The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-19
Of Interest TO the Farmers
FARMS EAST AND WEST.
Comparative Cost Of Lands In the Two
Sections Discussed.

Sections Discussed.
In letter to the New York Times a
correspondent wrote recently:
IF the Times really wants to know
why it is that western land-in
Iowa or Illinois-sells for 500 to $500
an acre while plenty of farms can be
bought in New York for $40 to $40 an
acre, let it pay attention. The secret
is about to be released. And let me
say at the outset that with consider
able familiarity with both west and
east I'd much prefer to buy eastern to
western lands.
Zone point in favor OF the western
farm is that. whereas a western farm,
properly handled. will raise crops
which pay Il good interest on the in.
vestment without fertilizer, a great
many acres of land in the $40 and 500
belt are merely something to put pro-
ductive soil on top of. The French
method Of carrying the land away
when one moves wouldn't go bad in
connection with several cheap New
York farms.
Another thing-one can take an
eighty acre farm in the middle west
and pillow every foot Of it, while there
are very few cheap farms in this Sec
ton which can be cut up into fields
large enough to pay for using large
machinery. The result is that the east.
ern farmer. il he is to make use of the
cheap lands. must 'putter.' Now. the
right sort of puttering is profitable
fruit, berry and truck raising will
make moderately large fortunes for
diligent and capable men-but most
men don't like that sort Of business.
The middle westerner is a whole lot
happier with four horse gang pillow
and harrow that wouldn't go be-
tween stumps in the east than he
would be on $40 an acre New York
farm. And he doesn't strike as many
stones in the course Of q season as the
New York farmer will in a day. The
American farmer hasn't lost his sense
Of the "bigness'' of the country yet
and until he does lose it he will prefer
to work the large farm rather than the
small one. even if he gets no more for
his labor.
"Furthermore-and this is not to be
ignored-around that high priced land
in the west will be found more intel
igent. better educated body of men
taking them by and large than in q
given number Of eastern farmers, be.
cause the factories and the other city
joys seem to lure a much larger proper.
ton Of the ambitious youth Of the east
The city is so close to the farm that
the transition is but step. OF course
there are many of the most intelligen,
farmers of the country here. but the
farmer with Il desire for intellectual
associations-and some have twill
find less Of this opportunity in the SIC
and $50 localities than In the west
Intelligent farmers. like men in Other
professions. like intelligent companion
ship.
II am firmly convinced that the bes1
opportunities for agriculture lie within
few hundred miles Of New York city
and my impression is that the best
way to get the right sort Of farmers
to go to this land and stay there is te
get a number Of this kind of men in
terested in one locality. thus insurins
immunity from death by intellectual
starvation. 1t used to be imagined
that farmer couldn't starve in tina,
way. but we know better now"