The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-12
THE FLOOD.COYERED AREA.
Nearly Sixteen Thousand Square
Miles Under Water.
PRODUCING CAPACITY OF DISTRICTS.
.u,r Forty Thousand Farms SUBJ
werrcd-Mississippi suffers the
Greatest Loss.
onIlClNG CAPACITY OF DISTRICTS.

n cairo MS Dtcu iSshSu w ehN N'poi I
Aept of agriculture. 1t is based upon
,h.rt prepared under the direction of til
,h,ef of the weather bureau showing tn
sx,ent of the flood on April 6. To thi
chart the department has applied the crol
statistics of 1896 as representing NOR,
closely than any other available data tn,
acreage ard value Of the crops of 1897 nov
IN jeopardy. The statistics of population
NJ the number and acreage OF farms and O
the value of farms and farm implements
are those of the census. and the statistics o.
live stock are the department own figure.
for January l. 1897.
The total area under water on April
was about 1880 square miles, of which
1900 square miles was in Mississippi. 450(
square miles In Arkansas, 1850 square miles
In Missouri. 1900 square miles in Tennessee
and 45O square miles In Louisiana. This
region contained in 1890, so far as can be
determined In view OF the somewhat indef-
mite boundary lines of the flood, a popula-
aiion Of 3I9,6s5, of which 1s6,AS9. or about
one-half. was in Mississippi, 100 ,235 in Ar
hoAssS INV e4N
divided between Missouri and Tennessee.
Taking the entire region, the colored popu :
lation outnumbered the whites in the pro-
portion OF j. TO I, the colored predominat-
ing In the flooded districts OF Mississlppi
ct the ratio OF more than to 1 and In
Arkansas to l.. In Missouri and Ten
nessee. the population of the flooded dis
tricts is largely white. in the former state
in the proportion of 10 TO l and in the lat
Yaro IN
The Hooded districts contain, 1t Is esti-
mated about $500 farms of which about
1850 are in Mississippi, nearly 10000 in
Arkansas and like number about equally
divided between Missouri and Tennessee.
These farms contain an area of about
S.SOoeO0 acres, one-half of which is in
Mississippi and rather 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
s6SoOo,0Oo and here also the proportion
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 2.0O0 600 and about $500. 600
acres were last year devoted to cotton and
corn, TO which crops nearly No per cent OF
the entire acreage is devoted The Give
present year was valued at over 81. 500 900
divided in very nearly the same proportions
as other farm property, IL is estimated
that Of the crops of last year. over 81. 75O-
Ooo worth remained on hand in the sub
merged region on the last of the month,
cotton representing about two thirds of this
mount and corn practically all the re-
nander
The large interests at stake so far are
those Of the state Of Mississinni ,ybose
flooded districts represent an invested
capital in agriculture alone of close upon
sig,V1O,000. Over Is. 900 farms containing
100000 acres OF land of The average yaIue
Of about SIS per acre are under water in
The country lying between the Mississippi
ana Yazoo rivers. including some of the
most pfoductiya lnnds of Tho STATE Tbni,.
lie stock eyen t'' ,h VI eiio 9' go, ., ne
Is worth nearly $500, 600 and the farm
ers and planters are estimated to have
about $4,000 600 worth Of the c,.one of last
year stl ON hand. Arkansas stands next
IN the extent OF its imperiled interests
nearly 10000 farms. containing 600 000
acres Of land worth s1I 900 600. being sun
merged. These farms contain live stock
10 the value of 81 500. 900 and crops nm
sold and unconsumed ia fbe valna ~
hearty $500 900. thn ant,ra ag,.ic,,It,raI TN
tefess of these lands representing a value
not far short of 81 ana nnn "a '"i"0
Tho agrlcuIt,rai ir,oro.,, ofr.ot,, :,
Missouri ronresnnt 80 esI amrJ i IN
rather over 50 600 o0o tbo ,' Saoo o s,n Vi
acres worth 81 ESQ COO ,h. i've a'V so 1870
resenting neariv a. Eoo ' Goo 'iso s'orh rep
crops on hand enotber ,,,,,,, MY an" ''o
Tennessee is MOI sar , .iti',.on ,,,, J..
extent of its imno , .af penina missouri IN
Der and acreago =, o - '"ae .,, inc mum
being very nearly tbo au'an', ~. , ARMS
value inclndng :, No 90 S" ooo anu tne entire
and siOO 900 for cr s,,s'o,uVp LOT I'VE Stock
SSoo,OOo What efrnot VI, ~, MANI a1a pvimS over
upon the crons Of tbo Tue 1000 wiz nave
Ponds upon tbe ion ,n, present season de-
and the practjco,,iits, 'h OF us continuance
ing after tho suhsido,o VI ,nu wheat plant
The entire repion 49, VI .ne iiood'
.. proluced last vao r'uur WAFER oor on hpril
.! cotton. valued Of "a, .p oon 80 5,o'uoo paies
100 900 bushels Of cor s,''uoo.opo' over u
600 900; $iO0 ON '.or .prn. worth about So
Toes, etc, The r,n. W u , WHEAT oats pota.
The crops was r, i,o1s 'aiuaple portion OF
region now s,, h,S'u in Mlssisslppl' whose
a quarter of n n,Il,in' produced nearly |
Sides other nrod,,o.a e. oales OF cotton be-
The counties who'll ,or ,oeal consumption:
iut largest rOttDn prplnotpn
h.. IA