Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-02-07
SELECTING a FARM.

PHfchnse Homes and Lands.
No light importance attaches to the
matter Of selecting the farm on which
to mako ones home. Especially is
this true with the inexperienced young
farmer in search of a place on which
to devote the labors, perhaps, of life
time. There are so many points to be
considered that 1t is little wonder
when some important ones are over
looked. How often. when too late.
does something which has not been
noticed present itself to cause disap-
pointment in the selection. Some
times the dissatisfaction is so great as
to lead to sale and second purchase,
or to the giving up of well-chosen
vocation.
As one who has made several changes
of location. and has bought some bits
of experience rather dearly, I have
thought few hints on this topic might
meet the eyes of some to whom they
would be of use. Forethought can
never see so clearly and truthfully as
afterthought, but in its nature lies
that which makes it of much greater
value. In the degree of accuracy with
which it Is used and the constancy OF
its employment may be found the
secret of many successful life.
When one contemplates moving to a
distant place, the climate should be
considered and its various peculiar
phases understood. before any great In
vestment is made in home. While the
latitude will give general idea OF the
average temperature, it will not indi-
cate the frequency and suddenness Of
its changes. the dryness or moisture OF
the atmosphere, the amount of sun
shine, constancy Of winds. liability to
severe storms, amount of rainfall.
snow, etc. These vary a great deal in
different sections of our country lying
under the same parallel of latitude.
The purity of air and water, and the
consequent healthfulness of the local
ity. should receive special considers
ton.
The financial condition of State,
county and town is something that
majority of home-seekers never think
OF. or consider unworthy of their at
tention. But if a man should buy an
interest in an established business, and
become an equal partner in all OF its
affairs, and in doing this should base
the amount he paid entirely on the
value of the stock on hand, regardless
of the amounts of debts and credits on
the books of the original firm, it would
be considered very strange and I'M
fair method of doing business. Every
intelligent man knows that the value
of an interest in any business depends
more on what the books reveal than on
the amount of visible stock.
In becoming citizen of any place
man. of necessity, must assume his
share of the various debts of school
district, town, county and State. Con-
sequently it is acting rather blindly
when man buys farm without learn
ing how much of such Indebtedness
hangs over it, for payment of which it
will be held as securely as though COW
cred by mortgage.
The distance from the town is an inn
portant item for consideration, vary
ing somewhat with the branch of farm
ing one intends to push.
l met an acquaintance one day in q
frontier town who was just selling a
load of corn (on the cob) which he had
hauled from his farm fifty miles away.
This was his nearest market, and yet
he located with the intent of raising
corn for sale. 1t took him three days
to make trip. He got six dollars for
his load of corn. The reader can fig.
ure the profit for himself. This man
afterward changed his plan and en-
gagged in stock-raising. and has now a
fair prospect of success.
Each mile from town makes two
miles of extra travel for every trip,
which is likely to amount to two hun
dred miles or more per year.
The richness of the soil is a matter
that would not be likely to escape the
attention of any purchaser; yet it
might not be credited with its full
share of Importance. The difference
between a WORKOUT farm and one we'll
kept up in fertility is much like the
difference between a handbook that
nearly balances and another that has
a largo cash credit in its favor. The
size of the handbook does not indi-
cate its value; neither do the number
of acres in the farm. If it takes
twenty loads of manure per acre to
make one field as rich as another,
there would be at least a difference of
value equal to the cost of that manure
and of the labor required in getting it
into the soil. This would be differ
ence of between $40 and $50 per acre
varying that much in different sec
tons of the country.
The nature of the soil-its capacity
for retaining the manure applied-is