Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-11-15

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agricultural counties that have mors
than 10 per cent improved The aver
age price Of farm lands In the sixteen
counties, according 20 the report Of the
United States census. was $3.50 per
acre. while the average price Of land
In the forty-dve counties was x65. 70
per acre. In other words, the average
price Of farm lands In the good road
counties was e1720. or So per cent
more than In the poor road countiea
When we consider the fact that there
are 673 loo, 900 acres OF farm lands In
the United States tho 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 $4.866, 900. COO
Improved roads viii yield an add
tional income by enabling the farmer
to cultivate with pro6t land which
otherwise would be less probably en-
pioyed
There are about 100. 900 acres Of
unimproved farm land In the United
States. An average annual psont Of
30 cents an acre on this land would
mean a net gain TO the wealth Of the
United States Of SOC. 100000 q year.
Truck products and ANAL fruits must
be delivered quickly to market II any
profit Ia to be realized Truck and
small fruit farms cannot be maintained
with profit If q long haul over bad
roads intervenes between them and
the railroad station A network Of
flrst class hard smooth roads Eill al
most Immediately increase the number
Of truck. fruit and dairy farms In any
community. While the average value
Of wheat per acre II only e1.o8 and
corn $8T2. the average value Of vege-
tables per acre 10 about 80 and Of
small fruits $50.
There ID a steady trend OF popula-
ton from the country TO the city. ana
this may be attributed 10 some extent
to bad roads. During the ten year %
Rod 18e0-1e00 the cities gained 2.174,-
600 more people than the country. In
1880 only 16.1 per cent Of the pcpuia-
ton lived In cities. I'm 1900 tho city
population represented about 81 per
cent OF the total. and now 1t Il pr0ba-
bly, about As per cent
With hundreds OF millions Of acres
OF land uncultivateA we have the spec
tacle Of hundreds Of thousands Of ku.
man beings crowded Into the cities.
while year after year the human tide
rolls restlessiy IN from the country to
furnish more consumers and decrease
the number Of producers.
To prove that q relation exists be-
tween the question OF population and
roads the following illustration may be
cited:
In twenty five counties selected from
eastern, southern. western and north
western. states It has been found that
only 11a per cent Of roads were Inn
proved In 1904. These same counties
show an actual decrease In population
averaging 3.112 for each county Tor the
ten year period 1S9O-1900 twenty-five
other counties located in the same
states containing % per cent Of Inn
proved roads show an actual increase
In population for each county Of 81. O06,
Whether good roads cause good
schools. or vice versa, It II true that
they exist together and that one OK the
most important reasons for their Inn
provement Ia their effect ON school at
tendance In the country. IL the coun-
try schools are to have maximum e.
Hciency In training and instruction the
children must be afforded facilities TOT
reaching them. With imptoved roads
the graded school and the consolidated
school win replace the Little one room
one teacher schools % prevalent In
many sections Of the country.
The possibilities Of q region OF In,
proved roads are made apparent by