The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-11
WHAT ONE ACRE WILL YIELD.

An acre of land is 4,S4o square
yards, or 1880 square feet 1t is the
ordinary measure of ground among
farmers and surveyors, but the earning
capacity of acres varies considerably,
About the simplest use, involving the
least skill and labor, to which an acre
of land may be put is to the growing OF
trees upon it This requires no capital,
but patience, and yields, on the average,
S. IS a year. Then there are the fruits
of husbandry and farming game
through toll and cultivation, and
greatest, of course, in the rolling prairies
or virgin lowlands Of the West and
Northwest. But taking forming lands
nearer home, it. New York State, these
are found t. be the net returns per
acre: Rye, IS SO; oats, $lI; wheat,
SIS; barley, $I7j corn, SIS; peas,
$67; sweet potatoes, SIS; spinach,
$50; watermelons, $751;; grapes, 122 ;
curants, SI2o cabbage, $I33 beets,
$3.50; peches, $50; strawberries, $3.50;
tomatoes, Sos; muskmcons, $158
asparagus, $IS3, and celery, sara. The
adaptability Of the land for such pro
ducts varies, and the value of an acre
corresponds with such variance. The
perishable crops are subject 10 great
damage, and require usually more cul-
tivation and greater care.
Taking ten feet as the average width
of railroad bed, 1880 feet of track
would comprise, stretched out in a
straight line, an acre Of land. This is
more than four.hfths OF a mile Of rail-
road. The portion Of the Pennsylvania
road between New York and Philadei-
phia is generally acknowledged among
railroad men to have the largest gross
earnings OF any in the word, with the
two exceptions of the New York eleva-
ted and the London underground
But taking, as farer for the purpose,
the whole Pennsylvania system, it is
found that the annual gross receipts
amount to about $IOO, 900, 900 for the
$500 miles of track operated. OF this
total, $315oo,o 900 is net receipts. In
other words, this railroad system
earns $4,000 a mile, net, OF $I2, 500
an acre, and the latter figure may be
given as the highest earning capacity
OF an acre of land given over to railroad
transportation. This is a high figure.
Ii is greater than the gains from either
forestry or husbandry, but it shrlnks
into unimportance compared with the
revenue yielded by an acre OF New
York City real estate.
The area of New York City, includ
ing the two wards beyond the Harlem
River, is nearly $4,000 acres. That
tranquil stream divides, territorlaly,
the town into two almost equal parts,
there being 1850 acres south and 49,
at acres are north of 1t. The most
valuable part of the city of New York
is the First Ward, lying south Of Liberty
street and Maiden lane, and covering
154 acres. The assessed value of its
real estate is $50, 900. When to
this is added the value of land exempt
from taxation, which is $4,000, 900,
and allowance is made for the differ
enCe between assessed and the actual
values, it appears that the real estate Of
this territory is worth not less than
$4,000, 900 or at the rate of 81, ooo,
900 an acre, which is probably larger
than the value Of any other piece OF
real estate in the United States. AT 5
per cent. on the amount Of capital rep
resented, the annual revenue from real
estate in the First Ward of the city OF
New York is $50, 900 a year per acre.
That is the highest point, and these
then are the figures Forest land,
s. IS an acre; farming land, $40 to
$3.50; railroad bed, $4,000; New
York real estate, business section, $50,
ooo.-Ne70 York Sun.