The Osceola times., 1877-05-12
rARu AND rIREsIDR.
m.v J, uene reur r.rs. met.

yo4rB Wnen money W01 plehty, anu VIC
price of land was pretty steadily nd.
vancing, this item was always reckoned
~ constituting much of the profits from
holding land. Large tracts were bought,
and either poorly titled or left useless,
waiting until the Improvements on ad-
joining properly enhanced the value Of
all. This is still dsne in some western
states, ss It Is pretty sure always 70 be in
the settlement OF new localities. But
the profits on the increase in value Of
lands from the labor of others than their
owner have become very precarious. In
old, settled districts, land left alone does
not increase in price. Even at the west
the laws Justly discriminate against non-
resident owners, taxing such lands no
heavily a. often to force them on the
market, and nearly always enough to
take all the profits from holding. We
have therefore got down to "hard pan"
in estimating the price Of real estate.
Whatever increases In price Is made must
follow real increase in value and pro-
ductive capacity. Land Is, and win be
henceforth. worth whatever sum it will
pay interest on above the cost Of pro-
ducing the crop. This may be unfavor-
able TO landowners who rely on specula-
tive values for their profits, but 1t Is just
what is wanted by the real working
farmers of the country.
While Ne may not look for large and
sudden increase In the speculative value
Of farms, it IL certain that improved con.
dition and greater productive capacity,
resultingirom good management, will not
fail of their reward. The farmer who i'm
proves his land by heavy manuring, un-
derdraining where needed, and clearing
II of weeds, has this decided advantage,
that he does not need TO sell in
order 10 reap the profit from his enter
prise and iorethought. Judicious i'm
provcment of the soil is always worth
TO the owner q good deal more than
il costs or will sell for. Very many
farmers can increase the productive ca
pacity of their farms 500 per year by
$500 expended in judicious underdrain.
ing. Whoever does this in New York,
has for $500 added more than 81 400 TO
his working capital. In these western
states where money Is worth ten per cent,
an improvement yielding 800 yearly is
worth ten times that sum to keep, II not
70 sell. Wherever possible all the profits
Of the farm should be yearly invested in
improvements such ~ these. Nothing will
or can pay 10 we'll ~ increasing the pro-
ductive capacity Of the soil. On poor or
wet land, all the labor Of preparing the
ground, planting or sowing the crop, il
poorly requited; while, II the land is
Improved, a. it could and should be, it
win yield profit. With crop Of twelve
bushels Of wheat per acre, nothing is left
after paying the cost Of production. In.
crease the crop TO thirty bushels per
acre, and all the surplus shove twelve
bushels makes lhe rental value OF the
soil. In one case the land is worth moth
ing to hold on its present condition for
producing wheat. In the other case the
land Is worth what the price of eighteen
bushels of wheat will pay the interest on.
These figures are only approximate; but
they show clearly enough the principle
involved. Other conditions viii modify
the result. Land that produces thirty
bushels Of wheat per acre must be kept
up 10 that productive capacity OF such
chopping viii speedily decrease the value
Of the land lar mo-c than the profits. On
the other hand the owner OF poor land
may be doing better than his richer
neighbor. IL the farm of the first 10 con-
stantly growing richer and that of the
other less fertile. As q rule, however, 1t
is perfectly safe TO say that poor land
tends to grow poorer, while, except under
bad management, rich soil is apt to in
crease in fertility.
Tt s,ood~ . mood fovu, as,d . r,sv ,-;th
plenty Of capital to take poor land and
build 1t up into fertile and profitable
farm. II will take years, besides good
deal Of money 10 make poor land produc.
tive and profitable. No poor man can
afford to buy such land. He needs a
farm on which he can at ence begin to
make money. This reverses the usual
course but 1t only shows that in farm
ing as in everything else the poor never
do or can make 80 good bargains as their
richer neighb0rs. Solomon said thou
sands of years ago that the destruction
Of the poor is their poverty. Ii is just
as true now as when uttered, and is
especially true in farming. s0
Too much land is the great obstacle
10 improvement in American farming
Increase Of land increases labor and all
expense, including taxes, while it does
not always increase the production.
Many farmer who has boug ght an ad.
ditional fifty, or one hundred acres, could
have realized far more of profit and
pleasure from the investment of the
same money in improving and beautify-
ing his original farm. A thousand dol.
lars will not do much in our eastern
states buying more land but it will ac-
complish wonders in undertaking,
manuring, destroying weeds and repair.
ing fences. Most Of the improvements
will pay for themselves in two or three
seasons a. the farthest. No matter how
low the selling price of land may 20, its
value to own and work will always he
fixed by its productive capacity. What
ever judicious improvements are made on
1t can never fail 10 secure their Just re.
ward.-Cahirator and Country Gentleman.
Humber sf Esss Per Annun rrsn the
Principal Varieties 81 Psaltry.
After repeated experiments with the
diaerent varieties Of chickens, and COM
parison with others who have experi-
mented In the same direction, / have
concluded that the laying capabilities Of
the principal varieties are absut as fol-
lows: 'l-s
Light Brahmas and Partridge Cochins
Egg, seven to the pound lay 1870 per
annum.
Dark Brahmas- Eggs, eight TO the
pound lay l20 per annum.
Black, White, and Buff Cochins-
Exgs, eight to the pound: Law llh ner