Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-12

Washington, April ia statement
relative to the agricultural interests Of
the submerged districts OF the Missis-
sippi Valley, south of Cairo, Ills, has
been issued by the Department of Agri-
culture. 1t is based upon a chart pre-
pared under the direction of the chief
of the Weather Bureau, showing the
extent of the flood on April 9Th. To
this chart the department has applied
the crop statistics of 1896, as represent
ing more closely than any other avail
able data the acreage and value OF the
crops of 1897, now in jeopardy. The
statistics of population, Of the number
and acreage of farms and of the value
of farms and farm implements, are
those of the census, and the statistics
of live stock are the Departments own
figures for January l, 1897.
THE TOTAL AREA UNDER WATER
on April 9Th was about 1880 square
miles, of which 1900 square miles was
in Mississippi, $500 square miles in Ar
kansas, 1,750 square miles in Missouri,
1,200 in Tennessee, and 450 in Louis
lana. This region contained in 1880,
so far as can be determined in view OF
the somewhat indefinite boundary lines
of the food, a population of 379,6S5, or
which 1S6, ,4S9 or about one-half, was IN
Mississippi, 10O,235 in Arkansas, and
the remainder almost equally divided
between Missouri and Tennessee. TAX
ing the entire region the colored popu-
lation outnumbered the whites in the
proportion of twelve to seven, the col
ored predominating in the flooded dis
tricts of Mississippi in the ratio of more
than five to one, and in Arkansas in
that Of two to one. In Missouri and
Tennessee, the population Of the food
ed districts is largely white, in the for
mer State in the proportion Of ten to
one. and in the latter in that of two to
one.
THE FLOODED DISTRICTS
contain, it is estimated, about $4,000
farms, of which about 1880 are in
Mississippi, nearly 10000 in Arkansas,
and like number about equally divid-
ed between Missouri and Tennessee.
These farms contain a total area Of
about $500, 900 acres, one-half Of which
is in Mississippi, and rather over one
fourth in Aarkansas, the proportions in
Missouri and Tennessee being about the
same as in the case Of the number OF
farms. The total value Of these farms
with their improvements, farm imple-
ments, etc, is close upon $4,000, 900,
and here also the proportions in the
different States are about the same as
above noted.
The total
NUMBER OF ACRES IMPROVED
at the taking of the last census was
about two million, and about a million
and a half acres were last year devoted
to cotton and corn, to which crops near
ly 90 per cent.of the entire acreage cul-
tivated is devoted. II is estimated that
the crops Of last year over three and
three-Quarters million dollars worth
remained on hand in the submerged re-
gion on the last of the month, cotton
representing about 20 per cent. of this
amount and corn practically all the re-
mainder.
The largest interests at stake so far
are those of the State of Mississippi,
whose flooded districts represent an in
vested capital in agriculture alone of
close upon $42,00O,0OO. Over eighteen
thousand farms, containing two mil
lien acres of land, of an average value
of about eighteen dollars an acre, are
under water in the country lying be-
tween the Mississippi and YazoO rivers,
including some Of the most productive
lands Of the State. Their live stock,
even at the present low prices, is worth
nearly three and one-half million dol
lars. and the farmers and planters are
estimated to have about two million
dollars worth of the crops of last year
still on hand.
Arkansas stands next in the extent
of its
IMPERILED INTERESTS,
nearlv ten thousand farms, containing
one million acres of land, worth over
fourteen millions dollars, being sub
merged. These farms contain live
stock to the value of over one and one
half millions dollers, and crops unso.d
and unconsumed to the value OF nearly
nine hundred thousand dollars, the en-
tire agricultural interests OF these lands
representing a value not far short OF
seventeen million dollars.
The agricultural interests affected IN
Missouri represent total capltal Oh
rather over nine million dollars, the
five thousand three hundred submerged
farms. containing an area of about four
hundred and seventy thousand acres,
worth about seven and one-Quarter mill
ion dollars; the live stock, representing
nearly one and one-half million dollars
more, and the crops on hand another
half million. Tennessee is
NOT FAR BEHIND MISSOURI
in the extent of its imperiled interests,
the number and acreage OF the sub
rnerged farms being very nearly the
Same. the entire value including one
and one-ouarter million dollars for live
stock and four hundred thousand dol
lars for crops on hand, being over eight
and one-half million dollars.
What effect the food will have upon
tbe crops of the present season, de-
nends upon the length Of its continu-
ance. and the practicability of wheat
planting after the subsistence of the
eood The entire region under water
on April 9Th produced last year about
three hundred and seventy thousand
baIes of cotton, valued at close on thir-
teen million dollars; over eleven mill
;on bushels of corn, worth about three
million four hundred thousand dollars
ond wheat. oats, potatoes and hay worth
over eight hundred thousand dollars
more. .L.o
The most valuable portion of these
crons was raised in Mississippi, whose
region now submerged produced nearly
a quarter. OF a m'llion bales Of cotton