Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-10-30
LINCOLN AND FIScUs
RuRAL Iowa I'M 1850

Nearly all well meaning citizens do
more or less future forecasting usually
having reason or reasons for judging
that this or that will soon come about
A person prophecying the future with
out having reasons or proofs is very
much like one trying to run a steam
engine without having any water in the
boiler or hire in the furnace. In writing
this treatise on future Iowa, am doing
SO, not by mere guessing or predjudice,
but by taking into consideration the
constant drifting of events such as are
now taking place in the Industrial and
commercial world.
am referring to certain events and
actions that have taken place in other
states or countries and in accordance
to the history of mankind will take
place here when the surroundings be-
come mature for such to take place.
In naming rural Iowa it must be
understood that all states bording upon
1t and having the same climate, soil and
rainfall will necessarily fall into the
trend of affairs the same as this state
Many people believe that Iowa land
at $3.50 to 5000 per acre has reached its
limit in price, but | am of the opinion
that it will sell for three times those
figures in fifty years from now.
Iowa farms at present do not produce
one third of what they are actually
capable of producing The population
is too small for the states average; ten
times the present population could
easily be supported. Farms will in
crease in selling price as their produc-
tivity is increased, for the wide awake
agriculturist does not consider the
price of land as much as to what the
land is capable of producing. He fgures
that high priced land that will yield
large returns and where the rainfall is
sure and certain is far cheaper than low
priced land giving poor and unsatisfac
tory returns.
Iowa, strange to say has lost popula-
ton during the past twenty years and
is increasing little or none at present
But these conditions are not permanent,
change is looming mp in the near flu
ture, a change that has hitherto been
unknown in the greatest agricultural
state in the union. The farms have
also been growing larger, but these
conditions are unstable and not perma.
uent and cannot long continue. As the
population increases in numbers the
farms will be forced to dimish in size
as the farms increase in price better
farming will be turned to which will
make it necessary to purchase and till
smaller tracts. To supply the large
population with food and make profits
on land selling it at such excessively
high price will make it necessary to
make every foot Of ground produce the
utmost which cannot be,done by farm
ing large farms of the average Iowa
sized farm of today.
/ Between now and 1860 the 24O and
100 acre farms will give way to the
eighties and forties, and these latter
will in time give way to the twenties
and ten acre tracts. When that time
comes this state will startle the union
with its tremendous food supply; the
output of today will look very puny,
indeed IN comparison to what it will
be then. Much land that is today a
PARTIAL waste will necessarily be re-
claimed sooner or later; thousands of
acres of the most fertile and productive
land in the state is now lying dormant
being used almost exclusively for past
urage This is bottom land lying con-
tingent to the numerous fneandering
rivers and streams; the soil all being
black loan and in all places very deep.
The placing of tiles has aided and
will continue TO do so, but more econo.
mical process is the Strengthening of
the river channels. 1t is we'll known
fact that water will flow a mile
in a starlight stream in a shorter inter.
val of time than to meander around
several miles to reach the same point.
The Nishnebotna river is typical
example of all Iowa rivers, no richer
soil Is to be seen under the sun than
that found in that rivers valleys. 1t is
a shame that such land should be cover
ed with ponds and marshes with only
here and there few wet soggy corn
fields. 1t will mott long continue as
such, in fact the channel has already
been Strengthened in many places bring.
ing results that are beyond the expecta-
tons of the most foreseeing.
The cost is tremendous and is the
main argument against the work but
expenses never stop advancement when
the outcome is such as this would be.
During the past ten years this state
has expended thousands of dollars in
reclaiming land adjoining rivers and
being subject to overflow. Nearly
every county in eastern Iowa has spent
considerable, in Strengthening rivers;
many IN TINS part OF the state have done
likewise. among which may be men
tionea Monona, Harrison, Pottawotta-
mie, Mills, Shelby and Carroll. Many
swamps and one time worthless area
10 the Ola eastern states nave long since
been converted INTO splendid farm homes
or the iocation OF Deautifui villages and
towns,
iowa as mentioned above is beginning
70 90 hRe~lse ana VIII continue to do
80 aithougn, more rapidly as the popuia-
ZION increases In number and real estate
raises IN price.
lnl,ois tue eiuer SISTER state OF Iowa
nas alreauy reacneu stage In her de-
se sl hoC greatly unlike Inc tacts
refereu 10 above Land IN a large part
OF tnat state Is touay selllng at from
SSyo 10 Sfoo per acre, rev OF the farms
peing larger IMAM eighties.
many may ASK. does farming land
valeeu at Gnose ngures pay, lsthere any
prom lor tne farmer! Most assnrediy
tnere are prohis OF the iand would
no. sen az such nigh ngures AS Tor,
noiiy hehtioneu prouuctiVeness ana
Pronts more IMAM anything else VIII
ueoerHine tne prize TOT Farms on
general scare. Inc son, rainfaii ana
SiIlIate Oh iowa are nearly an exact
uupiicate Oh NOSE OF Illinois, tne fertiiity
hi b