Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1880.djvu/7

Rh had 78,939 head of cattle, 40,381 swine, and 864,216 sheep; they occupied 12,507 houses, they built during the year 1,639. The civilized tribes in the Indian Territory cultivated this year 314,398 acres; raised 336,424 bushels of wheat, 2,346,042 bushels of corn, 124,568 bushels of oats and barley, 595,000 bushels of vegetables, cut 124,000 tons of bay, and raised 16,800 bales of cotton. The uncivilized and the civilized Indians, therefore, together cultivated 482,738 acres; that is about one and three-quarters acres to each man, woman, and child, assuming the estimate that the whole Indian population is about 250,000 to be correct. They raised 745,236 bushels of wheat, 2,950,145 bushels of corn, 349,467 bushels of oats and barley, 970,843 bushels of vegetables, and 16,800 bales of cotton; they cut 201,245 tons of hay. I find in the statistics of 1876, the year before this administration came into power, that the quantity of wheat raised was 483,619 bushels, inclusive of 20,365 raised by the government employés at the agencies; 2,257,428 bushels of corn, inclusive of 27,968 bushels raised by the government employés; 155,112 bushels of oats and barley, inclusive of 20,332 raised by government employés; 313,254 bushels of vegetables, inclusive of 35,205 bushels by government employés; 116,097 tons of hay cut, inclusive of 92,882 by government employés. In addition to that there were 354 tons of melons raised, inclusive of 51 by government employés, and 924 tons of pumpkins, inclusive of 48 raised by government employés. It would appear from these statistics that the agricultural labor by the Indians since 1876 has been well nigh doubled in quantity and value. It may be remarked here that with every year these statistics are becoming more accurate and reliable; formerly they consisted in great part of mere rough estimates.

It is my firm belief that the agricultural industry of the Indians would be greatly stimulated and its product very much increased if assurance were given to them that they will be secure in the possession of their lands. I find that in a considerable number of cases Indians are not as willing as they should be to make permanent improvements for the avowed reason that they entertain doubts as to whether those improvements will redound to their own benefit. From all sides requests made by Indians are brought to the knowledge of the department that the government should give them such a title to their lands as is held by white men. I consider it therefore of the highest importance that the measure I urgently recommended allotting agricultural lands among the Indians in severalty, and giving them individual title inalienable for a certain period, be enacted without delay. The number of those who still desire to adhere to their old habits of life, seeking their sustenance by the chase or depending entirely upon supplies furnished by the government is rapidly decreasing. Care has been taken to convince them that the disappearance of game and the constantly progressing settlement of the country by whites are rendering a change in their occupations absolutely inevitable; and that conviction is taking possession of their minds to a greater extent than ever before.