Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-05-13
Profits OF Farming in oA;o aaa in tie
West.

W SSes
Such wondrous tales are told Of the
profits present or prospective, of farming
IN Illinois. Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
and such is the rush Of emigrsnts Ihiih-
erward nom the older States, it @onld
seen at least the part of prudence to SIT
down and coolly count the cost. and cal
eulate the relative profit in dollars, and
cents. of farming in those States. and
here in Ohio, in our own county. We
take it for granted tha; most, if not all
who are leaving this State, with such
high expectations of a western paradise.
go fer the sole purpose OF increasing
their wealth. Now let US cast aside all
the differences in favor of the older States
in point of schools. comfortable homes.
established business. society. mills, man.
u~factories, cultivated farms, fences, fruit
trees. timbered lands, roads, churches,
all the comforts and conveniences Of life
which are gathered in and around all
old settlements, and look at this matter
solely in a money point Of view.
A farm Of two hundred acres in Trum-
bull County, with good dwelling. barns,
olt houses and fences, can be bought
for SIS per acre. or $1,000. The same
quantity of land with poorer buildings.
would cost in Illinois $1,000; in Iowa
$500; in Kansas or Nebraska $4,000
II The buildings and fences are equally
as good on The farms ia the four last
named States, and territories, as on the
Ohio farm, $1,000 more at least. may be
added 10 the cost of each. A farmer
a raise enough from his land in either
place to supporthi his faEily, and so far all
are equal. Bet when the value of his
surplus products. the amount be has TO
sell, and what it will bring; that which
constitutes his wealth, is computed
then the Ohio farmer has The advantage.
In the new States there is o:,en a large
surplus of agricultural products. They
are far from a market, and when the
rush Of emigration shall stop, prices
must rule low, The same result follows
at any one place, when the tide of emf
grafton passes it. This is never the case
in Ohio. Here the farmer has his
choice Of markets, and the price is al
ways high. His cheese, his butter, his
cattle or his grain. can 90 to Cincinnati,
Cleveland. Pittsburg. New York, Phila-
deiphis, New Orleans or Chicago
Wherever the price is the highest. there
his products are sent. The railroads
and the canals bring all these markets
near to him, while the western farmer
transports his products from one to three
hundred miles by wagon, 10 the nearest
market. at a cost four fold greater than
the Ohio farmer pays to The fsrthest
market. Il lis farm COST three thous-
and dollars the most, the interest upon
that sum is $3.50. yearly. and that 4
mount can be paid by two scrrs of poia-
Toes. any year, which the western man
eouid not carry to market at all.
Ii is not strange that visionary, spec
ulating, young men. who have all to
gain, and nothing to lose, should go west;
bat when middle aged. solid, well TO- do
farmers, with a fair capital and large
families, break loose from old associa-
tons; leave all HAT is most desirable in
life. and 60 in search of that which can
scarcely by sny possibility be as good as
that which they have left. it seems to
US, that they have neglected scripiural
%alrice, and have not SAT down, and coun
tel TIE cast.