Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-06-05
MUSCATINE COUNTY.

Price Of Land and Cost of Improvement.
Lands are cheaper in this county to actu.
al farmers than anywhere in the INTERIOR
In the first place, land can be bought with.
ill 10 or Is miles Of this city for SC to $40
per acre, of the best quality, and fully
equal to that which in the interior, remote
from railroads. rivers, and markets of any
kind, is held now at from 81 to IS per acre.
Now 100 acres in this county can be broke
for $3.50 per acre, fenced with best quality
of plank for $500, sowed with spring wheat
for sl,25, making 1915 per acre as cost of
putting in the first crop, or from $l2 to SIG
per acre rs the whole cost of land and all.
In the interior, from the high price of lum.
Der, fencing would cost from 81 to 81 more
per acre than here, the breaking would cost
from. s., 90 to $3.50 per acre, making the
whole expense of putting in the first crop
about 5000 per acre, or the total cost of
the land and improvements the first year
from 1913 to SIT per acre. Another item
of difference in favor of this county is the
higher price of produce and the less expense
of bringing it to market.
Wheat yields best as the first crop from
newly broken prairie. A low estimate is 25
bushels per acre, which at 60 cents per
bushel, u low average price, would bring SIS
per acre, which, after deducting the expen-
SEES of harvesting, thresling and taking to
market, will leave from $40 to $l2 per acre
as the net proceeds Of the first crop, pay.
ing for the fencing and breaking, and a
large percentage on the purchase money.
The nearness to the railroad, the river,
and the city market makes a difference of at
least 10 cents per bushel between the value
of wheat in this county and in the interior
Pork is worth so ceRts per hundred more,
and all other produce IN proportion. Again,
lumber, groceries, farming implements and
goods are all much cheaper. The fact is,
that to man with small capital, farming
is by much the most lucrative business in
this county, if properly followed. 1t must
be remembered, also, that all the prices
named above ore upon the assumption that
all the work is hired. 10 farmer who
does his own work in part or in whole, the
cost would be less than our estimates by at
least one half.
10 farmers in the east, living on rented
land, keeping up their farms by an expensive
system of feeding and manuring, and fight
ing against hard climate and rock bound,
sterile soil we say, this is the place for you.
A few years, and our lands will be taken up
and prices will rule higher than in the east.
Oar acres are going by the millions every
day. Land is cheap, provisions low, every
thing is more favorable to emigration now
than for years past
The KANSAS RoBBsRs.-The Kansas cor
respondent Of the st. Louis Democrat says /:
Montgomerys mounted corps at Sugar
Creek are undoubtedly small band of high
waymen-and We hope that no respectful =
New York or St. Louis journal will under
take to apologize for their petty rascalities.
/ But the attempt to fasten their acts upon
the Free State men Of the Territory is
simply absurd. They are few congregated
bad mon who levy black mail indiscrimi-
nately.
One Of their atrocities is thus related -
While plundering tho house Of Free State
man, they encountered some slight resist
ance from his wife slight indeed, it must
have been-who it seems is woman of
spirit. The brutal set revenged themselves
by compelling her, under pain of instant
death, TO strip naked and pace up and down
for stated time, between their ranks
Did woman ever endure such degradation