Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-08-24
Grant Gcniltp 6fral0.
The Value of Land Near Good Markets.

Previous to the building of the
Camden and Amboy Railroad
through New Jersey, over thirty
years ago, there werc tracts of land
within two miles of Burlington, N. T.,
which wore sold at five to ten dol
lars an acre. The reason for these
low prices was the simplest one inn
aginable-they did not produce the
interest of the money they coat.
Now, some of this very land is SELF
ing at over 500 per acre, without
buildings. The cause of this advance
IN price is equally plain-the land
now produces much more than inter.
est on it's cost.
In any location where land can be
made to produce the interest of 81
600 per acre, it would seem safe to
purchase it at 5000. Though many
acres around Burlington have pro-
duced and are still producing such
returns, yet all are not. Some are
very far exeedingiit, while others are
falling below, according to the crops
cultivated and the skill and industry
applied, it is to be observed in this
connection, that the best returns are
realized by perseverance,, continuing
at the business for term of years,
until fruits, if fruit culture be adopt
ed, have come into bearing. A trial
OF single year amounts to nothing
If then abandoned, as the first year
on even an old farm is generally one
OF nero preparation for the second.
The first may be profit, but not
often.
Long experience in Thousand
places has shown that an acre of
land can be made to pay the interest
on very large sum. Mr.. Leonard
of Monmouth, obtained from aspara,
gus the interest of $4,000, and from
grapes the interest of $1,000 per
acre. Both these may be regarded
as standard crops, not liable to casu>
atty, especially asparagus. La our
neighborhood some remarkable re-
suits have been secured from stand
ard fruit crops. There is an acre of
blackberries on the farm of Mr.. Dull
ty, which has produced the interest
OF over $500 gross-no doubt of
$1,000 net.
The owner of a three-acre field of
purple cane raspberries told me that
his sales in one season produced him
the interest of $25, 900 gross. Large
fields of even perishGble Strawberries
have been made to pay the net inter-
est of $4,000 per acre. There is &
field of two and q half acres Of
blackberries near me containing
twenty six hundred plants, which
last year produced the interest of
very near $4,000 net. There can be
no mistake about this last crop. Blu
it was altogether exceptional, not
likely ever to be repeated, as berries
were then high, and other growers
had few or none, this fold bore alum
dainty.
The value of land is to be measur-
ed by it's productiveness, not by its
price. All the paying returns above
recited were obtained by good orr
binary cultivation, not by forcing or
extravagant outlay. Had these
been resorted to, the return would
have undoubtedly exceeded the ex-
ira cost. But the owners planted,
cultivated, and waited until their
paintings came into bearing. Such
waiting is sometimes inconvenient to
men Of moderate means but men
wait longer for legacies which are
much less valuable. Thus grapes,
asparagus, and cane producing ber>
ries are seen to yield larger inter-
est for money invested in them, even
on high priced land, than can posi-
bly, be realized from low priced land
where no such markets as ours are in
reach. The land at $500 per acre IN
such market is cheaper than at $40
without the market. The one acre
pays interest on the cost of ten acres,
while the other pays interest only
on its own cost. But time and pa
thence are required to realize such
returns. 1t is he that endures to
the end that succeeds; not he who
plants and Immediately quits
Hearth and Home.