Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-12-27
the COST OF CLEARING LANDS
Is Not as Great as Many Think
it is

woods, brush and stumps deter many
who come to look over the land IN
northern Wisconsin with the inten-
ton of buying and settling upon the
same. True a tract Of land covered
with brush, dead and down timber
and stumps, does look formidable.
But the rubbish is removed quicker,
than at first seems possible.
Last spring we let a contract to
clear up, cut the brush, pile up and
burn the rubbish, to three Merrill
men at $6.25 per acre. We thought
it impossible for the men to make
wages on the OBJ, but they did Mr..
Emil Mas has had one man at work
all summer and he has cleared up
over forty acres.
The Wisconsin Advancement asso-
citation has prepared a little leaflet
conclusion presented, we believe,
from what we actually know of the
subject, to be correct We quote as
follows:
The question of the cost of clear
ing upper Wisconsin land is one that
cannot be definitely answered. The
different conditions call for varied
expense. 1T is probably within limits
to say that the total cost on the
average hardwood lands, from which
the large trees have been removed,
is on the average about $25 per acre,
exclusive of the marketable products
or less This would mean about
(many tracts can be cleared for $40
or less.) This would mean about
$3.50 per acre for the removal OF
clover and $3.50 per acre for the
removal of stumps
However, the homeseekers should
bear in mind that valuable crops may
be grown before the stumps are re-
moved Many acres of upper WiScOn-
sin land have grown crops before the
stumps were removed where a isngle
crop would pay for land and cost
Of clearing
Again the difference between the
interest for six years will accomplish
sin land and the high priced land
in the middle west will in few
years cover the cost Of clearing. With
the stumps still standing, upper Wis
consin pastures surpass those Of the
$500 per acre land of the middle
western states-but we will put them
on equal terms and here is what We
get assuming that upper Wisconsin
land costs $3.50 per acre with a cost
of $3.50 for clearing brush and seed
ing:
5000 land interest 3 years at
per cent Y4S.OO
$50 land, interest years at
per cent 80. -. ..... I.2O
1T is thus seen that the saving
in interest at s per cent in three
years would return the cost of the
land, the clearing of brush and seed
ing and leave balance of S10.8O
per acre for clearing stumps.
'The saving in interest in the next
three years would supply the balance
of the cost of stumping and erect
the best Of buildings with all modern
improvements.
Even at per cent the saving in
interest for six years will accomplish
the above result
1t should be remembered that ordi-
narily great deal of valuable stuff
is found on the worst burned over
cut-over land Wood, bolts and wind
falls that make saw logs, in most
cases, will pay in part at least for
clearing the land. 1t is not now as
it was thirty years ago, when even
the best timber had no commercial
value The farmers then had to burn
the timber on the land, and that was
difficult Now even the stumps can
be cut into wood and sold,-Merrill
Herald. A'k