4IO 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



1790 nearly four children under 16 for 

 each three adults, in 1840 an equal 

 number of children and adults, in 1900 

 more than three adults for each two 

 cnildren. If the proportion of chil- 

 dren in 1790 had been maintained there 

 would be at present in this country 

 about twenty-five million children who 

 are unborn. 



Next in significance to the declining 

 birth rate and the lack of children and 

 related to them is the decreasing rural 

 population and the increasing urban 

 population. This change is shown in 

 the curve; the percentage of the popu- 

 lation living in cities and towns with a 

 population of over 8,000 has increased 

 from 3.3 per cent, in 1890 to 32.9 per 

 cent, in 1900. In 1790 there were six 

 places having a population as large as 

 8,000; in 1900 there were 545 such 

 places. 



The increase in population of the 

 several states from 1900 to 1910 is 

 shown on the map. The percentage of 

 increase is clearly greatest in the west, 

 the population having more than doub- 

 led in Washington, Oklahoma and 

 Idaho, and having increased more than 



I 60 per cent, in California and Oregon. 

 I In the east Massachusetts and Penn- 

 sylvania have about maintained the 

 I average increase, while New York has 

 i exceeded it with a gain of 25.4 per 

 ! cent. Although the details have not 

 ! been announced it is clear that the 

 states having relatively the largest 

 rural population have increased most 

 slowly. The three rural New England 

 states show a gain of about five per 

 cent. But the most striking fact is the 

 stationary condition of the great agri- 

 cultural states of the middle west. 

 Iowa has actually a smaller population 

 in 1910 than in 1900; the increase in 

 Indiana is 7.3 per cent., in Missouri 6, 

 in Kentucky 6.6, and these small in- 

 creases are due to the cities. 



The relative increase in the popula- 

 tion of the country during the last 

 decade was smaller than ever before 

 ana this increase was due mainly to 

 the settling of the west and to the for- 

 eign immigration to eastern cities. The 

 depopulation of the country districts 

 and the lack of children are ominous 

 for the future. 



pabcbntaob of the total population of the united states in 

 Cities of 8,000 and over. 



