Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1884 [PAGE 70]

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74 This percentage of improved acres to total, acres in farms is larger than for any other State in the Union. Iowa stands next, New York third, and Ohio fourth. No better index can be found of the universally tillable character of the soil of the State. The number of farms in the State has increased t h u s : 1850 1860 1870 1880 76,208 143,'310 202,403 255,741 The ratio of population to the number of farms has been in— 1850 1860 1870 1880 11 12 12.5 12 This would seem to show that the ratio of farms to the total population of the State remains very stationary. It appears that there is in the United States a constant movement of people from the country, and a concentration in towns, as .shown by these ratios or percents of people in towns of 4,000 and upward, as compared with the whole population: 1850 1860 1870 1880 12.5 16.1 20.9 22.5 These ratios hold in Illinois. V comparison of the two series of A figures indicates to my mind that the farmers are still upon their farms; but that all mechanics, tradespeople, men of professions, etc., as might be expected, are in towns. The number of dwellings in the State, of families in each, of families, and of their members, are as follows: 1850 1860 1870 1880 Dwellings. 146,544 304,123 464,114 538,221 Occupants in e a c h . . . 5.81 5.62 5.47 5.72 Families 149,153 315,539 474,533 591,934 Members in e a c h . . . . 5.71 5.43 5.85 5.20 Size of farms—acres.. 158 148 128 124 The aggregate cash value of years more than tenfold, t h u s : farms has increased in thirty

1850 1860 1870 1880 $96,133,290 $403,944,033 $920,506,346 $1,009,594,580 In percents... 326% 125% In value of farms Illinois is surpassed only by New York and Ohio. We pass now to a review of the increase of the agricultural products of the State as made in the last thirty years, t h u s : 1850 1860 1870 Barley, bu 110,795 1,336,338 2,480,000 Buckwheat, b u . . . . 184,504 324,117 168,862 Indian Corn, b u . . . . 57,646,984 115,174,777 129,921,395 Oats, bu 10,C87,241 15,220,029 42,780,851 Bye, b u . . .* 83,364 951,281 2,456,578 Wheat, bu 9,414,575 23,837,023 30,128,405 1880 1,229,528 178,859 325,792.481 63,189,200 3,121,785 51,110,522

Total bushels .. . 77,537,463 156,863,565 207,936,491 444,622,350