The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-13

coming SO high nat it is out OF reach
Of most buyers. High-priced western
land has brought into the d
new factor, which is that or interest,"
The governmen homestead lnsoiVeu
no interest. The man VINO puys iahu
at three hundred dollars an acre
starts with an interest charge OF eiSh-
teen dollars an acre anu
that is a handicap that is Impossible
IN most places. because it takes all
the land will earn to pay the interest.
Iowa is the foremost among the farm
States OF the Union. Iowa farm iano
is valued at three hundred billion DOL
lars. The census says h crop Is worm
three hundred millions, which IS ten
per cent on the value or n lana.
Taking six per cent AS interest rates
on the land caves the average acre
of Iowa farm and returning TO us
owner for his wages four per cent OF
the value Of the land, or in otner
words three-ffths Of the crop value
Of Iowa means interest on the land.
Men Looking for farm
The Young farmer VINO inherits land
N Iowa can afford to farm, for in
| haritance represents no interest
| charge. The man who buys has mOny
| invested and he must get interest on
! his money or it is a foolish Y
| ment. Which mean that h new
| crop Of men III Iowa, as in other
| Northern and western States where
| development has gone far. have to
turn elsewhere for farms.
This condition prevails all over the
North, and in much OF the settled
West. 1t is why men are focking to
Canada and still farther into the
Rocky Mountain country. It shows
why there are many people available
for North Carolina if North Carolina
will make known what is here to In
duce men to settle in the State.
How to remedy conditions.
That is a question. 1t would seem
to me wise for every county in the
State to organize a development asso-
citation having for its object the dis
semination of information concerning
the State and county. In h Yves!
every town and every county is an
, organization for the object OF adver-
Using the town Or community. Il
North Carolina towns and counties
would gather UP and print plain. un'
vanished facts about their sections
the climate, possibilities. etc, the rail
roads would be active in getting this,
/ stuff out to readers. Town and count.
organizations should cooperate ant
= have a State organization that thu
3 work could be done as systematicall,
az possible.
i North Carolina Possibilities.
Take the matter OF corn. In the bi,
corn States like Iowa, Missouri. Kan
n sas, Nebraska, Illinois, the censu
shows that the yield OF corn is not in
8 creasing, but in all these States ]
e backward in ten years. Thos
States nave a population that woul
a be interested in h corr possibiiitie
in Guilford, Rowan, Forsyth. 1redel
v Davidson. and others. Iowa, Wiscon
e sin, Illinois and New York dair
farmers could be Interested in tn
n dairy possibilities. Maine potat
growers could find an inducement /
N the early potato possibilities of Mort
Carolina Pennsylvania m Ohio tt
O bacco men car find tobacco %opportun
h ties.
D. Almost any reasonable thing grow
n here, and by interesting. the man
& the North in the thing he is familis
with North Carolina should be mao
m to thrive beyond the dreams OF tt
ne most %sanguine. What is needed
1d concerted effort in massing inform;
an ton and In organizing a movement
and concentrated effort in putt,
ge that information where 1T will be
nd specific use.
al North Carolina with its abunda,
and cheap LAM could add a millit
d. people to its farms III the next f.
I'M years if the policy pursued in Il
n West and Northwest could be TAX
n up, for here is all that is TO be d
ST. sired, while in the North are
ng abundance Of people looking for Il
chances that bound in this State. T.
or principal thing is to get the peoE
as n the opportunity IN touch wi
,or cath other.
The way u start is for each coun
cts IN the State 10 undertake IN c
Ter ganization. and for all to try to co
il FER with a central Organization eth
nd can be made g Statewide influence
M prepare and carry out plans for :
to- settlement in the State Of at least
ave nnilIon farmers by the tire the liz
IN census is taken.
1t is not difficult. All it wants
ii action, a lot Of talk, q beginning. a
,au continued enthusiasm and hust