Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-04-15
FLOOD STATISTICS.

FcstImates of the Cost of the Great OSer-
flow by the Agricultural Departn ehS-
The ares Submerged and the Losses OF
Farm Products and Stock. Togetner VII
Estimated Losses for the Coming season
WASHINGTON. April ia statement
.alat;ye to the AGRICULTURAL interests of
the submerged districts of the MlsSls-
s,nni valley south of Cairo. H., has
been issued by the department OF agri-
cnlture 1t is based upon chart pre-
nared under the direction of the CHIEF
of the weather bureau, showing Cne
extent of the flood on April D. 10 TINS
chart the department has appheo .he
crop statistics of 1896 as Representing
more closely than any other available
data the acreage and value Oh Vhe
crops of 1897 now in jeopardy
The statistics of population. OF the
number and acreage of farms ana OF
the value of farms and farm lmple-
ments are those of the census, ana the
statistics of live stock are the depart
ment's own figures for January l. 1884,
The total area under water on April
6, was $500 square miles, OF Whlca
z, 900 square miles were in Mississippi,
$500 square miles in Arkansas, Lou
square miles in Missouri, 1900 IN Ten
nessee and $50 in Louisiana. rms re-
gion contained, in 1890, so far as can
be determined, in view of the some
what indefinite boundary lines OF the
flood population of S79,6S5, OF which
1s6, 4S9. or about one-half, was in Mis-
sissippi, 100. 2S5 in Arkansas and the
remainder almost equally divided be-
tween Missouri and Tennessee.
Taking the entire region the colored
people outnumbered the whites in the
proportion of I2 to Z, the colored pre-
dominating in the flooded districts of
Mississippi in the ratio of more than
five to l, and in Arkansas in that of
to l. In Missouri and Tennessee the
population of the flooded districts is
largely white, in the former state in
the proportion of 10 to 1, and in the
latter in that of 2 to 1.
The flooded districts contain, it is
estimated, about 50, 500 farms, of which
about Is, 500 are in Mississippi, nearly
10, 200 in Arkansas and like number
about equally divided between Mis-
souri, and Tennessee. These farms con-
tain total area of about $500, 600
acres, one-haif of which is in Missis.
sippi and rather over one-fourth in
AThduSStS, Tic DIODOIIAOho III AhAeoCNhA
and Tennessee being about the same rs
in the case of the number of farms.
The total value of these farms with
their improvements, farm implements
etc, is close upon Sos, O0O, 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 100000, and about 1,500, 600
acres were last year devoted to cotton
aud corn, to which crops nearly 95 per
| cent. of the entire acreage cultivated is
devoted. The live stock on hand the LIST
| of January of the present year was
valued at over $500, 900, divided in
very much the same proportions as
| other farm products.
1t is estimated that of the crops of
last year over So, $50, 600 worth re-
manned on hand in the submerged re-
| gion 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 districts represent an in
vested capital in agriculture alone OF
close upon S42. 900, 600. Over 5000
farms, containing 100000 acres o:
land, of an average value of about SIS an
acre, are under water between 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
So, 500, 900. and the farmers and plant
ers are estimated to have about 81. 00O,-
600 worth of the crops of last year still
on hand.
Arkansas stands next in the extent
| of it's imperiled interests. nearly 10000
farms, containing 10000 acres of
land, worth over S14, 600, 900 being sub
| merged. These farms contain live
stock to the value of over 81, 500, 00O
and crops unsold and unconsumed to
the value of nearly 5000. 900, the entire
/ agricultural interests of these lands
representing a value not far short of
| ST, 900, 900.
The agricultural interests affected in
| Missouri represent total capital of
rather over $4,000, 900, the $500 sub
merged farms containing an area OF
about 470, 600 acres, worth about 81, 49,
600, the live stock representing nearly
81, 500. 600 more, and the crops on hand
| another $500, 900.
l. Tennessee is not far behind Missouri
in the extent of its imperiled interests,
the number and acreage of the sub
merged farms being very nearly the
same, and the entire value including
81, $50, 900 for live stock and $780, 900 for
crops on hand, being over 81, 500, 900.
What effect the food will have upon
the crops of the present season de-
ponds upon the length of its continu-
ance, and the practicability of plant
ing after the subsistence of the food.
The entire region under water on
April 8 produced last year about $780,
900 bales of cotton. valued at close on
S13, 600, 900; over 1000, 600 bushels of
corn, worth about $500, 900; and
wheat, oats, potatoes, and hay worth
over $500, 900 more. The most valuable
portion of these crops was raised in
Mississippi, whose region Row sub
merged produced nearly $50, 900 ba.es
of cotton, besides other products,
mostly for local CONSUMPTION.