254 THE TREND OF THE RACE 
On the other hand, Quatrefages adduces evidence to show that 
the products of negro-white crosses are unusually prolific and H. 
E. Jordan states that ‘‘the mulatto is probably more prolific than 
the normal average of either white or negro. During the past 
twenty years he has increased at twice the rate of the negro.” 
F. L. Hoffmann who has studied the subject in a painstaking 
manner comes to perhaps the only justifiable conclusion that 
“the imperfect state of vital statistics, even at the present time, 
makes it difficult if not impossible to settle scientifically the ques- 
tion of increase or decrease in fecundity.” _ 
It is undeniable that since 1850 mulattoes have increased 
relatively faster than the negroes, as is shown in the following 
table: 
Increase of Mulattoes in the U. S. 
wee Total pie No. of | Per Cent | Mulattoes to 
Negroes Mulattoes | Mulattoes | 1,000 Black 
1850... .| 3,638,808 | 3,233,057 405,751 I1.2 126 
1860... .| 4,441,830 | 3,853,467 | 588,363 | 13.3 153 
1870....| 4,880,009 | 4,295,960 584,049 I2.0 136 
1880... .| 6,580,793 
1890. ...| 7,488,676 | 6,337,980 | 1,132,060 T5232 179 
Ig00....} 8,833,904 
I9gIo....| 9,827,763 | 7,777,077 | 2,050,686 20.9 264 
This table does not tell us anything, however, of the birth rate 
of the mulattoes as compared with that of the negroes. The 
mulattoes increase in number not only through their own birth 
rate, but through the unions of whites and negroes, through the 
unions of whites and mulattoes, and especially through the unions 
of mulattoes and negroes, the children of the latter unions being 
usually counted as mulattoes. Even if crosses of negroes and 
whites are becoming less frequent the relative increase of the 
mulattoes may be due largely to negro-white crosses. Mulattoes 
are relatively more common in the Northern States and especially 
