The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-04-12
1890 MILES UNDER WATER
IN THE SUBIIFRGED DISTRICTS or
THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.

100000, Based on the 1890 Ceusus-39,-
500 Farms Are Inundated-The Total
Number of Acres Under Cultivation Esti-
mated at 100000.
Washington, April 11.-A statement
relative to the agricultural interests of
the submerged districts of the Mississ-
ippi valley south of Cairo, ILL.,, has been
issued by the department of agrlcul-
ture. 1t is based upon a chart prepar-
ed under the direction Of the chief of
the weather bureau, showing the extent
of the flood on April g. To this chart
the department has applied the crop
statistics of 1896, as representing, more
closely than any other available 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 CEN
sus, and the statistics Of live stock are
the departments own figures for Janu-
ary 1, 1897
6 was about 1890 square miles, of
which 1900 square miles were In Miss
issippi, 4,500 square miles in Arkansas,
1850 square miles in Missouri, 1,200 in
Tennessee and $50 in Louisiana. This
region contained in 1890, so far as can
be determined, in view of the some
what indefinite boundary lines of the
food a population of 379,6S5 Of which
1856, ,4S9, or about one-half was in Miss
issippi, 1925 in Arkansas and the re-
manner almost equally divided between
Missouri and Tennessee.
Taking the entire region, the colored
population outnumbered the whites in
the proportion of 12 to 7, the colored
predominating in the flooded districts
of Mississippi in the ratio of more than
to and in Arkansas in that of to l.
In Missouri and Tennessee the popula-
tion of the flooded district is largely
white-in the former state in the pro-
that of to 1.
The flooded districts contain, it is es-
timated, about 39,500 farms, of which
about 1S500 are in Mississippi nearly
10000 In Arkansas and like number
about equally divided between Missouri
and Tennessee. These farms contain a
total area of about 3,S00,0 900 acres, one
half of which is in Mississippi and rath-
er over one-fourth in Arkansas, 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 improve
ments farm implements, etc, Is close
upon sixty-fve million dollars and
here also the proportions in the differ
ent states are about the same ais above
noted
The total number of acres improved
at the taking of the last census was
about 100000, and about 100000 acres
were last year devoted to cotton and
corn to which crops nearly 95 per cent.
of the entire acreage cultivated Is de-
voted. The live stock on hand the first
of January of the present yeas was val
ued at over $7,500,0 900, divided in verv
much the same proportions as other
farm property. 1t is estimated that of
the property of last year over SO, $500 900
worth remained on hand In the sub
merged region on the last of the month,
cotton representing about two thirds of
this amount, and corn practically all
the remainder.
The largest interests at stake. so far
are those of the state of Mississippi,
whose flooded district represents an in
vested capital in agriculture alone Of
| close upon $2,OO0,000 over $4,000 farms,
containing 100000 acres of land of an
|
der water in the country lying between
| the Mississippi and Yazoo and the riv-
ers, includin some of the most produc-
tive lands of the state. Their live stock
even at the present low prices is worth
nearly $3,500,000, and the farmers and
planters are estimated to have about
| So, 100000 worth of the crops of last year
still on hand.
Arkansas stands next in the extent of
its imperilled interests, nearly 10000
farms containing 100000 acres Of land
worth over $4,000, 900 dollars being sub
merged. These farms contain live stock
to the value of over $1500,0O0 and crops
unsold and unconsumed to the value of
nearly 100000, the entire agricultural
value of not far short of $4,000, 900.
| The agricultural interests affected in
Missouri represent total capital of
rather over $4,000, 900, the $500 submerg-
| ed farms containing an area of 470,0 900
acres, worth about $7,250,000, the live
stock representing nearly s1,150,00 more
and the crops on hand another $500, 900.
Tennessee is not far behind Missouri in
| the extent of It's imperiled interests the
number and acreage of the submerged
farms being very nearly the same and
, the entire value Including s1,25O,0 900 for
live stock and s4OO, 900 for crops on hand
being over IS, 500, 900.
| What effect the flood will have upon
the crops of the present season depends
upon the length of It's continuance and
the practicability of wheat planting af-
ter the subsistence of the flood. The en-
| tire region under water on April 6 pro-
duced last year about three hundred
and seventy thousand bales of cotton,
valued at close on to thirteen million
dollars: over eleven million bushels of
corn. worth about three million four
hundred dollars, and wheat, oats, pota-
toes and hay worth over eight hundred
thousand dollars more. The most valu-
able portion of these crops was raised
| in Mississippi, which region, now sub
merged, produced nearly quarter of a