

 part of the laiicU. The result is that, aside fmiu tlie area ejiiploycd iu growing; fruits ;ind 

 vegetables, less tliau three per cent, of the surface of the Stale is iu eultivatiou. With 

 Buch a showing, it is clear that Florida will niaUe no material additions, at an early day, 

 to the area employed in growing staple emits. 



Scattered through the southern States are many unoccupied tracts; but of thei-e 

 only a small part can be designated as arable, for much of such laud is swamp, moun- 

 taiu or subject to overflow; this being especially true of such remnants of the public 

 domain as are still to be found iu the southern districts. Still we are likely to see some 

 extension of the cultivated area iu southern States, more especially io Arkansas and 

 Texas; there lieiug in those States much unimproved land iucluded in farms which will 

 hereafter be reduced to eultivalion and used, largely, to augment the world's supply of 

 cotton. 



In the Indian Territory is found the only large body of fairly fertile lands yet to be 

 brought into cultivation. The area of that Territory is 44,481,000 acres, the eastern two- 

 thirds of which possess a soil of average fertility, while the remaiuder is much below the 

 average. The peculiar climatic conditions of the arid plains are frequently pjojecled over 

 the western portion, reudej'iug mixed farming but a precarious means of subsistence. 

 Various tracts in the Territory will be opened to settlement from time to time as the 

 Indian titles are extinguished; but it will be mostly in the western and by far the poorer 

 part, for the eastern and better soils will for a long time remain in the possession of the 

 Indians and "squaw men." The Indian and his white son-in-law and tenant now culti- 

 vate much laud (possibly 500,000 to 1,000,000 acres), of which, as early as 1880, a large 

 proportion was iu cotton. Within the last year, 10,000 bales of cotton were shipped from 

 one station. Although the products of the Indian Territory, for reasons known only tc 

 the Departmental barnacles, are not included in the reports of the Department of Agri- 

 culture, yet they enter into consumption aud make some additions to the marketable 

 suri)lus; and this acreage will in time appear in the reports probably as currentadditions 

 to the area in staple crops. 



The foregoing table and text afTord a reasonable basis for an estimate of the landi 

 that can be added to the cultivated area within a given period, say during this decade. 

 But before proceeding to make such estimate, it may be well to inquire what the Publio 

 Laud Commission bad to say on this subject iu its report for 1880, wlierein it was esti- 

 mated, June 30, 1879 "that (exclusive of certain lands iu the southern States) of lands 

 over which the survey and disposition laws had been extended, lying in the West, the 

 United States did not own, of arable agricultural lands which could be cultivated without 

 Irrigation or other artificial appliances, more than the area of the State of Ohio, viz; 

 25.000,000 acres " 



"Of the public domain then remaining the Commission made the following estimatei 



Timber lauds 85,000 Ono acres. 



Coal lands (to be largely increased by better classification o, 529, 000 " 



Mineral lands (subject to a large increase by new discoveries) 64,800,000 " 



Arable lands in northern States and Territories 17,800,0('0 " 



Lauds in southern States surveyed and unsurveyed 25,589 000 " 



Irrigable lands, being the lands which can lie irrigated from the present 



supply of water 30,000 000 " 



The remaiuder pasturage, gi i/.ing, desert, and all other lands useless 

 for agricultural pmp. - 's by reason of altitude or lack of water or 

 soil, including lemaiuder of lands likely to be segregated for pri- 

 vate land grants still unsatisfied, and Indian and military reserva- 

 tions, including also unsurveyed area of the Indian Territory, 



viz: 17,150,250 acres .' 565,701,222 " " 



An analysis of this estimate will show that of the public domain unoccupied iu 

 1880, there were then some lOi) 000,000 acres which might be included under the designa- 

 tion .'iruble. and made up as follows: 

 17,800,000 acres of arable lauds in northern .States and Territories. 

 7,000,000 " in southern States. 

 80,000 000 " of irrigable lands. 

 17,000,000 " in Indian Territory. 

 28,000,000 " of surrendered railway grants, and Indian and military leservatious. 



100.800.000 acres total. 



