Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-29
FARM VALUES SOUTH
Gain Of so to $50 Per Cent in Two
Years.


| bankers and others throughout The
South indicating wonderful advance
| in the value of farm lands, the Manu-
| facturers' Record says:
! while il is true that the industrial
development of the South is going for
| ward with amazing rapidity, it is new
| erthelcss true that, by virtue of the
extent of the agricultural interests of
| the South, agriculture is yet the foun-
dation OF the business of that section.
| A change from poverty to prosperity
| of the farmers, and q change from land
| without a selling value to land in de-
mand at an advance of SO to $50 per
cent over the nominal price Of one
or two years ago, is the most far
reaching development in Southern adj
| vancement of the last quarter Of a
century 1t is far-reaching in many
WAYS 1t means that within the last
year or two Southern farm properties
have increased not less than $1,000
| 00O, 900 in value probably at least 81 .5O0
600, 900. But more than that, it means
that under this improved financial con-
dition the Southern farmer has gain
| ed new courage, new backbone; that
he has learned how to market his cot
i
ish the great battle as to whether the
producer o. the SPECTATOR is to con-
troll the price Of his staple. Having
won this fight. the entire handling Of
cotton, from the field to the factory,
| whether the factory be in this country
or in Europe has entered upon an on
| tirely new stage i'll its history. II also
| means that land Will he more thor
| oughly cultivated; for the successful
man, who Their he be q farmer a mer-
| chant or a manufacturer, is always
better able to work to good advantage
| than the one who is fighting losing
| battle. During the last six years the
total value of the cotton crop includ
ing seed, has been $500. 100000 against
| 81, 1910, 900 900 for the preceding six
years. showing a gain in the last six
| years over the preceding six of over
| 81 100 G00.0 coo. 1t is not, however, due
to this great increase in cotton alone
| that the Southern farmer is in better
| shape. More and more has the diver
sfication of agriculture gone on; more
and more have fruit growing and
| truck raising, hog and hominy," with
| the meathOuSc at home rather than in
| the West, been developed throughout
| the South.
| "a study of the bankers letters de-
velops many facts of very great inter-
| est. Many of them tell of an advance
| in the selling value of farm lands rang
| ing from 30 to 100 per cent. within the
| last two years; very few report less
| than % per cent. increase, and the aver
| age reports would indicate an increase
| of considerably over 30 per cent. in two
years, and the larger part of il in the
| last twelve months. One correspond
| ent i'll South Carolina says: IN many
| instances lands are selling for three
| and four times as much as they would
| have brought four or five years ago.
| Another correspondent in the same
| State writes that in his county there
| are seven banks with deposits aggre-
| eating $1,000,0G0. most of it belonging to
| farmers, whereas ten years ago there
was only one bank, with deposits OF
| 1925, Geo. Another in the same STATE
| reports sales of farms III his section at
| a heavy advance, and gives as il,ustra-
| tons one case where a farm increased
| in selling price from $4,000 to 5000 and
another from $1,000 two years ago to
S20,10O 4 few months ago, as Indicative
Of the general conditions
| IN Alabama land which sold five
years ago at 81. so to s. an acre is now
reported as bringing SIS to $40 an acre
and in one part of the State there has
been, it is reported, an increase in the
past two years of 50 to 200 per cent.
Throughout the central South il is
vely generally stated this increase is
due mainly to the increasing prosperity
If bp fa Ia,
about by the advance in cotton. cotton
lands selling TO Il considerable extent
| on the basis of the price of cotton. In
some parts the increase is also in part
due to immigration. but this has as yet
been comparatively small factor ex-
opt in Arkansas, Texas and other of
the more southerly and southwestern
states. In the tobacco districts of
Tennessee. where the growers have
made with equal success the same
character of fight for better prices that
the cotton growers have made, there is
reported a realization on the part OF the
farmer that when banded together they
hold Whip-handle against all possible
combinations to beat down the prices
Of their product, and that with this has
come new courage and strength
Throughout Virginia there has been a
very considerable advance. due in part
10 improved cultivation increased di-
versiiicatiOn ana the raising of live
stock and in part To the purchase of
many farm properties by people from
other sections.
The realization by the people Of the
entire South, bankers, merchants and
farmers of the power of cooperation in
the proper handling and marketing of
the two great staples, cotton and
tobacco, has brought about a COM
munity Of interest which is destined to
exert very great influence upon the
entire business interests of the South
and of that portion Of the business
world which is in any way dependent
upon these staples or upon the general
prOSppritV of the South''