Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-03-16

more perceptjbly back about 1895,
gained in momentum during the next
four years, and was fair-sized lana
boom when the year 1900 rolled In.
But from 1900 on, the advance was al
most spectacular. Back in 1896 forty
dollars per acre was considered an
average price for Iowa land BY 1900
the average price was around tho s75
mark, and few years later all Iowa
land of average ability was consid-
cred worth 800 per acre In 1906 Sec
rotary Wilson. speaking at the Iowa
State fair, predicted that Iowa land
would soon be selling for 5000 per
acre, and in 1909 that figure was
reached In fact Iowa farms out in
the open country. with no special mar
ket advantages and with no extra
ordinary improvements, so often sold
for 5000 per acre as to establish that
price as perhaps the maximum for the
best general farming lands in this
state. To-day those prices are holding
steady, but activity is not in evidence
The correspondent says
The actual increase in the values
of Iowa farm lands during the period
from 1900 to 1910 was revealed when
the government recently gave out the
&C. hat to TO
rs shown by the census figures of
1910. In those ten years Iowa farms
33,905,00 acres which comprise tho to-
tai acreage Of the state together with
from s1,497,555, 900 in 1910 to S3,253,719-
600 in 1910. This vast unearned mere
ment was shared in by at least 1O5
SOS people the number of farm owners
in 1910 at the time the census was Sc
cured.
This great increase in the value of
the farms naturally gave the land own
good farmer and was making money
right along on his farm. he not only
had a surplus at the end of the year
which he wanted to invest, but he al
so had a strong line Of credit with
local bankers in case he wanted tc
borrow money for investment The
sort of investment with which the far
mcr was best acquainted and was mos
interested in was land. His own ex-
perlence had been that it was profit
able to buy land, because of its in.
crease in value as well as its produc-
tlveness. Naturally, the ambitious
farmers became large borrowers, anc
in the opinion of the banks and tn,
insurance companies safe borrowers
and thus It was that buying and sell
ing land during the decade just close,
reached such proportions.
While the activity has largely sub
sided, no reaction In values is looked
for. The land is so capable and the de
mand for farm products so constant
the area on which some of the stapl
crops can he proftably grown is rela
lively so small and the possihlitie
of the middle western lands so vast
that there can seemingly be no per
manent slump in values. The newe
methods now being followed to con
serve fertility indicate that the LAM
Will not be robbed of it's birthright
The eagerness of the middle western
farmer to adopt the most successful
methods, to utilize modern machiner
to it's best advantage, and to forg
ahead, augurs we'll for the future val
ues of this high priced land"
1t is evident from all this that tn
time has passed when farmers will 2
from Vermont and Other New EnElan
states to the West for the purpose G
getting start. No man can set up i
farming in that region as depicte
without a large capital at the Yer
beginning. That is one reason VIII
people are barking back to New Eng
land, and why Vermont farms ar
certain to he profitable investments