Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-01-05
LAND VALUES AND LIVING COST.
Why Has the Price of Living Gone
Higher?--Some Comparisons.
{ Atlanta Constltution.)

the value of agricultural lands, or
has it been the other way, with
higher priced products boosting the
value Of the soil?
Whichever the cause and which the
effect, the two have kept pretty close
pace with each other during the past
decade, within which land values the
country over have advanced from SO
to more than 100 per cent
Analyzing the situation upon the
basis Of the law Of supply and de-
mand, 1t would appear that the de-
mand for food products comes first,
boosts the price and thereby creates
demand for the additional acreage
to furnish the food and fiber needed
for the worlds supply.
And yet, apparently, there Is moth
Ing so plentiful in the country to-day
as the supply Of good, tillable, pro-
ductive land. Figures recently pre-
sented before the Southern CONNER
cial Congress In Washington showed
that there are In the South to-day
100000 acres Of uncultivated
but available land, enough to make,
with ample allowance, 100000
one-horse farms Of forty acres each.
In other words, the supply of avail
able land Is way and by far In ex-
cess of the demand, yet the price of
1t continues to advance from year to
year until, In many sections, within
the decade it has doubled.
This situation would make 1t ap-
pear that land values defy the law of
supply and demand and become
therefore, the cause, or one Of the
causes, rather than an effect of the
increased cost Of living.
With regard to the growth Of farm
lands and farm values within the last
ten years some remarkable figures are
presented by the Orange Judd Far
mer, showing that within the period
values have Increased from 5S to 100
per cent, while the value Of the pro-
ducts has leaped upward from 100 to
more than 200 per cent. In 1850 the
United States had approximately one
million farms; to-day the number is
around seven million, with an in
vestment In lands, buildings, machin-
cry and live stock OF about thirty
billions.
These figures would seem TO mega
tive the statement that there has been
a dcsertion Of the farm in response to
the lure of the city; yet, Oil the other
hand, had production kept up a pro-
portionate pace, 1t is almost incon-
ceivable that the expense of living
could have advanced In the remarka-
Bile ratio which experience has taught
is an emphatic fact.
Again, it is difficult to understand
the remarkable increase in the value
OF farm lands, except considering
that increased acreage yield Is a fac
tor in the equatton; yet we are told
that the future living problem Is
dependent upon getting still more
and more out OF each available and
arabic acre.
This Is the intent and purpose of
latter-day agricultural education, to
teach the farmer how to get the pro-
verbal two blades Of grass in place
or one. 1t Is not questioned that
there Is still room for vast improve
mcnt In this respect, and If new and
effective methods result in doubling
the average yield per acre, it may
we'll be asked If we are not Just at
the beginning OF climbing land
values?
And If this be true, what of the
future OF the price OF living? Our
nope lies In the prospect that the
farmer will get him compensation I'm
the Increased yield, and. by doubling
his gross income from his two blades
of grass, he may still acknowledgements
sell his product at a price which will
put the average OF living upon a more
reasonable and comfortable basis.
There IS land enough to produce
all and more than this country needs
Tor centuries to come; the problem
Is to get production upon a basis Of
equity both to producer and con-
auiier /, Is not acreage, but yield
per acre, that will do it, and that de.
pcnds upon education in and appli-
cation OF known and proven princi-
pies.
Until we strike this happy mean
1t Is more than probable that the
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