Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-01-30
agricultural.
For the Watchman and journal.
IOWA.-No. 8.

For the watchman and Journal
IOWA.-No. 8.
In my last | wrote Of Butlervillo, late In
dian Town Tame Co.. in this Stato--of its
natural and acquired advantages. Something
further will be written in this article respect
ing the town; and of the people who would
do well to como here 1t is not my design
to convey the idea that there is no place SUI
pcrior to this in all the Wcst-there arc
many such; as Chicago. which is the great
business place of the West. But land there
and near the town costs from almost any
price per acre, to $500, or 5000, per front
foot There are other very pleasant towns
where land is less expensive Rockford is
one, but farming lands there command $500,
per acre ono mile from town. The place that
most of my readers desire, is probably one
where much can be done with a moderate
capital-where, if ono buys a town lot or a
farm, he viii feel assured that it will rise
rapidly in value and meet a ready sale Iowa
affords more such places than any other State
in the West, and this is one of the best. of
its class, in the State.
When Sioux City had far less inhabitants
than this town, its lots sold for several hun
bred dollars per front foot while the best
lots sell here at $50 piece. The farmer,
mechanic or any person of ordinary means,
will invest his property far better and more
safely whore spectators have not congrcga-
ted, and whore fortunes are not made in
day. The most moderate rise in the price of
land in this State ought certainly to satisfy
six per cent Vermonter, and that this rise
is certain no one will doubt who has watched
well the signs Of the times.
Business men here understand this, and
readily pay from 30 to 60 per cent per an
mum for money Indeed it would be poor
investment if land hero would not gain rs
per cent. on the purchase money, without
improvements. One year ago, timber lands
sold here for from IS to Sl2, per acre now
they readily command from Sl5, to S25 for
the same. Unimprovod prairie around the
town could be bought last year for from 81
so TO IS per acre-now at from IS, to SIP
while improved lands-that is to say quar-
ter section that has a cheap long cabin on it,
with some 2 to 40 acres broke and fenced,
cannot be bought for less than $l2 to $40 per
acre for the whole. There can he no doubt,
then, that he, who secures farm here as
soon as next spring, will get it at fifty per
cent. less than he can if he waits year long
or, even should there be no railroad through
the country. But says one, will it be safe
to buy farm at your place till something
moro definite is known respecting that rail-
road? To this l would reply that the
road will certainly come SO near as to en-
nance the value of the land, and should it,.
as IS almost certain pass, through the town,
the owner of quarter section will be made
independent. Nothing is more amusing to
western man, than the caution of the business
men OF the cast in their investments in west
orn lands. 1t is true, as they say, that west
ern men are always desirous of effccting loans
even at high rates of intcrcst-and why should
they not, when, as has been already shown.
they can make so good investments Very
frequently the borrower has means enough of
his own were he oontentcd with thrifty gains.
There was once time to be sure. when the
West had its general failure, and Michigan.
Illinois and Wisconsin lands were drug -
but at that time there was a general bank
ruptcy in the east, and Maine lands were a
nuisance. These times are past and the pro-
ducts of the West have already made such
drain in the cast that gold is much more
plenty IN the country here than there
Who are best calculated to do well here
First, the farmer ;-he can buy farm of
from 80 TO 100 acres at previously named
prices, and il would be well also to purchase
hom five 10 twenty acres of woodland to 20
with II by way of improvement. His first busi-
ness after erecting his cabin. will be to pillow
the grass land or in other words "do the
breaking This will cost about 81. rs per
acre. Such land can remain unenolosed for
one year, or while the soil is rotting or If
fenced il will yield from ten to twenty bushels
OF good corn TO the acre without any oultiva-
ton after planting The corn in this case
may be sown broad cast on the grass. and
plowed m or IT may be planted in hills with
an axe. All vines grow well on a breaking,
and yield AN abundance ofpumpkins, squashes
and melons. In the spring Of the next wear
the land should be plowed again. when Il Il
htted Tor corn or any other crop, and il Is
wonderful what large crops reward the labor
OF even the negligent western farmer. For
his corn aud wheat the farmer finds a ready
market at his door, the former selling at the
present time at forty cents and the latter AT
70 cts. per bushel-prioes which are very far
more remuneratiye here than the high prices
OF Vermont are to the tillers of her soil -
NO one shells his corn but measures three
heaping half bushels Of cars for bushel For
fencing, the crooked or Virginian rail is the
most common, though posts and boards. posts
and rails, and the stake fence arc used No
hedges or ditch fences will be made so long
as they can enclose their farms at less ex-
pense Probably the slab-rail nailed TO posts
Is the cheapest. The rails arc from three 10
hye inches wide, from one TO two inches thick
aud eight or ten feet long Oak IL the most
common and the most durable timber for