The Greeley tribune., 1911-07-20
Advocates Buying Land

EuilOT lTlDuue.
In an editorial of the Greeley Re-
publican recently the writer was
decrying the fact that few Weld
county farmers and others were in
vesting in lands in Florida and else
where instead of in the Greeley dis
trict. While l admire loyalty to
ones own community, yet l believe
the position taken in the editorial to
which pushed men out into the
tory rich beyond the dreams of the
loved Greeley possible. is the same
that is now sending capital into the
new south, and which will in a
few years make it possible for us in
the frozen north" to have our
fresh vegetables and fruits every
day in the year, shipped to US from
the land of perpetual sunshine. Few
people realize how rapidly the time
Is approaching when. by means OF
our modern refrigerator cars, and
rapid express, fresh vegetables of all
kinds will be delivered at our door
all through the winter months.
Two questions are asked: "Is all
good land In the Greeley district
taken up and is there none on the
market?" Surely all the good land
in what can be called the Greeley
district was taken up some little
time ago. There is land to sell
but who can buy It? Not the man
whose only income is the result of
daily labor. Few even of the ten
nant farmers are able to put aside
enough to buy a farm in an ordi-
nary lifetime-which is about all
most of us are allotted. How many
of what We call the laboring class,
or even among the clerks, school
teachers and other professions, are
laying aside competency against
the day of disability! Second: rs
1t the part of wisdom for local peo-
pie to invest in land hundreds of
miles away" II our New England
fathers had answered this in the
negative forty years ago, where
would our Greeley be today? 1t was
the soaring of land values that
made 1t necessary to seek other
fields. and land today in our imme-
diate locality, however loath we
may be to confess 1t, is too high for
any but the monied man to reach
Neither is 1t sold in easy install
ments by which sum put aside
from the monthly earnings will in
a few years place the purchaser in
possession of real land. Would you
withhold that from poor man that
Is within his reach simply because
he is not SO fortunate as to be able
to buy at home? Personally I be-
lieve that much more will return to
Greeley than will be paid out, be-
nf fhn vNiN -, l..
these new lands, just as they have
here. More than thirty Weld county
farmers have made personal in
spection of Florida lands and the
verdict has been almost unanimous
in its favor. If you will examine
the report of the United States de-
partment of agriculture you will
find that the average crop value of
Florida per acre. is eight times that
of the best of our middle states.
Diversified farming in small tracts
is the rule and many crops have
been known to produce $1,000 per
acre and more, for each crop. Two,
three and even four crops year can
be raised. Twenty acres is consid-
cred the equivalent OF 100 in the
north. Is 1t to be regretted, then.
that people should wish to possess
tract of land that will make them
living when their working DAYS
are over? Give the laboring man a
chance. Let him lay aside few
dollars a month from his earnings
while he may. for "the night COM
eth when no man can work" and
with equal certainty. when all pro-
ductive land will be beyond his
reach. ]. A. WEAVER.