100 have only increased 37 per cent., those between 100 and 500 have trebled, those between 500 and 1,000 have quintupled, while those above 1,000 acres are eight times more in number than in 1870. In 1883 over 18 million acres were in the hands of eight proprietors, while the great railway companies own 200 million. acres. The total value of farms in 1880 was 2,039,419,3551., and in 1870, 1,852,560,7721., but in the latter year gold was at a premium of 25 per cent. The total value of farm implements in 1880 was 81,304,0117., and the total value of all agricultural produce was 442,680,5131. The following are the returns of the cereal crops for the five years 1882-86.

The areas and produce of the various cereal crops for 1885 and 1886 are specified in the subjoined tables :

The area under tobacco in 1877 was 745,000 acres, and the crop 580,000,000 lbs., valued at $40,600,000; in 1884 the area was 724,668 acres crop 541,504,000 lbs., valued at $44,160,151; in 1885 the acreage was 752,720, the crop 562,536,000 lbs., and the value $43,265,598; of this about 45.5 per cent. is exported. The quantity produced in 1886 was 485,000,000 lbs. In 1882 the total area under cotton was 16,276,691 acres, estimated to yield 6,957,000 bales; in 1885 the acreage was 18,300,865, the yield 6,575,300 bales, valued at $269,989,812. The acreage in 1886 was 18,454,603, and the quantity produced was 6,505,080 bales.

The following table exhibits the number of live stock at the two census years 1870 and 1880 and in 1887 :

The total value of farm animals in the United States in 1887 was $2,400,587,000. The area devoted exclusively to the rearing of cattle measures 1,365,000 square miles. While the production of butter as a farm product increased from 514,092,683 lbs. in 1870 to 777,250,287 lbs. in 1880, that of cheese decreased from 103,663,927 lbs. in 1860 to 53,492,153 lbs. in 1870, and 27,272,489 lbs. in 1880. There were besides, however, 171,750,495 lbs. of cheese produced as a manufacture in 1880, and 16,471,163 lbs. of butter.

The total production of gold and silver in the country was as follows during each of the years from 1886 (6 months) to 1886 :

The precious metals were raised in 1886 mainly in California for gold; and Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Montana for silver. The total value of gold deposited at the mints and assay

offices from 1793 to 1886 is estimated at $1,687,417,674, and silver at $321,076,861.

The following are the statistics of the metallic products of the United States in 1886 (long tons equal 2,240 lbs., short tons equal 2,000 lbs.):

Gold, troy ounces, coining value

1,881,250

35,000,000

Copper, pounds, value at New York City (a) 161,235,381

16,527,651

(a) Including copper made from imported pyrites.

(8) Including nickel in copper-nickel alloy.

The following are the statistics of non-metallic minerals for 1886:

Adding to the above fireclay, kaolin, and a variety of other materials, the total value of the minerals and metals produced in the United States in 1886 is estimated at $465,327,888.

The following table shows the progress of manufacturing indus

tries in the United States between 1870 and 1880, excluding petroleum refining and gas manufacture :

It will be seen that while the number of establishments has not materially increased, there has been a very large increase in all the other items, showing the concentration of manufactures in large establishments, and the increased use of machinery. More than one-half of the establishments and of the capital are in the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

The manufacture of cotton in the United States has been rapidly growing in recent years. At the census of 1880 there were found to be 756 manufactories for materials solely of cotton, with a capital of 41,656,0697.; the number of spindles was 10,653,435 (12,000,000 in 1882); of looms, 225,759; hands employed, 174,659; cotton consumed, 1,570,344 bales (750,343,981 lbs.), valued at 17,389,145l., producing materials valued at 38,418,000l. The total cotton production of the States in the same year was 5,737,257 bales of 455 lbs. each; in 1886 it was 6,575,691 bales.

Another industry of great importance is that connected with iron and steel. In the various branches of this industry there were 1,005 establishments in 1880, with a capital of 66,194,376, and employing 140,978 hands; these produced 7,265,140 tons of materials in the year, the value of all the materials used being 38,254,2301., and the total value of the products 59,311,5377. Of blast furnaces alone there were 490, using 7,256,684 tons of ore, the total value of the materials used being 11,723,9481.; the pigiron produced weighed 3,781,021 tons, and the value of all the products amounted to 17,863,1141. There were 324 iron rolling mills, with a capital of 17,956,6401., employing 80,130 hands, using material to the value of 17,655,4461., producing 2,353,248 tons of finished materials, valued at 27,359,714l. There were also 36 Bessemer and open-hearth steel works, producing 983,039 tons of material, valued at 11,161,0427. The production of pig-iron in 1882 was 5,178,122 tons; in 1884, 4,589,613 tons; in 1885, 4,529,869 tons; in 1886, 6,366,688 tons. The total number of furnaces in December 1886 was 577. In 1885 the Bessemer steel produced amounted to 1,519,426 tons, and open-hearth steel in 1886, 245,606 tons.

In connection with the great forests of the country, the preparation of lumber or timber is important. There were 25,708 establishments for this purpose in 1880, with a capital of 36,237,2241., employing 146,880 hands, using materials valued at 29,231,0771., the value of the produce being 46,653,7451.

It was found at the census of 1880 that the fisheries of the United States employed 131,426 persons, that the capital invested was 7,591,7007., and the value of the products (including seal and whale fisheries) was 8,600,000l.; the number of vessels engaged was 6,605, of 208,297 tons.

The total value of the products of agriculture, manufactures, mining, forestry, and fisheries in the United States for the year ending June 30, 1883, was estimated as at least 10,000,000,000 dollars, or 2,000,000,0007.

Railways, Telegraphs, and Posts.

The growth of the railway system of the United States dates from 1827, when the first line was opened for traffic at Quincy, Massachusetts. The extent of railways in operation in 1830 was 23 miles; it rose to 2,818 miles in 1840; to 9,021 miles in 1850; to 30,635 miles in 1860; to 53,399 miles in 1870; to 84,393 miles in 1880; to 91,147 miles in 1881; and to 150,710 miles in January 1888, 12,724 miles having been laid in 1887. As the returns given in Poor's Railway Manual' seem incomplete in the case of some companies, it is difficult to obtain the precise mileage open for traffic. According to one return, the total mileage open for traffic and under construction on December 31, 1885, was 166,700, though the returns for various groups of states seem to overlap each other to some extent. The total capital invested in railways in 1886 was 8,073,573,394 dollars, the gross yearly earnings 765,310,519 dollars, and the net earnings, 266,488,993 dollars.

The telegraphs of the United States are almost entirely in the hands of the Western Union Telegraph Company, which had in 1886 151,832 miles of line, 489,607 miles of wire, and 15,142 offices; the number of messages sent in 1886 was 43,289,807, the receipts 16,298,638 dollars, expenses 12,378,783 dollars, and profits 3,919,855 dollars. Including minor companies, there were altogether over 170,000 miles of telegraph line open for public use in 1886. In 1886 there were 114,371 miles of telephone wire belonging to one company, with 330,000 telephones, and 752 telephone exchanges. Including this company it is estimated that in 1886 there were about 130,000 miles of wire for telephone use.

The postal business of the United States for the fiscal year 1886-87 was as follows :-Number of pieces of ordinary mail matter