The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-09-10
GREAT FUTURE IN
STORE FOR IOWA
sEcRE TARY WILSON MAKES PRE-.
DlcTloN ON LAND.
WORTH DOUBLE IN as YEARS
Not the Danger in Land investments
that there is in Stoeks-Af-
firmative Answer to
Question Easy

NuiluTS w llSon IdhtS very IO5y WEI
of the future of Iowa land values.
The occasion for the expression o
his views was in response to lette
from e. Z. Taylor, Traer, Iowa, edito
of the Star-Cpilper. Secretary Wilson
letter is as follows:
Il have your letter in June in regart
to the value of Tama county lane
twenty-five years from to-day. on
cannot tell what might happen to in
crease or depress the value of prop
erty twenty five years hence, yet thi;
can be said, that the great crop o.
the country, after grass is the corr
crop, and Iowa is in the corn belt
Our farmers have learned to rotate
corn with grass for pasture and &
large part of the state is in the grass
belt. The northwestern farmers are
prosperous; they invest their surplus
in lands because there is no danger in
the investment as there is in stocks
that fluctuate, and this has a tendency
to raise the price of lands. There
are several influences that have been
at work bearing upon this subject.
The factory, the forest, the mine. and
the railroad compete with the farmer
for help, and have been paying great
er prices for it than the farmer could
bearing animals have not kept pace
with the growth of population, and
consequently have become dear, but
the farmer must do SO much of his
own work that the task is a heavy
one. The consumer feels this and is
complaining. The consumer and some
people are demanding that our ports
be opened to Canadian and South Am
erican cattle. This would affect the
price of lands in Iowa, so that public
policies will have something to do
with the prices of land in the future.
The corn lands of the country are
limited. and increase from the crop
must come from better farming Our
fasmers are learning to grow better
corn every year. never saw SO
-gUJ6sa stand OF corn as ] observed
on late visit to Iowa. On the other
side of the problem, lands will be
more desirable in the future, as the
young farmer is better prepared for
his life work. The educational in
fluences that are at work in this coun-
try. such as the department of agri-
culture, the state agricultural colleges,
and experiment stations, the agricul
tural press and general mail delivery,
telephones, railroads, trolleys. etc, are
all contributing towards a better know
ledge of the science of agriculture
and cheaper marketing. 1t cannot be
many years until young man leaving
an agricultural college, well grounded
in the science and practice of agri-
culture, will see quite as good an OPP
ening on the farm as in the city. Our
soils are very productive and the sales
of crops makes money more abund-
ant. This is resulting in lower rates
of interest, which raise the price of
land, as investors are satisfied with
less income from land ventures than
formerly, and the tendency for low
er percentage from land investments
viii continue. The third of the crop
a half century ago, was much better
income from land than three TO five
dollars an acre is now.
Subdivision of land into smaller
holdings is inevitable. 1t will result
in better crops, greater profits and
higher priced land. Intensive cult
walton is the result of subdivision in
land. The owner who, during the last
half century, has added field to field,
may hold on TO them during his life,
but it is rare that his acres pass over
TO one heir, so time works toward
smaller and dearer farms. Public
improvements are a common asset.
Churches. schools, bridges, roads, pub
lie buildings, groves, nurseries and
hedges all make Iowa more desirable
TO live in. All cost money and have
a tendency TO raise the land prices.
The steady growth of education of
heart head and hand makes our state
more desirable TO live in. Ny neigh
bors have been adding to the value of
my lands. They are still at il. Every
nice baby, girl or boy, well behaved
man or woman. high school graduate.
college graduate added, stiffens the
price of our acres. Tile draining is
adding greatly to the value of our
lands. A large per cent were so sat
urated that corn would not grow. and
quite a per cent have the water level
too near the surface during large
portion of the growing season. This
is being remedied and the heavy lands
are being laid under tribute We are
learning how to make good pastures
50 that they yield grazing of some
plant at all seasons. This knowledge
win add greatly to our land values
We understand the clover somewhat.
but we know little as yet OF the alf-
alta. The southern farmer grows COW
peas by advice among his corn TO
get nitrogen. and pasture for his stock
after his corn Is out and removed.
Iowa farmers do not save 10 per cent
Of their corn fodder. altho 1t is equal
10 timothy hay ton for ton. They viii
when they want more returns from
smaller farms.
Our lands have doubled in value in