The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-17
Almost Equal in Extent to Euro
pean Countries Having Pop
ulatiOn of 2G2.363.51:;;.
AGRICULTURAL WEALTH GREAT
Total Value of Farm Products
Last Year, Not Including Live
Stock and Dairy Goods,
Was SS66,399,0 600.
SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Washington, July 1e-Some interesting
data regarding the present productions OF
the area included In the Louisiana Pur-
chase are given in a publication just is
sued by the Department OF Commerce and
Labor through its Bureau of Statistics,
entitled Territorial and Commercial Ex-
pansion of the United States" The infor-
nation IS summarized SIS follows:
The and area OF the Louisiana Pur-
chase exceeds that of tho original thir-
teen States, being S75O25 square miles.
against a land area Of S2n.9l4 square miles
in the original thirteen States. The
States and Territories which have been
created in whole or in part from it's area
umbe fourteen and their population in
1890 was II. S,6ls. against a population
of less than 10000 in the territory at
the time of its purchase. Their total area
Is nearly one-third that of the entire
Union and their population about one
fifth that of the entire United States.
They produced. in 1890, l64,bo.G1 BUSH
els of wheat and in 1898 S7+,UO.0oo bush
els at a value in 1913 of &35.uo.co. their
total wheat production being nearly 90
per cent OF that of the entire United
States. They produced 100000 bushels
of corn in 1880 and s73,S4.0O bushels in
1903, with a value in 1893 of S52, 5000.
their tOtal corn crop forming ~ per cent
in 1890 and in 1908 over 4S per cent of the
total corn crop of the United States. OF
oats they produced in 1913 ISL 10000 BUSH
els, or Il per cent of the total product
of the country. with a valuation of S93,-
100000. Their production of barley in 1893
was valued at over $25.rcJ,tp and of rye
at over $4,000. while their production OF
Irish potatoes in 1905 Mas over S4,ooo,eD,
of hay sll7 10000 and OF cotton QS9sl at
So. 600 900.
The total value of the agricultural
0r1lrV1t. - cha Ctntao (A-rrAI from tho
Louisiana Purchase. including in that cat
egory simply wheat, corn. oats, barley,
rye. hay and potatoes. was in 1870 given
as S626, 10000 and in lgE it had increased
to $S66, 399.0v0.
The wool product of these States in 1894
mounte to 6l.S7l.S5I pounds and in 1873 to
So. 500 pounds. or 80 per cent of the total
wool product of the United States: with
ar estimated value OF about $l6.0Vo.o % or
more than the cost of the entire area. The
value of the farm animals In these states
1904, the value was s1.119. SIP, 900. Add 10
these easily measured farm products the
estimated value of the wool. the sugar.
the dairy and poultry products and the
proportion of the live stock annually
turned into provisions and IL may be safe
ly estimated that the agricultural products
of a single year amount to one hundred
times the original cost of the area; or, in
other words, that its cost is repaid by l
per cent of the agricultural productions OF
each recurring year.
Very gratifying evidence of the prosper
fly of this section Is the fact that individ-
ual deposits in national banks in 1903
amounted to SiTl 10000, against s2l6. 500 900
in 1880. an increase of more than s25i, ooo,-
900 in individual deposits during the period.
The miles of railway in operation in 1880
numbered 5o.S&3. and in 1909 there were
6. 403 miles being operated, or nearly 81
per cent OF the total railway mileage OF
the country.
The power of this vast area, with its
agricultural and mineral wealth to sus-
tain a population much greater than that
which it now Imports IL suggested by a
comparison of it's area with the area and
population of the prosperous countries of
Europe. The total area is SI5,O25 square
miles. and is slightly less than that Of the
United Kingdom. Netherlands, Belgium,
Germany. France, Spain, Italy and Swift
miles. with a present population of 2o2,-
863. $40, as against a population at the last
census of Il, 70S, 6l6 in the territory under
consideration, whose agricultural and min
eral possibilities fully equal those Of the
European States named.