SOME SURPLUS PRODUCING STATES. 



27 



In this exhibit it is seen that the States named produce 51 per cent of the acres of 

 corn; 65 per cent, of the acres of wheat; 59 per cent, of the acres of oats; 57 per cent, of 

 the acres of barley, rye and buckwheat, and 43 per cent, of the acres of potatoes. 



While Illinois takes first rank, Iowa, is, even now. a close second and soon likely to 

 take the lead in total area under food crops, as slie now ranks first in the matter of sur- 

 plus production, and as the highest degree of prosperily is likely to result from the 

 greatest production in excess of domestic requirements, it is probable that Iowa will long 

 retain first rank while the relative rank, in the race for wealth, of the surplus producing 

 States would appear to be very clearly indicated in the following table, where each Stata 

 holds the place earned by its power to produce food in excess of present domestic needs, 

 and wherein is shown the population, the area under food and foraf,'e staples, the number 

 of people each can subsist from the acreage now devoted to such crops, the number that 

 could be subsisted by the cultivated acreage in excess of the present population and the 

 per capita acreage under cultivation: 



Population. 



Iowa , 



Kan.sas 



Illinois 



Nebraska 



Minnesota.... 



Missouri 



Dakotas 



Indiana 



Wisconsin.... 



California 



Oregon 



1,912,000 

 1,427,000 

 3,820,000 

 1.059,000 

 1,302,000 

 2,679,000 



512,000 

 2,192.000 

 1,687.000 

 1,208,000 



314.000 



> 



SB'S 



17,.SOO,000 



12,.S00,000 



18,200,000 



8,300,000 



7,700,000 



11,600,000 



7,800,000 



9,200,000 



6,000.000 



4.900,000 



1 ,656,000 



Totals 18,118,000 105,556,000 



■,K 



w rt o ( 

 CTp-rt 



■2or 



f^ ^ n S 

 n ti <r* rn 



or 



fT> 



6,070,000 

 4,316,000 

 6,385,000 

 2 912,000 

 2,702,000 

 4,070,000 

 2,736,000 

 3,228.000 

 2,316,000 

 1,719,000 

 518,000 



36.972,000 



^2 ; 3 = 



^3 k-* t (0 



4.158,000 



2,889,000 



2,559,000 



1,653,000 



1,400,000 



1.391.000 



2,224 000 



1,036,000 



629,000 



511,000 



207,000 



18,917,000 



So- 



re® 



: ?f3. 



9.10 

 8.63 

 4.76 

 7.84 

 5.91 

 4.33 



4.20 

 3.91 

 4.06 



5.S8 



5,83 



This showing is remarkable and very significant, making manifest, as it does, that 

 of the 191,000,000 acres employed in the Republic in the production of grain, hay and 

 potatoes no less than 105.500.000— or 65 per cent.— are to be found in the twelve surplus 

 producing States, and while they have a population of 18.000,000 they now produce sulli- 

 cient of the primary food staples for the subsistence (even at the present high standard of 

 living) of 87,000,000 jieople. This, however, but inadequately measures their relative 

 productive power, as such is the fertility of their lands that, aside from the production of 

 such a great proportion of the primary staples, they are pre-eminent (or an ability to pro- 

 duce the secondary forms of food as they do the animals used for draft and pleasure, as is 



*Tbe reports of the Department of Agriculture not showing tlie Jtuiiotas BOparutely, It ie Imprao 

 ticable to determine the per capita acreage saliefactorlly. 



