The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-02-25
RISE In FARM VALUES.
a Philadelphia Concern Buys a
Maryland Clay Farm,

RISE In FARM SALO rs.
a Philadelphia Concern Buys IA
Maryland Clay Farm,
The CECIL WING. of Elkton, Nd. has been
looking up the question OF land values, and, alter
comparing a number OF recent SalCS with safes
made several years ago when prices were at the
bottom notch, concludes that farm lands are
recovering, and that an upward tendency has
| set in. Among the sales it cites is that OF the
| Bayard farm, on Bohemia manor, which brought
81 $40 for $3.50 the Green farm, in the First
District which brought over $1,000 Tor 262 acres,
ana the Stewart l.. Lyle farm of Az acres in the
Second District, which was sold to the Peerless
| Brick Company of Philadelphia. The property
acquired by the Philadelphia company is known
as the Welck Point iarm and contains an extern
Sive deposit OF clay, which. it is understood, is
| mined and shipped to the Quaker City. The
price quoted was $4,000.
We should have been very glad had
the above item, taken from the Phil
adelphia Ledger of Tuesday, obtained
wider notice outside the limits Of
Cecil County, not as an advertise
ment of the CECIL WIG, but Of the
fact that there is as asserted by us,
an upward tendency in the price of
land in this county, and that very
excellent opportunities are now
afforded here, not only for invest
ment in farming lands, but as well
for those seeking a location for
permanent homes as farmers.
That these facts are becoming
known, is apparent from the letters
received at this office relative to
Cecil County land, OF which the
following is sample:
FoRMAN LAKE Co.. MICHIGAN,
February II, 1898
EDITOR OF THE CECIL WHIG:
VIII you kindly answer a few
inquiries about farming land in your
section of Maryland? Can land be
bought in small tracts, say of forty
or fifty acres, and could a practical
farmer make a fair living on that
quantity in your county? What is
the general character of the soil in
Cecil County, kind of water, price
of land, climate, and any other
information you can give. wish
TO change my present home for one
in milder climate. | can command
about two thousand dollars. Do you
think l could purchase a home
where with my labor | could make
fair living :? How are Northern
people treated with you? Please
answer this letter as soon as conve-
nient. A.
1t is not necessary to repeat at
length our answer to this letter,
suffice it to say, that we made a
truthful and not an exaggerated
exhibit of the advantages offered in
this county to small farmers OF this
class, and the superior facilities to
city markets afforded by every sec
ton Of this county, as we'll as the
good feeling and hospitality of our
people towards strangers.
But the point we wish to empha-
size now in print is, that farmers
who own their land, as we'll as
tenant farmers, have been for some
years past, and are now in the aggre-
gate, Just as successful in this county
as any other class Of business men.
| We mean OF course the active,
industrious working man. Not the
lazy, careless, slouchy fellow, who sits
on his fence with his dogs at his
heels, watching his more industrious
neighbor labor and sow, SOW and
reap. In other words, the proportion
of successful farmers in Cecil County,
either land owners or tenants, is as
large as that in any other avocation,
Notwithstanding the low price of
grain, and the Poor Farmer" cry
to which our ears have so long
grown accustomed.
Note a few facts in support OF this
statement.
The record ofjudgments, confessed
and otherwise, in the Clerks office
OF the county, shows a smaller pro-
portion against farmers than against
any other class OF business men.
This proves, that if not making
money, the great average OF them
are at least holding their own, and
not going backwards. They may
have less ready money than the
merchant, the lawyer, or the manu-.
tacturer, but they need less. Their
cost of living does not require much
ready cash. 1t comes off their farms,
and taking this into account, they
have just as large cash surplus at
the end Of the year, if their business
accommodations, generally in the shape
OF cattle and stock, be turned into
money. We can point in this commu
nifty to numerous tenant farmers,
some of them now retired and living
on comfortable incomes, who have
made their money during the period
of hard times. One instance in
particular, where tenant farmer in
this vicinity began farming on a
capital OF 5000 in stock. At the end
OF three years he gave sale. At
that vendue he realized $1,000 in
cash and $4,000 IN negotiable notes
payable in bank. His realizations
were greater than the average lawyer
or business man in Elkton, the
county seat. And this is not an
exceptional case by any means.
Again, there have been fewer fore.
| closures of mortgages on land in this
county during the past ten years,
than in any decade Of the past thirty
years. The record of the Clerk S
office also shows this, and the list OF
Chancery sales by actual count
shows it.
Again, there are fewer borrowers
on mortgage among farmers now,
than at any time during the past ten
years. Investments on first mort