The Remaining Public Lands

T e liind Hr;a of the United rit tes 8 3,680,238 equare miles, or 2.291,302,230 acres. If you add the water surface of tho grcit litkes and rivers the total aroa of the United States is over 4,(()O,OÜO square miles. The public laiuls iu the ditferent states and territorios, leavmg out - because tliey never had any- the 13 original stiltes and the adluitteu states ot Vermont.Kentiicky, Tennessee, Muint, Texas, and West Virginia and the District of Colninbia, auiounted orip;inally to 1,814 709,910 acres, or considerably inore than two-thírds of the entire landed territory of the United States. Of t'.ii- thfr" hurl Hopti. np to 1 K7R. anrvoyofl 714,S72,T.'3T ncrea, leasing nnsnrveyi-d 1,101.197,183 acres. None of the unsnrv jyed land had been sold, and a p;reat deul of snrvcved liad not hpen. It is estimatod that the unsold public lands of the Unifpd States arnount to about 1,300,000.000 acres. Less than half of tho lands disposed of were so'.d for cash or donitpd in s'nall lots to actual settlers under the hoinestPid or pre-emption acts. Thp remainder, aggrogiiting npward of 250. 000.000 acres, were donated to railroaijs, othor improvements, to statpsf r agricultura! colleges, etc. The surface of unsold public lands excpofls in area by over 1,100,000 miles all Europe outside ot Russia.