“ The western third of the Territory is given up to cattle-raising, which flourished before the region was opened to settlement. The number of cattle has increased prodigiously since that time. Horses, mules, and swine are also important, and some sheep are raised. ”

“ In 1900 the illiterate population amounted to 5.5 per cent. of the total population ten years of age and over. Almost from the first Oklahoma has provided facilities for primary education equal to those of the most advanced States. The first public structure in almost every community was a schoolhouse. Two sections in each township were reserved for the use and benefit of the common schools. The income from the rental of these lands has increased annually, and in 1890 amounted to $189,486. ”

“ A little copper is mined in Beaver County, and a small amount of coal in Pawnee County.
Agriculture. Oklahoma is preëminently an agricultural and stock-raising region. The development of agriculture since the Territory was opened to settlement has been extraordinary. In 1900, 15,719,258 acres, or 63.3 per cent. of the total area, was included in farms, of which 35.1 per cent. was improved. The average size of farms was 251.5 acres. Cash tenants represented 8.2 per cent, of the farms, and share tenants 12.9 per cent.
The striking feature is the great variety of crops successfully grown. ”

“ The deaf mutes and insane of the Territory are cared for in private institutions by contract. The insane are kept in a sanatorium at Norman, the contract allowing $200 per patient. Convicts are cared for by contract in the Kansas State Penitentiary. ”

“ In the western part generally the precipitation is very light for farming. The soil is formed by the decomposition of the underlying rock formations, and consists chiefly of red clay and sandstone material. ”

“ In 1899, 240,678 acres were devoted to this crop. The cultivation of potatoes, sorghum, melons, peanuts, castor beans, and broom corn receives considerable attention. Not a little fruit is grown. The peach trees in 1900 numbered 5,519,072, or over five-eighths of the total number of fruit trees. In 1900 there were 5,733,385 acres of vacant Government land in the Territory subject to homestead entry. A great part of this was in the arid Beaver County, formerly known as ‘No Man's Land.’ For the recent opening of land to settlement, see section History. ”

“ The average annual rainfall is 31.8 inches, evenly distributed through the year with a maximum in midsummer, but ranging in localities from 57 inches to a small amount, the smallest amount falling in the extreme northwest. ”

“ There are also four sectarian colleges, and not a few academies and private schools. The United States Government maintains schools for the education of the Indians. The largest of these is the Chilocco Industrial School, in Kay County. ”