The grain crops increased 37 per cent. in twentynine years. Population increased during this period, 87 per cent. The gain in round numbers was 105,000,000 bushels.

The gain of Florida, Tennessee, and Texas was 106,000,000 bushels in round numbers. The aggregate grain in bushels of seven of these States was less in 1889 than in 1860.

In 1888, the cotton crop in the ten States was 6,898,020 bales, and brought $291,378,388.* This was a gain of a little over a million and a half bales, and this excess brought Southern farmers and planters nearly sixty-six million dollars; but the corn and oat crops were in arrears in seven of these States, based upon the increase of population, about 150,000,000 bushels, and these figures will about represent the valuation of the deficit of these two grain crops. Thus, it follows that the corn and oats absorbed the gain on cotton, with a large balance against the planter.

Table III. will show that the productive prosperity of Southern farmers, fifteen years after the war, gave no signs of an improved condition. Such food crops as potatoes, peas and beans, hay and corn, were less in 1880 than in 1860.

*

Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for 1889, p. 229.

TABLE III.

STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE FOR TEN STATES-ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA, Georgia, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS.*

The fact of this arrearage will be seen when we compare the total of these six grain crops with the population. In 1860, there were 36 bushels per capita; in 1890, 27 bushels per capita-a difference of 9 bushels. The aggregate deficiency at this latter period, in these ten States, was 133,664,000 bushels.

* Compendium, Tenth Census, Part I.

+ Texas alone in 1880 clipped 6,928,019 pounds. On eleven of these products there was a loss in 1880, when population had increased 53 per cent. The corn was short in the ten States in 1880, as compared with 1860, nearly 21,000,000 bushels. Measured by the increase of population, it was nearly short 112,000,000 bushels.

The total deficiency in corn and oats alone was 114,864,478 bushels, and in corn alone 138,384,655 bushels. As there was a gain in the oat crop of 31,976,849 bushels over 1860, this must be deducted from the total loss of the corn crop, to make that estimate exact. The oat crop serves quite as well for the purpose of feeding live stock, as corn. The 133,664,000 bushels of the six grain food crops, expresses the exact loss in the productive prosperity of the States.

The correctness of this conclusion, measured by the increase of population, is reasonable. No industries in the South have withdrawn any perceptible portion of the population from agricultural pursuits. But even if this were the case, the food crops would still be necessary by the increased population. These food crops represent wealth just as much as cotton. The farm acreage for all crops in 1860 was 45,389,333 acres;* in 1880, the total acreage was 58,740,689-a gain of 29 per cent. in 20 years. If in the next ten years there should be a proportionate increase in acreage, then the whole enlarged farm area in the ten States will be 58 per cent. over 1860. But as population gained 87 per cent., the disparity is apparent. To illustrate: if three million farmers out of a population of fifteen million cultivate fortyfive million acres, thirty million people, it would seem natural, ought to furnish six million farmers cultivating ninety million acres. Three reasons may account for the inequality between the augmentation of the farm area and population. First, disReport on Agriculture, Tenth Census, p. xii.

*