Named in honor of Louis XIV., King of France, when Louisiana was first colonized; first permanent settlement made by French at New Orleans, 1718: admitted 1812; seceded January, 1861; re-admitted June, 1868.

Area, 48,720 square miles; greatest length, east and west, 300 miles; breadth, 240 miles; coast line, 1,256 miles; internal water communication, 2,500 miles; number counties, 58.

Temperature at New Orleans: winter, 53° to 61°; summer, 81° to 83°; rainfall, 51 inches.

New Orleans, metropolis, port of entry and largest cotton market in the world; pop., 216,090; capital until 1847, and again from 1868 to 1881. Baton Rouge, capital; pop., 7,197. Pop. Shreveport, 8,009. Morgan City, port of entry. State institution for insane at Jackson; for deaf mutes and blind, Baton Rouge.

Number farms, 1860, 17,328; 1870, 28,481; 1880, 48,292. Average value per acre, cleared land, $14.36; woodland, $3.53; 57 per cent. of laborers are engaged in agriculture; rural income, per capita, $209. Latest statistics give 312,000 bu. salt; 1,318,110 bu. sweet potatoes; 175,000 acres sugar cane; 122,982 hhds. sugar; 11,696,248 gals. molasses; 23,188,311 lbs. rice; corn crop, 1884, 11,007,000 bu.; acreage of oats, 35,119, producing 404,000 bu.; cotton, 995,000 bales.

Ranks first in sugar and molasses, third in rice, seventh in cotton, ninth in salt. Total number industries, 1,553; capital invested, $11,462,468; value products, $24,205,183.

Population, 939,946: male, 468,754; female, 471,192; native, 885,800; foreign, 54,146; white, 454,954; colored, 483,655; Chinese, 489; Indians, 848; slaves, 1860, 331,726. Legislature and State officers elected quadrennially; members Congress, biennially. State elections, Tuesday after third Monday in April; number Senators, 36; Representatives, 98; sessions biennial, in even-numbered years, meeting second Monday in May; limit of session, 60 days; terms of Senators and Representatives, 4 years each.

Number electoral votes, 8; number voters, 216,787; colored, 107,977; native white, 81,777; foreign white, 27,033. Idiots, insane and criminals excluded from voting.

Sugar cane first cultivated in the United States, near New Orleans, 1751, and first sugar mill used 1758.

Exports, 1882, $90,238,503; imports, $10,611,353; duties collected, $2,046,804; railroad mileage, Jan. 1, 1886, 1,397.

Legal interest, 5; by contract, 8; usury forfeits entire interest.

Origin of name not definitely known; supposed by some have been name of Indian tribe.

First settlement by French on the Lavaca, 1685; admitted 1845; seceded February, 1861; re-admitted 1868.

Area, 265,780 square miles; extreme length, 825 miles; extreme breadth, 740 miles; coastline, 400 miles; number counties 230. Temperature at Galveston: winter, 53° to 63°; summer, 82° to 84°. Rainfall at Fort Brown, 33 inches.

Brownsville, El Paso, Indianola and Galveston are ports of entry. Houston, important railroad centre; pop., 16,513. Galveston, metropolis, has best harbor, and is chief shipping point; pop., 22,248. Austin, the capital; pop., 11,013. San Antonio, oldest town; pop., 20,550. Pop. Dallas, 10,358.

Number farms, 174,184; average value per acre, cleared land, $8.98; woodland, $4.

Cotton most valuable crop; acreage, 1883, 3,034,922; crop, 1,118,000 bales. Latest reported products, 4,951 hhds. sugar, 13,000 bbls. molasses, 1,460,079 bu. sweet potatoes, 5,560,600 bu. wheat, 60,290,000 bu. corn, 35,528 gals. wine, 13,899,320 lbs. butter, 50,600 bu. salt, 3,600 tons iron ore; coal area, 6,000 square miles.

Cotton picking, July to December; corn planting, middle of February; grain harvest, May; corn harvest, July.

Ranks first in cattle and cotton; second in sugar, sheep, mules and horses; sixth in miles railway; seventh in milch cows; eighth in rice and hogs.

Value flouring and grist mill products, $7,617,177; sawed lumber, $3,673,449; total number industries, 2,996; capital invested, $9,245,561; value products, $20,719,928.

Pop., 1,591,749: male, 837,840; female, 753,909; native, 1,477,133; foreign, 114,616; white, 1,197,237; colored, 393,384; Chinese, 136; Indians, 992.

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 31; Representatives, 106; sessions of legislature biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting second Tuesday in January; limit of session, 60 days; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years.

Number electoral votes, 13; number voters, 380,376. U. S. army, lunatics, idiots, paupers and convicts excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 10; school pop., 295,344; school age, 8-14.

Legal interest, 8; by contract, 12; usury forfeits entire interest.

Name of Indian origin, signifying "Smoky Water," with prefix from French meaning "Bow."

Settled at Arkansas Post by French, 1685; became a Territory, 1819; admitted as a State, 1836; seceded March 4, 1861; re-admitted 1868

Area, 53,850 square miles; length, north and south, 240 miles; breadth, from 170 to 250 miles; Mississippi river frontage, about 400 miles. Number counties, 75.

Temperature at Little Bock: winter, 42° to 51°; summer, 79° to 82°. Rainfall, at Fort Smith, 40 in.; and at Washington, 55 in.

Hot Springs, in Garland county, famous for valuable medicinal springs; temperature of water, over 140°. Little Rock, the capital and metropolis; population, 13,138.

Number farms, 94,433. Average value per acre, cleared land, $11.78; woodland, $3.48.

Corn crop, 1884, 32,465,000 bushels; wheat, 1,885,000 bushels; cotton, 513,000 bales. Latest reported tobacco crop, 1,952,872 pounds; oats, 3,542,000 bushels; sweet potatoes, 881,260 bushels. Ranks sixth in cotton, and ninth in mules.

Number different industries, 2,070; for tar and turpentine, 26; sawing lumber, 354; flour and grist, 807.

Coal along Arkansas river; iron ores in Ozark Mountains; salt springs near Ouachita; oilstone near Hot Springs; kaolin in Pulaski county.

Population, 802,525; male, 416,279; female, 386,246; native, 792,175; foreign, 10,350; white, 591,531; colored, 210,666; Chinese, 133; Indians, 195; slaves, 1860, 111,115.

State elections biennial, in even-numbered years, meeting first Monday in September; congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 31; Representatives, 94; sessions of legislature biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting second Monday in January; limit of session, 60 days; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years.

Number electoral votes, 7; number voters, 182,977; native white, 129,675; foreign white, 6,475; colored, 46,827. Idiots, Indians, and persons convicted of crime excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 5; school population, 289,617; school age, 6-21.

Legal interest rate, 6; by contract, 10; usury forfeits principal and interest.

Name signifies "Mud River," and was taken from that of the river of same name. First settled at Ste. Genevieve by the French in 1755; organized as a Territory, 1812; admitted 1821.

Area, 69,415 square miles, nearly that of combined ares of New England States; length, north and south, 275 miles; average breadth, 245 miles; Mississippi river frontage, nearly 500 miles; number counties, 115.

Temperature at St. Louis: winter, 30° to 43°; summer, 75° to 80°; rainfall, 42 inches.

St. Louis, largest city west of the Mississippi, port of entry and great commercial and manufacturing point; pop., 350,518. Capital, Jefferson City; pop., 5,271. Pop. St. Joseph, 32,431; of Kansas City,—Chicago of the West,—55,787.

Number farms, 215,575; average value per acre, cleared land, $14.52; woodland, $8.25.

Corn crop, 1884, 197,850,000 bu.; wheat, 27,500,000 bu.; oats, 30,774,000 bu.; potatoes, 1883, 6,535,570 bu.; tobacco, 10,540,000 lbs.

Latest reports give 548,990 tons coal; iron ore, 388,197 tons, value at $1,674,875; marble and limestone, 4,419,300 cubic feet. Lead is found in southwest, centre and southeast, having area of over 5,000 square miles.

Latest reported stock on farms; horses, 701,702; milch cow, 674,565; cattle other than cows and oxen, 1,410,507; sheep, 1,439,880; swine, 4,087,566. Hogs packed winter 1881-82, 804,239.

Ranks first in mules; third in oxen, hogs, corn and copper; sixth in iron ore, milch cows and horses; seventh in oats; eighth in wheat and tobacco; ninth in railroad mileage, sheep and potatoes.

Population, 2,168,380; male, 1,127,187; females 1,041,193; native, 1,966,802; foreign, 211,578; white, 2,022,826; colored, 145,350; Chinese, 91; Indians, 113.

Governor and State officers elected quadrennially, and legislature every two years. State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after 1st Monday in November; number Senators, 34; Representatives, 141; sessions of legislature biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting Wednesday after January 1st; limit of session 70 days; term of Senators, 4 years; Representatives, 2 years. Number electoral votes, 16; number voters, 541,207. U. S. army and inmates of asylums, poorhouses and prisons, excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 17; school population, 741,632; school age, 6-20.

Legal interest rate, 6; by contract, 10; usury forfeits entire interest.

Name derived from "Tannassee," Indian name for Little Tennessee river. First permanent settlement, 1756, on Tennessee river about 30 miles from present site of Knoxville; first Anglo-American settlement west of the Alleghanies and south of Pennsylvania; admitted 1845; seceded February, 1861; re-admitted 1868.

Area, 42,050 square miles, nearly that of Virginia; greatest length east and west, 432 miles; greatest breadth, 109 miles. Number of counties, 96.

Temperature at Nashville: winter, 37° to 48°; summer, 75° to 81°. Rainfall at Memphis, 45 inches.

Nashville, capital and metropolis, also most wealthy and prosperous city; population, 43,350. Memphis, principal grain and cotton market between St. Louis and New Orleans; pop., 33,592. Population Chattanooga, 12,898; of Jackson, 8,377; of Knoxville. 9,693.

First railroad; a portion of the Nashville & Chattanooga, between Nashville and Bridgeport, 1853; mileage, Jan. 1, 1886, 2,178.

Number farms, 165,650. Value per acre, cleared land, $13; woodland, $7.28. Corn crop of 1884, 65,723,000 bu.; wheat, 9,320,000 bu.; cotton, 314,000 bales; potatoes, 1883, 2,404,647 bu.

Most valuable minerals are iron, copper and coal; area coal fields, over 5,000 square miles; product of pig iron, 70,873 tons; copper region in southwest, producing, from 1870 to 1880, nearly 13,000,000 lbs. ingot copper; excellent marbles and limestones, $131,700 being invested in quarries.

Ranks second in peanuts, average yield being 40 bu. per acre; third in mules; sixth in tobacco, yield being 707 lbs. per acre; seventh in copper; seventh in hogs; ninth in corn and cotton. Hemp, broom corn and flax are also valuable products.

Population, 1,542,359: male, 769,277; female, 773,082; native, 1,525,657; foreign, 16,702; white, 1,138,831; colored, 403,151; Chinese, 25; Indians, 352. Slaves, 1860, 275,719.

State, congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 33; Representatives, 99; sessions biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting first Monday in January; limit of session, 75 days; terms of Senators and Representatives, 2 years each. Number electoral votes, 12; number voters, 571,244; native white, 240,939; foreign white, 250,055; colored, 80,250. Non-payers of poll-tax excluded from voting.

Legal interest rate, 6; by contract, any rate; usury forfeits excess of interest and $100 fine.

KENTUCKY."Corn Cracker State."

Name signifies "Dark and Bloody Ground," the country being the ancient hunting grounds of the Indians.

Earliest explorations made by John Finley and others, 1767; Daniel Boone established himself there, 1769, admitted as a State, 1792. Area, 40,400 square miles; greatest length, 350 miles; greatest breadth, 178 miles; river frontage, 812 miles; navigable waters, about 4,000 miles. Number counties, 118.

Temperature at Louisville: winter, 34° to 44°; summer, 75° to 80°. Rainfall at Springdale, 49 inches.

Louisville, the commercial emporium of the State, has large tobacco warehouses and pork-packing establishments; population, 123,758. Frankfort, the capital: population, 6,958. Population of Covington, 29,720. Lexington, former capital, founded 1776; population, 16,666. Newport connected with Covington by suspension bridge; population, 20,433. Louisville and Paducah, ports of entry.

Number farms, 166,453. Average value per acre, cleared land, $18.86; woodland, $12.82.

Ranks high as an agricultural State. Corn crop, 1884, 71,880,800 bu.; wheat, 13,425,000 bu.; oats, 7,865,000 bu.; tobacco, 1882, 198,905,994 lbs.

Has a world-wide reputation for thoroughbred horses and cattle. Latest reports give for stock on farms, horses, 370,028; milch cows, 304,720; cattle other than cows and oxen, 505,746; sheep, 980,166; swine, 1,954,919. Ranks first in tobacco; fourth in malt and distilled liquors; sixth in hogs; seventh in corn; eighth in rye, coal and mules.

Population, 1,648,690; male, 832,590; female, 816,100; native, 1,589,173; foreign, 59,517; white, 1,377,179; colored, 271,451; Chinese, 10; Indians, 50; slaves, 1860, 225,483.

State elections biennial, first Monday in August, in odd-numbered years; congressional and presidential elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 38; Representatives, 100; sessions of legislature biennial, in even-numbered years, meeting last day of December; limit of session, 60 days, unless extended by vote; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years.

Number electoral votes, 13; number voters, 376,221. Bribers, robbers and forgers excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 15; public school system framed, 1838; school age, 6-20.

Legal int., 6; by contract, 10; usury forfeits excess over 10 per cent.

Name of Indian origin, signifying "Beautiful River."

First permanent settlement at Marietta, 1788; admitted as a State, 1802.

Area, 41,060 square miles; greatest length east and west, 225 miles: extreme breadth, 200 miles; Ohio river frontage, 430 miles; lake frontage, 230 miles; number counties, 88.

Temperature at Cleveland: winter, 27° to 38°; summer, 68° to 72° At Cincinnati: winter, 34° to 45°; summer, 74° to 79°. Rainfall at Cleveland, 38 inches.

Cincinnati, "Queen City of the West," founded 1789, the metropolis; pop., 255,139. Cleveland has one of the best harbors on the lake; pop., 160,146. Columbus, capital and great railroad center; pop., 51,647. Chillicothe, capital, 1800 to 1810; Zanesville, 1810 to 1812; Chillicothe, 1812 to 1816; Columbus, 1816. Toledo, Sandusky, Cleveland and Cincinnati ports of entry.

Number farms, 247,189, of which 199,562 are occupied by owners; average value per acre, cleared land, $47.53; woodland, $41.37 wheat crop, 1884, 41,186,000 bu.; corn, 85,393,000 bu.; Oats, 23,419,000 bu.; potatoes, 1883, 16,452,315 bu.; tobacco, 29,947,536 lbs. Average value corn, 1881, 41 cents; wheat, 75 cents; oats, 29 cents.

Latest reported dairy products give: milk, 46,801,537 gallons; butter, 67,869,604 lbs.; cheese, 19,978,436 lbs. Pork packing extensively carried on; hogs packed winter 1881-82, 618,348.

Ranks first in agricultural implements and wool; second in petroleum, iron and steel; third in wheat, sheep, coal, malt and distilled liquors; fourth in printing and publishing, salt, miles railway and soap; fifth in milch cows, hogs, horses, hay, tobacco and iron ore.

Population, 3,198,062; male, 1,613,931; female, 1,584,126; natives 2,803,119; foreign, 394,943; white, 3,117,920; colored, 79,900; Chinese, 109; Indians, 130.

State and congressional elections, Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 33; Representatives, 105; sessions biennial, but "adjourned sessions" practically amount to annual meetings; time, first Monday in January; limit of session, none; terms of Senators and Representatives, 2 years each.

Number electoral votes, 23; number voters, 826,577; insane and idiots excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 35; school population, 1,081,321; school age, 6-21.

Legal interest rate, 6; by contract, 8; usury forfeits excess above 6 per cent.

First settled by Canadian voyagers at Vincennes, 1702; organized as a Territory, 1800; admitted 1816.

Area, 36,350 square miles; extreme length, 276 miles; average breadth, 140 miles; shore line on Lake Michigan, 40 miles. Michigan City the lake port. Number counties, 92.

Temperature at Indianapolis: winter, 29° to 41°; summer, 73° to 78°. Rainfall at Richmond, 43 inches.

Indianapolis is the capital and most flourishing city, and contains deaf and dumb, blind, and insane asylums; pop., 75,056. Terre Haute, extensive iron, whisky and pork market; pop., 26,042 Evansville, commercial centre of the southwest; pop., 29,280. Fort Wayne, emporium of the northeast; pop., 26,880.

Number farms, 194,013; average value, per acre, cleared land, $30.46; woodland, $26.90. Corn the most valuable crop; yield of 1884, 104,757,000 bu.; wheat, 31,270,000 bu.; oats, 78,650,000 bu. Dairy interest large and increasing; also the business of pork packing. Latest reports give 37,659,029 lbs. butter, and 1,521,275 lbs. cheese. Number hogs packed, winter 1881-82, 349,261.

Coal fields, about 6,500 square miles, extending from Warren county south to the Ohio; varieties are coking coal, Indiana block and cannel.

Ranks second in wheat; fourth in corn, hogs and agricultural implements; sixth in coal; seventh in horses, oxen and other cattle, malt and distilled liquors, and miles of railway; ninth in hay and milch cows.

Pop., 1,978,301: male, 1,010,361; female, 967,940; native, 1,834,123; foreign, 144,178; white, 1,938,798; colored, 39,228; Chinese, 29; Indians, 246.

State, congressional and presidential elections. Tuesday after first Monday in November; number Senators, 50; Representatives, 100; sessions of legislature biennial, in odd-numbered years, meeting Thursday after first Monday in January; limit of session, 60 days; term of Senators, 4 years; of Representatives, 2 years.

Number electoral votes, 15; number voters, 498,437. Fraudulent voters and bribers excluded from voting.

Number colleges, 15; State University at Bloomington; medical school at Indianapolis; university at Notre Dame; flourishing common-school system; school population, 708,596; school age, 6-21.

Legal interest rate, 6; by contract, 8; usury forfeits excess of interest.