Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-12
LAND VALUES N IOWA
d. w. Norris, of Grinnell, Finds
That Farms Are Selling
Higher Than Ever
CHEAP CORN AND HOGS PAST
Farms Near GrinnelI Selling as High as
$3.50 Per Acre-Norris Says We
Wore All Fooled When We Thought
Those Lands Had Reached Their
Limit in Price.
[By d. w. Norris.1


The spring of 1902 was phenomenal
in the number Of farms sold, and prices
paid. In 1903 it was generally thought
that the limit OF prices had been
reached. Sales fell off and 1t was free
ly predicted that values would recede.
Some thought that while sales would
fall off, prices would remain station
airy. Events show that we were all
wrong. Iowa lands have not yet reach
ed the price limit, and the enormous
crops OF 1904. have brought about
many Sales at still higher level than
ever known.
Poweshiek county lands are no ex-
ception to the general rule, and what
Is going on here, is probably going on
In every county in the state, except IN
those counties that lost their crops in
1902 and 1903 The sales made here
since Aug. 1st are bona fide, and mus
compel us to revise our estimates. In
man paid $110 per acre for the old Blk
by farm of 100 acres, one mile east OF
Wynes at $780, Imam pays Samuel
Porter 800 per acre for his half sec
ton east OF EWart, Wynes sells his 100
acre farm, one mile east Of the Grin
nell fair ground to Murphy for $110 per
acre. The buildings and location are
good the land Itself is inferior, MUIR
ply sells his eighty without improve
ments, six miles from town, to young
Inman at $50. Jonas Sawyer pays $125
an acre for the kasson forty, one mile
from Grinnel. The land Is not choice,
and the buildings are very poor. Joel
Stewart sells his 800 acre farm, seven
miles southwest of Grinnell to Clutter
for $62.50 per acre. The buildings and
fences on this farm are excellent, the
land Is very rough. billy and altogether
inferior, Shadboth sold his $40 acre
farm, known as the Van Evera farm,
to Robert Rice, Sept list for $32,25o,
but as Rice pays all the money
down. and takes possession Nov
1st, 1t is equivalent to $4,000
March list. Shadboldt paid $4,000 for
this farm on March l 1902.
Another sale just reported, is pos
sfbly higher than anything sent in yet,
and that Is the sale of the Ben Wort.
man farm of 240 ages, to the Rivers
brothers The location is not the
best, being about seven miles south
east OF Grinnell, the buildings only
fair, $50 acres good and eighty acres
very Inferior price paid $3.50.
l.. G. G. Pierce has sold his 100
acres, four miles southeast, fine
farm, with only modest improvements,
for 800, and the buyer. a stranger.
refused sos, offered by Fred Shaffer.
within twenty-four hours.
Can men pay such prices and make
money? They can if they under
stand farming and give 1t their per-
sonal attention No man can afford
to buy these farms and rent them.
The writer has repeatedly said that
cheap corn. cheap cattle and cheap
hogs, are things of the past and 80
cent corn, cent steers and 5la cent
hogs with higher prices in prospect.
make 800 land quite as profitable as
$50 land was ten years ago.
Besides, an observing man can see
wonderful strides in the methods used
by Iowa farmers and the college at
Ames Is making them millions. There
is scarcely a corn field in the vicin-
ity of Grinnell that promises less than
sixty bushels per acre. many will go
seventy-five and some few ninety. A
crop of seventy bushels at 30 cents,
means $245O. Such crops and such
prices make 500 land cheap because
it is profitable.
Grinnell Oct. liz, 1904.