Page IV

IV      REPORT     OF   THE   COMMISSIONER        OF  INDIAN    AFFAIRS.
ing the year, as well as the increase over the amount given in last year's
report.   But for the severe drought which has prevailed in the Indian 
Territory and among the Navajos during the past season the increase 
in crops would have been much larger, especially in the corn crop, which
is considerably below that of last year. 
Indians exclu8ive of five civilized tribes. 
1879.     1878. 
Number of acres broken by Indians ...........................- ............
- 24 270  22,319 
Number of acres broken by government -------------.----------------------
2, 861  2,072 
Number of acres cultivatedi by Indians----- - "  . ------- --------------------
157, 056  128, 018 
Number of bushels wheat raised by Indians ---------------------------------
328, 637  266,100 
Number of bushels corn raised by Indians.  ........................  643
286-- 971, 303 
Number of bushels oats and barley raised by Indians .........................
 189, 054  172, 967 
Number of bushels vegetables raised by Indians ------------------------------
390, 608  315, 585, 
Number tons hay cut by Indians ---------------------------------------------
48, 333  36, 94Z 
Nmnber of Indian apprentices -------------------------------- ----------------
 85  104 
Five civilized tribes. 
Number of acres cultivated ................. .. -........... --------------
 273, 000  245, 000 
Number of bushels wheat raised ----------------------------------------------
 565, 1400  494, 400 
NuXmberof bushels corn raised.--: ..... . ------------------------------------2,
015, 000  2, 642, 000 
Number of bushels oats and barley raised -----------------------------------
200, 000  201, 000 
Ximber of bushels vegetables raised .........................................
 336i 700  320, 000 
Number tons hay cut           -----------------------1.................................
 176500  116, 500 
A PATENT FOR LAND. 
The more intelligent and best disposed Indians are now                earnestly
a8Sking for a title in severalty to their lands as a preliminary to sup-
porting themselves from the products of the soil. The number of per- 
sons who can be employed in stock-raising is small7 since comparatively 
little labor is required and a few men can herd and take care of a thou.
sand head of cattle; but the cultivation of the soil will give employment
to the whole Indian race. The only sure way to make Indians tilers of 
the soil, under the best conditions to promote their welfare, is to give
each head of a family one hundred and sixty acres of land, and to each 
unmarried adult eighty acres, and to issue patents for the same, making 
the alotments inalienable and free from        taxation for twenty-five years.
A  bill to carry out this beneficial object was submitted to the extra 
session of the Forty-sixth Congress [H. R. 354]. It was carefully pre- 
pared by the department to meet all the wants of the situation, and 
was similar to a bill which had been introduced into the Forty-fifth 
Congress and had been favorably reported on by committees in both 
Houses, but which had failed to receive action.          The speedy passage
of 
such a bill would be a greater boon to Indian civilization than any 
other that could be bestowed.        As will be seen throughout this report,
the willingness of the Indian to work has already been demonstrated. 
\Give him the land and the opportunity, and the result is a foregone con-
clusion. But so long as he has no individual title to the land he is asked
to cultivate, the fear that it will some day be taken from         him  will
oper- 
ate as a serious hindrance to his progress. With the Indian as well as 
the white man industry and thrift have their root in owVnership of the soil.