The Washington herald., 1909-07-11
PRICE OF LAND DOWN SOUTH
1t Is Cheaper by Half Than in the
Middle West.
Settlers Attracted Thither by the
Constant Advertising which
Region Receives.

From the Southern Lumbermnn-
In the cereal producing section. IN the
States OF Illinois and Iowa, and. in fact.
in most all OF what is known as the
Central West, good farm lands sell from
Si0O TO 500 an acre, and these are not
those acres that have their value from
the fact that they are very near 10 some
city or town. These prices prevail for
the land for its value as a farm.
In the Canadian Northwest and IN the
Southwest a quarter or an eighth OF
this is not an unusual price. while in
the South when land goes over 500 an
acre II Is due 70 some improvements or
other causes than the lands own fer
tnity.
AS the railroads have been extended
through the West and Northwest. the
farmers have migrated there. and now
Canada Is very active IN alluring set
tiers 10 the cheap and fertile lands just
across the border The Canadian land
office estimates that between $500 900
and S.000.000 Will be taken out OF the
agricultural States OF Iowa and Ne
braska into Western Canada this year.
Last year the Omaha Office booked
300 em!grants TO Canada. requiring s25
cars 10 handle their goods. valued at
8. H.250. 900. Practically every one or the
Western border States has had a similar
drain upon its resources, and the middle
tier Of States farther south are appar-
entity as fully Influenced by the attrac-
tiveness OF low-priced acres In Canada as
those communities living nearer the in
ternational border.
The influence Of land prices upon move
ments OF population Is nothing new.
When the prices Of farm products IN the
East in earlier decad s felt the effects
Of Western competi ion, hundreds Of
thousands OF farmers left New England
the Middle States. ant the Southeast for
the very Western lards whose low cost
had helped TO disolaCe them from their
earlier homes. They went in search Of
the cause which red them 70 move.
In due time IN, vics Of Western land
advanced and has y probably reached
a maximum as r the high prices
Of farm products exto- & over a series
Of several years. Meanwhile al the
good and cheap lands have been taken
up and the younger generation finds it.
self handicapped in the outset because
Of the immensely larger amount % in
vestment that must be made 10 put them
selves in a condition equally as good as
their parents on land from FIVE 70 ten
times dearer than II was two decades
ago Under these circumstances Il IS
perfectly natural that those who nigrat-
ed to that country from abroad. reared
families on the Western farms, and are
interested In providing for their children
should repeat the policy Of seeking out
farms where frontier prices prevail 10
settle themselves and their children :
families there with the proceeds OF the
sale Of their improved estate.
While the cheapness OF the price and
the fertility OF the land are being so as
siducJsly agitated among the farmers OF
the West-Of foreign birth or descent
most Of them-but good citizens II is
time for the railroads running to the
South to be as energetic and enterprls-
ing as the roads OF the West have been
There has been a prejudice against South
ern farming that can now be wiped away
II this sections advantages are only
shown in their true light II there ever
was a fime-when the canal has attract
ed so much attention this way-for the
railroads. the land owners. and CONNER
cial organizations to get busy, II is now.
As a place Tor a homeland the farmers
are home lovers-Canada with its rigor-
Gus winters should not stand an even
break with the South in securing the
miGrating farmes.