AGRICULTURE AND :STOCK-RAISING. Kansas is preeminently an agricultural State. The greatest obstacle to the industry is in the western part of the State, and is attributable to the lack of rainfall. Several elaborate irrigation schemes eanals—have been tried in this section; but they have been ill-conceived, since the surface supply of water and the flow in the streams are erratic. The results therefore have been generally dis appointing. A greater degree of success seems to be promised through the utilization of ground waters by the use of windmills and the building of small storage reservoirs.
In the middle and eastern sections the rainfall is sufficient, and almost the entire area is includ ed in farms. The total farm land in the State is 79.7 per cent. of its surface, of which 60.1 per cent. is improved (1900). The greatest absolute increase of farm land was *made in the decade 1570-80, and of improved land in the following decade. During the last two deeades of the nine teenth century the average size of farms increased from 154.6 acres to 240.7 acres. The most promi nent cause of this increase was probably the desertion of numerous farms in the western part of the State, groups of which became united as single holdings in the hands of the former mort gagees. From ISSO to 1900 there was a very re
markable increase in the number of rented farms, the percentage of which increased from 16.3 per cent. in 1S80 to 35.2 per cent. in 1900, the tenants on shares being more than twice as numerous as the cash tenants.
Kansas has risen with great rapidity to the front ranks of the agricultural States. In 1900 only one State—Iowa—had a larger acreage in crops. In the census decade 1580-90 the acreage increased S3.1 per cent., and in that following corn (34,383 acres), and is important in the 'pro duction of eastor-beans. It has over half the total acreage of Kafir corn grown in the United States, the acreage in 1900 being 154,706 acres. Kafir corn is proving a very valuable crop, since it can endure a much greater drought than can Indian corn. Brown-corn is grown most exten sively in the central part of the State, and castor-beans are raised in the southwest corner.
The following table includes the most impor tant farm crops in acres, according to the cen suses of 1S90 and 1900: