AGRICULTURE. in 1900 there were 19,802,727 acres, or 57 per cent. of the State's area, included in farms. Of this area 11.247,972 acres were im proved. The average size of farms has remained almost constant since 1800, the average in 1900 being 117 acres. The farms are largest in the western part of the State. In 1900, 80.5 per cent. of the farms were owned by the persons who oper ated them. In the northern part of the State there is much forest and stump land; besides the rigorous climate makes that region less favorable to general agriculture than the south ern part of the State. Corn is confined almost wholly to the southern part. Oats is the mosh common of the cereal crops, and increased its area over 45 per cent. in the decade 1890-1900. The area devoted to wheat in the census year 1900 was much less than that of 1880. Wiscon sin is one of the foremost Stales in the produc tion of the hardy cereals, barley, rye, and buck wheat. The principal barley area is in the east central part of the State. The State ranks high also in the production of potatoes and of dry peas. The production of tobacco is growing in importance. All temperate zone plants thrive abundantly. In Wood. Wanshara, and
other south central counties cranberries are eu] tivated. The number of fruit trees more than doubled in the decade 1890-1900. In the latter year there were 2.557,205 apple trees, or 80.1 per cent. of the total number of fruit trees.
The following table shows the acreage of the principal crops for the census years indicated: STocK-11.usixo. The importance of stock raising is implied in the large acreage of hay and forage, shown in the above table. In the follow ing table it will be seen that stock-raking is characterized by the great relative importance of dairy cows and other cattle. The State has advanced to the front rank among the dairy States. There was an increase of 55.5 per cent. in the production of milk in the decade pre ceding 1900. In the census year 1900. $15.717, 043 was received by the farmers from of milk and 84,508,775 from tales of butter. The industry has developed most in the southeastern counties. The raising of horses and swine is also rapidly assuming .larger proportions, but has reached a standstill. The fol lowing table shows the number of domestic ani mals on farms: