The Bossier banner., 1912-06-20

improved. while there are forty live
agricultural counties that have more
than 10 per cent improved. The aver
age price of farm lands in the sixteen
counties, according to the report Of the
United States census. was $4S.5O per
acre, while the average price of land
in the forty-fve counties was $G5.I9
per acre In other words, the average
price of farm lands in the good road
counties was $1729. or 35 per cent
more than in the poor road counties
When we consider the fact that there
are S73,OOO,O0O acres of farm lands IN
the United States the possibilities
along this line are rather startling
Even assuming that the land would
be increased only S. an acre the total
enhancement on farm lands alone
would be s4,365 100000.
Improve. roads will yield an addi
| tionai income by enabling the farmer
| to cultivate with profit land which
otherwise would be less profitably EN-
ployed.
There are about 4oO,O0O.OOO acres OF
unimproved farm land in the United
States. An average annual profit OF
so cents an acre on this land would
mean a net gain to the wealth of the
United States of 5000, 100000 Il year
Truck products and small fruits must
be delivered quickly to market if any
profit is to be realized Truck and
small fruit farms cannot be maintained
with profit if a long haul over bad
roads intervenes between them and
the railroad station 4 network OF
first class hard smooth roads will nj
most Immediately increase the number
of truck, fruit and dairy farms in an,
community. While the average value
of wheat per acre is only $7.G3 nmf
corn SS72. the average value of vege
tables per acre is about $40 and OF
small fruits $50.
There is a steady trend of popu!a
ton from the country to the city. ant
this may be attributed to some cxten
to bad roads During the ten year l'r
riod 1S90-190O the cities gained 2.ll4.
GOO more people than the country II
1860 only 1871 per cent of the popuE'
ton lived in cities, in 1900 the cit.
population represented about 81 pc
cent Of the to,al. and now it is prob'
bly, about 45 per cent.
With hundreds Of millions of acre
IF land uncultivated we have tho spa:
tacle of hundreds CT thousands of hi
man beings crowded into the cite
while year after year the human lid
rolls restiesSly in from the country
furnish more consumers and df'rea!
the numi:er Of producers
To prove that a relation exists u
= tween the question of population an
roads the following illustration may
:, cited:
) In twenty-five counties selected fro
! eastern. southern, western and mort
western states il has been found til
= only ~ per cent of roads were II
:, proved in 1901 These same COUNT
;, show an actual decrease in populate
- averaging 3,112 for each county for Il
: ten year period 1890 1909 Twenty-fi
! other counties located in the saI
!, states containing 40 per cent Of u
: proved roads show an actual in''rea
:, ia population for each county OF "l.G!
:. Whether good roads cause 40
:, schools, or vice versa, it is true tn
!" they exist together and that one Of I
!, most important reasons for their ]
movement is their effect on SchDol
!. tendance in the country lf the 60,
try schools are to have Il C,aNiniun
:, 6ciency in training and instruction
~ children must be afforded facilities
= reaching them With improved ro'
:. the graded school and the ccEsolidat
:, school will replace tie little enc ro'
:, one teacher schools so prevalent
:, ,nany sec,; IONS of the country.
-, The possibilities of a region OF
proved roads are made apparent