AGRICULTURE AND STOCK-RAISING. Agriculture is the chief occupation. Utah was the first of the Rocky Mountain States to develop this in dustry. Its success was dependent almost wholly upon irrigation, and it was the first State to demonstrate the possibilities of the irrigation system in the United States. The system has de veloped under conditions here not found else where, and with much more satisfactory results to those who share its advantages. The planning and control of the system by the Mormon au thorities made harmonious cooperation possible, and an economic distribution of the water with out disputes over rights to its use. The land was divided into areas convenient for cultivation by a single household, so that there was a remark able uniformity in the size of irrigated farms, and their average size was much less than for any other State. With the recent occupation of extensive unimproved areas, however. the aver age size of farms for the State has greatly in creased. The average in 1860 \vas 30.2 acres. in 1880, 69.3 acres, and in 1900, 212.4 acres. The total farm area in 1900 (4,116,951 acres) was over three times that in 1890, and the improved area in 1900 (1,032,117 acres) was nearly twice that in 1890. In general, the northern counties have the largest farms. In 1900, 91.2 per cent. of the farms were owned by their operators.
The western half of the State belongs to the Great Basin, and nearly 90 per cent. of the irri gated land is within this basin. Salt Lake Val ley in the north central part of the State con tains a large part of the irrigated area. Almost the entire water supply is drawn from streams. Wells afford a very small amount. In 1S99 there were 629,293 acres irrigated. Of the 6S6,374 acres of crops in that year, 537.588 acres were irrigated. Hay is the crop most extensively grown and also the most valuable crop. alfalfa
being the principal variety. In 1S99, S6.9 per cent. of the alfalfa was irrigated. Wheat and oats are the most widely grown cereals and both made large gains between 1S90 and 1900. Of the area in oats 93 per cent. was irrigated. hut only 57.•I per cent. of that iu wheat. Much attention is given to vegetables, particularly potatoes and sugar-beets. The entire acreage of the latter and 94 per cent. of the former were irrigated. Prior to 1890 little attention was given to orchard fruits, but the conditions are favorable to them, and between 1890 and 1000 there was a great increase in every variety of fruit trees. In the latter year there were 715,778 apple trees, amounting to 40.1 per cent. of the total number of orchard trees. \Veber and other northwest counties have the largest number of trees. Probably no State in the Union has a larger average yield per acre for all crops than has Utah.
The following table shows the acreage of the principal crops for the census years indicated: The plateau region in the eastern half of the State and the valleys of the central region afford sufficient pasturage to support a considerable grazing industry. Every decade since 1850 shows an increase in the number of dairy cows and other cattle, horses, and sheep. Sheep-grazing seems to be assuming the most prominent place. The value of the wool product in 1899 was $2, 599,638. The average weight of the fleece in creased from 5.0 pounds in 1890 to 6.4 pounds in 1900. The following table shows the number of domestic animals on farms and ranges. lu 1890 there were 78,047 head of cattle, 22,243 horses, and 922.730 sheep on ranges which are not included in this table.