Snow rarely lies on the ground long after a storm. The mean temperature for 1869 was 47.35' Fahrenheit. This shows conclusively that the climate is uniformly dry, that the rain and snow-fall is small, as in the interior of other continents, where winter grazing has been generally common through all historic periods. The total area of land in the United States, as reported by the Land Commissioners, was esti mated at 2,943,257 square miles, or 1,883,744,000 acres; or, if we include the Indian Territory, 3,010,277 square roiles, equal to 1,926,636,800 acres. The following table will show, by States and Territories, the acres of cultivated and uncul itvated farms in 1850 and 1860: of the unsettled land west of the Mississippi river consists of broken mountain country and of arid alkali soil unfit for cultivation by any pro cess now known. The Indian Territory, embrac ing 44,154,240 acres, is reserved for the occupancy of Indian tribes, and hence it is not open to white settlement, Making all deductions, it is safe to estimate that of the unsurveyed lands there remain 500 million acres suitable for profitable culture and uncovered by private title of any kind. The annexed table will show the area in acres, the acres surveyed, and the acres appropriated, in 1874, of those States and Terri tories containing public lands: The older States have varied but little since. According to the report of the Commissioner of the General Land Office for 1878, the total area of the public domain was 1,814,772,648 acres, of which 724,311,447 acres had been surveyed, leaving 1,090,461,171 acres unsurveyed. Some of the unsurveyed lands are covered by inchoate titles that will inure to railway corporations and pre-emption settlers upon the completion of sur vey, but the great mass of these unsurveyed lands are, as yet, entirely uncovered by- any private claims, and are consequently open to settlement. Of the above ,area of unsurveyed lands, 369,529,600 acres are in Alaska, of which a, former Commissioner of the General Land Office, Mr. Joseph S. Wilson, estimated that about 20,000 square miles or 12,800,000 acres are fit for some kind of agricultural settlement ; this is about half the area of Ohio. A large portion Of the surveyed lands it is somewhat difficult to form anything like a satisfactory estimate. The public surveys have been completed in the States north of the Ohio river, in Alabama, Mississippi, and in all the States just west of the Mississippi river, except Minnesota. In Ala bama there were 91,000 acres of United States land yet unoccupied and subject to entry in Crenshaw county, 85,000 in Monroe, 100,000 in Franklin, 46,000 in Conecuh, and smaller tracts in others. In Mississippi, Scott county reports 42,000 acres; Lauderdale, 40,000; and Winston, 30,000. In Florida, where 7,827,724 acres are still unsurveyed, Clay county reports 140,000 acres; Santa Rosa, 87,000; the southern coun ties embracing the Everglades, have been to a small extent appropriated by private parties, though large areas have been donated to the State as swamp lands. Lonsiana has 1,229,396 acres yet unsnrveyed. Our correspondent re ports 130,000 acres in Bienville, 29,000 in Clai borne, and smaller tracts in other parishes. In Arkansas vast tracts of government laud, all sur veyed, are open to settlers; about half of Garland county, 309,000 acres in Van Buren, 100,000 in Pike, and large bodies in other counties, These Southern States probably- still contain from fif teen to twenty million acres of United States land open to settlers under the land laws, by pur chase, pre-emption, and homestead titles. North of the Qhio riyer the government title has been 'extinguished to all lands in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, except a few isolated small tracts of refuse land. In northern Michigan several coun ties still report vast bodies; Chippewa, 500,000 acres; Delta, 100,000; Alcona, 30,000, etc. Very large tracts are found in northern Wisconsin; Oconto and Lincoln counties are supposed to have upwards of a million acres; iu the southern counties also large bodies are found unoccupied. In the absence of definite statistics it may be safe to estimate the amount of government land in these States uncovered by private titles at from tve to seven million acres. West of the Missis sippi river, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Colorado still embrace 67.884,579 acres of unsurveyed land, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas having com pleted their surveys. The total amount of sur veyed land in these six States is 230,104,921 _acres. Of this area a very large amount has been donated to States and railway corporations, _and a very large area taken by private claimants. It is not unreasonable, however. to estimate that .about 100,000,000 acres, or one-third the area of these States. remains at the disposal of the gen eral government. In the Territories of Dakota, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, and Mon tana, embracing an area of 438,119.680 acres, _about six-sevenths, or 373,748,118 acres, remain unsurveyed, but of this area a considerable amount will inure to railway corporations as soon as the surveys are completed. Probably 250,000,000 acres of land suited to agricultural settement yet remain at the disposal of the gov ernment. On the Pacific slope three States, California, Oregon, and Nevada, and two Terri tories, Arizona and Washington, covering in all 351,408,000 acres, about five-sevenths, or 250,290,564 acres, remain unsurveyed. Indi vidual or corporate title has attached to an area about equal to the surveyed lands, but of the remainder a large proportion is covered with mountain ranges, or with an arid climate, ren dering it unfit for any kind of fat-ming except, perhaps, sheep farming. In regard to lands at the disposal of the different States, the informa tion is less general or specific. None of our -correspondents found any such lands available for private settlement in the New England or Middle States. Craig county, Virginia, reports 2,000 acres. State lands undisposed of are also reported in several counties of North Carolina, -viz, Pamlico, Hyde, Graham, Bladen, Caldwell, Alleghany, Camden, Henderson, Tyrrel, Wilkes, _and Montgomery. Similar reports from Beau fort, Colleton and Clarendon, in South Carolina. Camden, Georgia, reports 60,000 acres. All the Gulf States report considerable bodies of State land disposable in different counties. Texas on her accession to the Union stipulated for the possession of her own public lands, and has con sequently an immense domain open to settle ment. The other Gulf States were all erected out of the public domain, and have been endowed by the general government with various land grants under the educational, swamp land, and other laws. Of the Southern inland States, only Arkansas is a public land State, and hence has had numerous grants from the general govern ment, of which a considerable portion remains unsold. In Tennessee, where the unoccupied lands has been ceded to the Union by North Carolina, the lands were found so covered by contradictory private claims that the 'general government ceded them to the State of Tenn essee. From the returns we conclude that the mass of these lands have passed into private own ership, as only two counties, Fentress and Meigs, note any remnant within their borders. West Virginia and Kentucky report no lands of this character. In Ohio no State land is reported; in Indiana our correspondent, in Jasper county, reports 40,000 acres. In northern Michigan large bodies of State lands are yet undisposed of. Wisconsin has largely disposed of her lands, yet several counties report from 10,000 to 20,000 acres. Minnesota has a large amount of State land undisposed of ; only half the county of Crow Wing has passed into private ownership. Iowa has mostly disposed of her State lands. Consid erable tracts are scattered through Missouri; but Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado present very large areas. The Territories have received but small endowments as yet, and consequently have but little to offer. On the Pacific coast numer ous tracts of State land await disposal. Of lands granted for rail and wagon road construction the total area is 198,165,794 acres, of which 59,308,581 were granted to fourteen States, viz, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama,Florida,Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, 1VIichigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, California, and Oregon, in behalf of railways chartered by them. To the corporations commonly known as the Pacific roads were gTanted about 135,000,000 acres. The locality of many of the later donations can not be determined till the public surveys along their lines shall have been completed. The endow ments vary in amount. The earlier roads, such
as the Illinois Central, were allowed the odd numbered sections within six miles on either side of the road, and selections of odd numbered sec tions between that limit and fifteen miles to replace sections within six miles to which prior rights had attached. In some of the later grants the limits of the original and reserve tracts were increased to twenty and thirty miles respectively. Some of these grants have lapsed through failure of the grantees to comply with the conditions required by law. Of the above aggregate, 3,857;213 acres were granted to three States, viz, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Oregon, for military and wagon roads. Of unoccupied lands belong ing to individuals, vast areas are reported in all sections of the Union. In the mountain and forest regions of the older States, for instance, we are informed that from half to three-fourths of whole counties are held, without occupation or cultivation of any kind, by private parties. Much of this represents valuable mineral lands, and other woodlands largely on mountain slopes. Such lands are to a small extent available for agriculture. There is no doubt that in a great many instances men have more real estate than they can profitably manage, and that many eligible farm tracts are available to purchasers from this source. Yet it is human nature to hold on to what is acquired as long as possible, and it must be confessed that the management of the great wheat growing farms in the North west and the great cattle and sheep ranches on the plains, have been most admirable, so far as a good interest on the capital invested is con cerned. As the country grows older, these investments will continue to pay less and less, until at length it will become imperatively neces sary that these immense estates be subdivided into small estates. As showing the animus exhibited in acquiring these large estates, we have shown, by illustrations, a stock ranch on the plains, an actual harvest scene in the North west, a plantation scene in Texas, and also a round-up of cattle on the plains. The prices of farm lands, both cleared and timbered, were made subject of inquiry in several investigations. The following table shows the results of those inquiries for 1880. The first column gives the. States mentioned, except Rhode Island, from which there is no report; the second column the average value per acre of cleared land in 1880; the third column the average value per acre of" timbered land, and the last column the average increase in value of both classes in one year: It will be observed that every State shows an: increased average value. A few counties report no change and still fewer a decline. The average for the whole country is eight per cent. increase. New England reports an increase of eight per cent. Timber lands here show a tendency to• advance in relative value, showing a growing scarcity of this kind of lauds. In New Hamp shire and Vermont the average value of timbered lands exceeds that of cleared • lands, while in Maine there is comparatively little difference. In Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana woocL lands are comparatively lower. The proportion of urban to rural property and population is so much greater, that the value of land depends more upon its market crops. In the Middle. States the average value of both classes of land has advanced five per cent. The total area here is more than double that of New England. The advance in prices is mostly caused by the exten sion of mining and manufacturing and is felt. more strongly near the centers of those branches. of industry. Timber land also commands a higher price. In the oil regions quite an area, supposed to be rich in petroleum is held by speculators for higher prices. The South Atlan tic States have advanced their land values six_ per cent. Many counties report a very con siderable appreciation from Various causes. The increase in tobacco culture, the abundance and high price of the last cotton crop, manufacturing -and mining enterprises, etc., are mentioned as among the causes of this improvement. The -Gulf States estimate a Age of eight per cent. The Florida figures, twenty-eight per cent., are believed to be excessive, but the small area of farm land compared with other States in this :section, renders this excess of little importance in the general estimate. On the other hand, the •estimate of Texas, 4.8 per cent., is evidently too low. In Florida, vast areas of timber land are just coming into market, and the special value -of the land depends not upon its adaptability for agriculture as for the timber to be cut off it. In all these Sta,tes are large amounts of public lands available for settlement and purchase from -the government. In the western counties the exodus of African laborers has caused some aeaction and caused some lands to be thrown this region, the latter at giant strides; but the advance in prices of farm lands in this region is evidently due to the immense crops of 1879. Several correspondents complain that timber land is becoming scarce, yet in all these States cleared land bears a higher average price. West of the Mississippi river farm lands increased ten per cent. in value. In the prairie States—Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska—timber land bears a higher mice than cleared land, and in these States a very considerable effort has been made to plant lands in timber. The rapid increase in population, together with the extension of man ufacturing enterprise in these States,will account for the increase in farm values. The Pacific States show but three per cent. increase. In relation to the public domain of the United States, and the yearly surveys, in spite of the prodigal manner in which they have been given away in aid of public and private enterprises, there still remains a large body, surveyed and upon the market. The yellow fever also had its reactive influence. In several counties, a rapid denudation of timber lands is noted. The Southern inland States claim an improvement of nine per cent. In Arkansas the rapid increase -of population and settlement will account for this improvement. In Tennessee and West Vir ginia there has been a considerable increase in the mining population and in mining enterprise. 'The removal of colored laborers to Kansas has caused an influx of white labor. In these and in other Southern States it is noted that the freedmen are becoming land-owners to an extent hitherto unexpected. North of the Ohio the enhancement in the value of lands was about nine per cent. Au increased demand for real •estate has sprung up under the operation of several causes. Mineral and manufacturing .enterprise are advancing in different parts of unsurveyed, to be disposed of. This is exclusive of Alaska, which is not supposed to contain much land suitable for cultivhtion. The public lands surveyed during the year 1880 amounted to 15,699,253 acres, making, with previous surveys, a total of 752,557,195 acres in all surveyed, and leaving an estimated area of 1,062,231,727 yet to be surveyed. The annual survey is about double the number annually disposed of. How much really arable lands remain for the settler to take up can not, of course, be determined from the land office reports, nor do the best authorities agree as to the proportion of good land to the whole domain. In respect to the amount of area susceptible of cultivation in the different coun tries of Europe nature has been vcry diN erse. Inaccessible and arid mountains, and lands sub ject to overflow of the sea, constitute the greater portion of lands classed as not arable. The percentage of lands not arable is greatest in Norway. being seventy-two per cent. of the whole; next comes Sweden, then Portugal, while Bavaria and Wfirtemberg have the least propor tion not susceptible of cultivation, being less than two per cent. Great Britain has twenty eight per cent. not susceptible of cultivation, Ireland thirteen per cent., and France only nine per cent. The amount of land devoted to cereal crops and to fallow and pasture also differs greatly, according to the habits and traditions of the inhabitants. Belgium has the largest pro portion of land in cultivation, having fifty-nine per cent. ; France has fifty-three per cent., and Great Britain thirty-nine. In the United States no effort has been made to find the area suscep tible of cultivation. It is, however, one of the most favored of any country on earth, consider ing its vast area. In the prairie country, for instance, there is almost none of the land but what may be cultivated, and the mountain area of the whole country is comparatively small.