40 LoN L. Swift TABLE 1. ACBEAGE TAKEN UP ANNUALLY UNDEB THE FINAL AND COMMUTED HOMESTEAD ENTRIES FROM 1868 TO 1904. Year. Final. Commuted. 1868 4,068.22 1869 9,528.57 1870 15,371.17 1871 23,498.89 1872 26,971.45 1873 39,542.33 1874 36,995.87 1875 47,619.89 1876 44,795.59 1877 58,289.64 1878 54,749.09 1879 36,024.76 1880 39,873.50 1881 50,316.85 1882 63,638.26 5,312.75 1883 85,559.67 9,614.54 1884 77,285.32 13,436.87 1885 67,990.56 9,371.56 1886 76,025.09 7,517.07 Year. Final Commuted. 1887 90,774.14 11,810.14 1888 118,925.60 15,267.92 1889 145,764.60 22,625.85 1890 140,308.78 26,153.02 1891 165,641.24 32,291.37 1892 176,066.13 27,484.32 1893 148,787.76 25,655.25 1894 116,097.66 11,653.69 1895 132,404.76 11,082.41 1896 152,265.09 4,789.30 1897 178,001.97 3,387.95 1898... 211,398.10 8,327.04 1899 179,811.42 7,475.07 1900 168,145.24 17,268.05 1901 152,189.49 42,457.23 1902 130,835.96 92,173.67 1903 118,437.04 120,709.91 1904 109,637.60 62,164.37 In general, it may be said that the yearly acreage taken up under final homestead entry became greater till 1893. During 1893, 1894 and 1895, the acreage was less than it had been before and much less than it was during the years immediately succeeding. The largest yearly acreage was taken in 1898, and the figures steadily grow less since that date. The area taken up in 1898 was nearly twice as great as in 1904. Com- muted homestead entries do not show a general de- cline in acreage during the last years for which the report is given, but only half the area was com- muted in 1904 as in the preceding decade. The an- nual acreage was smaller from 1894 to 1900, inclusive, than it had been during the years immediately preceding; but from 1901 to 1903, it increased rapidly and fell off in 1904. If the figures on final and commuted homestead entries since 1904 could be obtained, there is no doubt that they would show a decided decrease since that time. Practically all land suit- able for farming that is available to homestead entry has now been taken up.
- Pub. Land Comm. Report, Sen. Doc. Vol. 4, pp. 138-360.
