6 BULLETIN 1271, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBlCtJLTtTSE 
of 1871 and this greatly facilitated the expansion which took place 
during the seventies. During the period from 1870 to 1900 the popu- 
lation increased from 535 to 12,069 and the number of farms from 
143 to 1,568. At the same time.the average acreage per farm was 
rapidly increasing as well as the improved acreage. Table 2 shows 
that there has been little change in the percentage of improved land 
in farms since 1900. The value of land and buildings per acre 
doubled from 1870 to 1880, decreased slightly from 1880 to 1890, and 
doubled again between 1890 and 1900. By 1900 the major part of 
the land in the county was in farms and of this 92 per cent was 
improved. 
From 1900 to 1910 there was very little change in the population 
of the county and no significant change in the number of farms, total 
land in farms, or average acreage per farin, but the price of land almost 
doubled. The census of 1920 revealed a substantial increase in 
number of farms with a corresponding decrease in the average acreage 
per farm. The total land in farms and improved land in farms in- 
creased slightly, while the price of land and buildings per acre 
increased from S50 to $153. 
CHANGES IN ACREAGES OF IMPORTANT CROPS 
The crops which have been most important in the development of 
southwestern Minnesota are wheat, oats, barley, flax, and corn. 
Figure 3 shows the distribution of the total grain acreage from 1870 
to 1920. During the period of expansion from 1870 to 1900, the 
acreage of most of the grain crops was increasing. Changes in the 
relative importance of the different grain crops are shown in a general 
way by the changes in the percentage distribution of the total grain 
area in Figure 3. 
The early settlers devoted most of their attention to the produc- 
tion of wheat, oats, and corn. From the beginning wheat occupied 
the most prominent place and, with the exception of a few temporary 
changes incident to grasshopper damage and unfavorable seasons, 
continued to do so until about 1905. During the years 1873, IS 74, 
1875, and 1876 the small grain and corn crops were almost entirely 
destroyed by migratory grasshoppers. As a result, the percentage 
of the total grain acreage in wheat was reduced from 72.3 in 1872 to 
43.5 in 1876, and the relative importance of corn increased. No 
recurrence of grasshopper damage has taken place since 1S76, but 
the severe damage from this source caused the abandonment of many 
farms in the area. There* was a 40 per cent decrease in the total 
grain area, from 1875 to 1876. An unusually good wheat yield in 
1S77 encouraged a continuance of expansion, and again wheat over- 
shadowed all other crops in importance. 
The expansion that followed the disappearance of the grasshop- 
per^ was soon checked by a general decline in grain prices and a 
combination of circumstances which resulted in low wheat yields. 
The seasons of L880 and 1SSI were wet and unfavorable to wheat. 
There was ;i slight shift from wheat to corn on this account for three 
years. Also, wheat frequently returned a. very low yield or failed 
entirely on land broken out of prairie one or two years. The grow- 
ing of flax helped to remove this difficulty, and this crop rapidly 
increased in importance during this period. During the years 1881 
