The state herald., 1908-10-23
WHAT HIGH prizes
MEAN TO THE FARMER
In 1895 Two Hundred Bushels oi
Kansas Corn Bought 1000
Feet of Lumber.
Now Ono Hundred Bushels Buys
1000 Feet-A Concrete Illustra-
tion Showing Why Land Values
Have Increased.

Out In Kansas n great deal Is being
said just now about the lumber trust,
the high prices of lumber and the ter
rible expenses attached to the building
OF houses, cribs and other buildings,
says the Jewell County Republican.
The principal buildings being erected
this fall on the farms are corn cribs
in which to store away the immense
crop which was raised throughout Cen.
tral Kansas, and is now matured aud
will be ready for the crib In very
short tiIuc. III political discussion
here the other day the old story OF
the high prices came up and II was as
serted that n large amount Of corn
would necessarily be placed on the
ground this year because OF the high
price OF lumber. One farmer who has
no particular love for the trusts. but
is inclined TO look ON the bright side
OF everything and who is well salts
fed with present conditions, declared
that In 1895, when lumber was very
cheap, md likewise corn, II took 200
bushels Of corn to buy 1000 feet of
cribbing lumber. Now, when lumber
Is nt the highest point 1t ever reached
In the history OF Jewell County, 100
bushels Of corn will purchase 2,OC0 feet
Of cribbing lumber. According to J. w.
Berry, OF this county. who is n good
authority on the prices Of farm prod.
ucts and lumber. and makes this ass,r-
tlon. using corn as n purchasing power,
lumber Is only one-fourth MS high as II
was thirteen years ago.
Now on Easy street.
Although this county is in the wheat
belt OF Kansas. many Of the farmers
have raised corn. Both crops were
Just like they had been made to order.
aud the prices Will place the tillers OF
the soil on Easy street for some years
TO come
In Jewell County there is n farm
which has been ON the market for sale
for the past year. and was held nj $50
an acre. The farm consists Of l2o
acres. Fifty ncres are planted 10 corn.
The other day the entire crop was sold
for SIG an acre. the purchaser 10 gath
cr the corn. leaving the fodder on the
ground. A part OF the field will be
light and will not average more than
twenty bushels to the acre. while the
remainder Of the field viii give NJ from
forty-fve TO sixty bushels. Fifty acres
II the land was planted to wheat and
the value OF the crop was equally as
great Ms the crop of corn, while the
hvc'acrc patch Of alfalfa produced even
more money In proportion than either
" the other two crops
Values Increased Five Times.
There nrc no improvements whatever
on the firm. but the price has been
raised 100 per cent and the owner Is
not very anxious 10 sell at that How.
over. he says II he had the slightest
idea that Bryan would he elected ~ the
third of November he would sell his
land at so mn acre. nnd In two years
he could buy II back and make more
money than by farming H.
In this county there il another farm
which was sold In 1894. There are ~
acres In The farm, and the purchase
price was $500. or 5000 bushels Of
corn at the prevailing price nt that
time. In the meantime. the 80 has
been considerably Improved part
of the land hns been put to tame grass,
tine orrhard Is now one Of the assets
good buildings have been erected AMI
the land has grown more valuable he
cause n the development Of the coun.
try This month th" land was soil
HFuln. the purchase price being s250o.
or the price ~ 5000 bushels Of corn at
the present pric~.