Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1901-03-31
THE PROGRESS GREAT
Advancement of the Southern State
During Last Decade.
TAKEN FROM CENSUS
The Gain Of Rural Population Was A.
tonlshlng aud the Farms Exceed
2,iOO. .OOO-S statistics a. 10
Values and Increase.

Baltimore. March 30. -"For the south (
ern portion Of the United States the las
decade was in some repects the mos
noteworthy of any in the nineteenth
rentury Its progress Ia population anl
material resources. when compared witt
the corresponding advance of the otha
states and territories, merits special con
sidemtion
These statements arr introductory O.
an elaborate Th-antation OF figures and
facts showing the agricultural progress
of the south prepared for the Mnnuf-'
turar.' Record by l. O. Powers, chioi
staiicInn in charge of agriculture for th,
Twelfth census lIe shows that IN the
past two years while nearly 50 pei
cent of the increased population IN the
rorthcrn state. was in cities, village,
and hamlcts, IN the southern states
the movement of population was Of an
opposite character. The gain In rura
population la the south was Gj per cent
OF the total ncr1as" there, the relative
addition 20 this agricultural population
being more than twice that in the north
and west Mr.. Powers says:
"lf Oklahoma and Indian Territory
ar included Ia the southern states. a,
they are in nearly all official publica
t1us. aud allowance made for the in
clusion In Massachusetts, aud Rhode
leland oi urban populations in town
ship reports. it will be- found that thu
Relative increase in the southern agri
cultural population iu 90 years Is about
four times that of the remainder Of th,
nation. With such large actual aud
relative gain in rural population th,
student of social and economic subjects
b. at once mado aware Of the enomouI
strides boo tho development Of the am.
/ cultural resources of the south in tht
closing DO yoar. of the century
/ The c.timat OF flo total number Of
farm, in the country is something
slightly in eyco.. of 100000 OF whicl
nearly 1t not quite. 100000 are in thD
| 20 southern States, and the relativ
gain in number is greater IN the .outl
than that in the remainder uf the coun
Try The percentage of increase in th
rural population is les, than the increhs
in tho number 1f farms. and thi, fac
indicates 10 Mr. Powers the rise o
many families from the ,tatu, Of farm
laborors % that Of farm tenants or farr
owners. He ays
"The marked increase in the rura
population Of the south taken In come,
tion with the fact of the increased Us
of improved farm machinery makes
certain that there has been an unprc
cedcnted gain In the acres Of land unde
cultivation. and hence of so-called in
proved land, in the south. The increas
IN the number Of farms as shown b.
the reported farm schedules and the In
crease IN rural population makes IL col
tain that che increase Ia the last decad
On improved land is greater than i
either of the two preceding decades
the FINAL figure. fail 20 show such
gain, it may be- concluded that thar
was an error Ia the figures of the ca
lior years, owing 20 the lack of dehuit
instruction 20 the enumcmtors n 90 III
meaning of the term improved land
Taking all the available facts into cnl
sidcutinn, the writer estimates ti
acres Of improved hand IN The O. soutl
orn states la 1907 at not less than $50
O00.O00 The relative incrcasea as show
by its percentage of gain. 1t popuhtio
can he taken as q basis NJ estimator .mu
bc as great MS IN che decade from Isl
tglssO II that relative increase
chrouiclcd, the improved acres VI q
south viii ba found % ba lj0Olo.OD1
Mr. Power. presents several table.
q basis for his stud and 100 c1uclusi,
ventures the prediction that the ,oul
iu 1900 will show. us in other decade
II percentage of nu iunll farm value
with the exception ot livestock. grcau
than Tor the nation as "a whole /
suys'
with the opening up Of new land
tho subdivision of oll plantation. loo
smaller holding. and the consequent "a
prccinton OF farm values. 10 boclm
evident that che southern farm resourc
have increased no the last DO years Wi
a percentage greater even than IN q
decade from 1850 tu lss1. aud that q
census figures when published will ,ho
tor the wear 1000 % total exceeding :
5O0.O0l.O00 This omi may posib
closely approximate si,00O0oO00J