Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-10-16
FARM LAND VALUES.

So long as the influx of new population
into Minnesota and North Dakota goes
on. land will continue to change hands |
and, allowing for ups and downs within |
short periods, will rapidly increase in
value The future of land values in these
two states depends upon the room they
have for new population. That there is |
plenty of elbow room in both may be
learned from an examination of few
figures.
The average number of persons to the
square mile in North Dakota is only As:
in Minnesota, 2l. When North Dakota
is as thickly settled as Minnesota to-day,
it will have approximately five times as
many people as it has to-day-say $780,
600 or l,75OOW. In 1870 Minnesota had
about as many people as North Dakota
has to-day. 1t has taken Minnesota,
then, only thirty years to grow as much
as North Dakota will have to grow to be
as populous us Minnesota is to-day. But
the field for settlement is so much small
Ter than it was that North Dakota will
undoubtedly grow much faster than
Minnesota has. And as matter of fact,
the percentages show that North Dakota
is growing much faster proportionately.
From 1880 to 1890 North Dakota gained
1851 per cent, in population. In the
next decade it gained 74.7 per cent. For
the same periods Minnesota gained 66.7
and 34.5 per cent, respectively. 1t is
quite possible that within twenty years
North Dakota will have more than $780,
600 people What that means for North
Dakota lands, any Minnesota man can
tell who remembers when southern Min
nesota lands that are now going at $50
to 800 an acre, were given away by the
government or sold at IS to $40 an acre.
We suppose that s35 and $40 represent
top land prices in North Dakota to-day,
with immense areas that can be bought
from those figures down to 81 and 50 an
acre. 1t is certain that land values in
North Dakota will in decade increase
at least 100 per cent through the state
as whole, while it is taking on million
people.
As for Minnesota, a large part of the
state is sparsely settled, and very consid-
cradle areas are not settled at all. The
state gained 10000 people between 1890
and 1900, or hundred thousand more
than the entire present population of
North Dakota. 1t will add as many peo-
pie during the present decade In 1910
Minnesota will be approaching the $780,
900 population mark Most of this in
crease will go into the sparsely settled
west. north and northwest of the state.
This means the rapid relegation to an
Gent history of SIS to $40 prairie land
and fond good bye to timber land pri-
ces under so. 1t means that the older
portions of Minnesota will see land values
level up with those of Iowa and Illinois
to-day. while the newer portions will be
worth what southern Minnesota lands
bring to-day.
In the census year the average Mime
sofa farm was worth 1856 and yielded
an income of 1927: in the same year the
average North Dakota farm was worth
S3,S24 and yielded an income of 81, 100.
The average of the North, Dakota farm
was 1929 acres, and that of the average
Minnesota farm 1897 acres. Incomes of
Is and 20 per cent are not bad.
There can be no doubt that land values
IN both states will steadily increase in
value. The people are coming, there is
room in plenty. They will do the land
good and the land will do them good
Minneapolis journal.