Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-03-27

improved, while there are forty five
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 $3.50 per
acre, while the average price of land
in the forty-five counties was $G5.7
per acre. In other words. the average
price of farm lands in the good road
counties was $1729. or 50 per cent
more than in the poor road counties.
When we consider the fact that there
are S73,000,OOO 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 IS an acre the total
enhancement on farm lands alone
would be $4.365. 100000
Improved roads will yield an addi-
ttonal income by enabling the farmer
to cultivate with profit land which
otherwise would be less profitably en-
ployed. ~
There are about 4oo00o,ooo acres of
unimproved farm land in the United
States. An average annual profit Of
so cents an acre on this land would
mean net gain to the wealth Of the
United States of s20O.O0O,00O a year.
Truck products and small fruits must
be delivered quickly t6 market if any
profit is to be realized. Truck and
small fruit farms cannot be maintained
with profit If long haul over bad
roads intervenes between them and
the railroad station. A network Of
first class hard smooth roads will al
most Immediately increase the number
Of truck, fruit and dairy farms in any
community. While the average value
of wheat per acre is only SOB and
corn 1872. the average value Of vege-
tables per acre is about $40 and Of
small fruits $50.
There is a steady trend Of popula-
ton from the country to the city, and
this may be attributed to some extent
to bad roads. During the ten year Pc
Rod 100000 the cities gained 2,174,-
600 more people than the country. In
1850 only 1871 per cent Of the popula-
ton lived in cities, in 1900 the city
population represented about 81 per
cent of the total, and now it IS proba.
bly, about As per cent.
With hundreds Of millions Of acres
of land uncultivated we have the spec
tacle Of hundreds Of thousands of hu-
man beings crowded into the cities,
while year after year the human tide
rolls restlessly in from the country to
furnish more consumers and decrease
the number of producers.
To prove that a 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 1t has been found that
only ~ per cent of roads were i'm
proved in 1904. These same counties
show an actual decrease in population
averaging 3,112 for each county for the
ten year period 100000. Twenty-tiv
other counties located in the same
states containing 40 per cent of i'm
proved roads show an actual increase
in population for each county of 81, O95.
Whether good roads cause good
schools, or vice versa, it is true that
they exist together and that one Of the
most important reasons for their i'm
provement is their effect on school at
tendance in the country. If the coun-
try schools are to have a maximum ef-
dciency in training and instruction the
children must be afforded facilities for
reaching them. With improved roads
the graded school and the consolidated
school will replace the little one room
one teacher schools so prevalent In
many sections of the country.
The possibilities of a region Of i'm
proved roads are made apparent by