been predominant, the number of acres devoted to its cultivation being twice that of any other crop. For a long time Illinois was the foremost corn State, but in recent years that place has been surrendered to Iowa, while Kansas and Nebraska have each in occasional years had a greater acreage. A very high point in the corn production in Illinois was reached in the late seventies, followed by a gradual falling off of more than one third; it revived, however, in the decade 1890-1900, the figure for the latter year being the highest reached. In 1880 3,200,000 acres under wheat exceeded that for any other State; but for the last decade of the century it has averaged only a little over half that amount, giving the State a low rank. Oats show just the opposite tendency, the crop prior to 1880 having an annual acreage of less than 2,000,000 acres, but since 1885 averaging 3,500,000 acres, the State ranking next to Iowa. Hay, which for the decade 1880-90 had an annual acreage of over 3,000,000 acres, dropped below that figure in the succeeding ten-year period. Illinois is one of the most important potato-producing States with an average acreage of over 150,000 acres. All these crops are grown throughout the State, but the northern part is found especially adapted to hay, the north and central to corn, the eastern to oats, and the southwestern to wheat. Rye and barley are most extensively raised in the northern portion of the State, sorghum, tobacco, and castor beans in the southern, and broom-corn is grown in the central. In the production of the last, the State exceeds all others. Peaches and pears are raised chiefly in the southern part, while apples, grapes, and other fruits are common throughout the State. In 1900 the apple-trees numbered 13,430,000, or 74 per cent. of the total fruit-trees, having nearly doubled in number during the decade ending with that year. The per cent., however, of increase for all other varieties of fruit-trees was much greater than for apple-trees. In the vicinity of Chicago large quantities of small fruits and other products are grown for the Chicago markets. In most parts of Illinois expensive farm drainage systems need to be maintained.
Stock-Raising. There being an enormous production of corn and other kinds of stock feed, stock-raising naturally assumes great prominence. For many years the number of horses exceeded 1,000,000, giving the State first rank until 1900, when it was exceeded by Iowa. Large numbers of mules are also raised. The milch cows number about 1,000,000, only Iowa and New York exceeding this figure. Dairy products—milk and butter—constitute one of the leading sources of wealth, and are exceeded in importance in but two other States. In 1899 the dairy product was valued at $20,638,619. Of that sum 64.3 per cent. was actually realized from sales, $14,477,813 being received from the sale of milk. Other cattle during the last decade of the century have averaged a little less than 2,000,000 head, being less in the preceding decade, but now giving the State about fifth rank. For two decades hogs have exceeded 5,000,000 head, Iowa being the only successful rival. Less attention has been given to sheep, which have decreased in number more than half since 1870. The State ranks next to Missouri in number of domestic fowls. The following tables, taken from the census returns for 1890 and 1900, show the relative importance of the different crops and varieties of farm animals, and the changes which have occurred during the decade:
| YEAR | Corn (acres) |
Oats (acres) |
Wheat (acres) |
Rye (acres) |
Barley (acres) |
Hay (acres) |
Potatoes (acres) |
| 1900 | 10,266,335 | 4,570,034 | 1,826,143 | 78,869 | 21,375 | 3,343,910 | 136,464 |
| 1890 | 7,863,025 | 3,870,702 | 2,240,932 | 165,598 | 41,390 | 3,522,884 | 170,726 |
| YEAR | Dairy cows |
Other neat cattle |
Horses | Mules and asses |
Sheep | Swine |
| 1900 | 1,007,664 | 2,096,346 | 1,350,219 | 127,173 | 629,150 | 5,915,468 |
| 1890 | 1,087,886 | 1,975,233 | 1,335,289 | 107,875 | 922,631 | 5,924,818 |
Manufactures. Illinois is the most important manufacturing State west of the Alleghany Mountains, and is outranked by only two of the Atlantic Coast States—New York and Pennsylvania. It is a natural collecting and distributing centre for a very large and prosperous area. To Chicago (q.v.) is accredited 70 per cent. of the total manufactured product for the State. From its beginning the city was an important stock market, and it soon far outclassed all other places as a slaughtering and meatpacking centre. From the table appended it will be seen that the value of the products of this industry constitutes over one-third of the total for the twenty-four leading industries of the State, and the greater part of this ($256,537,000) was in 1900 accredited to Chicago. The entire slaughtered animal is utilized, and this gives rise to a large number of subsidiary industries, some of which attain a large magnitude in themselves. Thus the value of soap and candles manufactured exceeds $9,000,000, and the products of the tanning, currying, and finishing of leather are almost as important. The forests to the north and the iron-mines of the Lake Superior region together afford the raw products for a large number of important industries. The manufactures of iron are only possible where an abundant supply of fuel is attainable, and the extensive coal-mining industry of the State abundantly meets this requirement. Only two States exceed Illinois in the manufacture of iron and steel. Chicago is the largest producer of these products among all the lake cities. Joliet has become another important centre for the production of iron and steel. The value of the product for Chicago and Joliet in 1900 was respectively $31,461,000 and $13,380,000. The manufactures of foundry and machine-shop products are even greater in value than is the product of iron and steel. Over two-thirds of the total product is accredited to Chicago. The value of agricultural implements manufactured is more than three times that of any other State, and Pennsylvania alone exceeds Illinois in the production of cars and other railroad supplies. The manufacture of carriages and wagons is also
