The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-08

third more to the acre than in Illi-
nois. The fifteen dollar land of North
Carolina averages twenty-five dollars
worth of crops, while the ~ninety-hve
dollar land OF Illinois averages less
thai nineteen dollars worth of crops.
This is surprising, but it is the census
| figures, and if there is any more re-
liza BILE authority / do not know What
it is. It is only fair to say that this
does not include live stock. which is
a big factor in the North and West.
but live stock is the product Of the
judicious feeding of crops. and has
nothing to do with a comparison of
the productiveness of land with re-
gard to land values, for North Caro-
lima can raise live stock just ss any
| other section can if North Carolina
wants to, which will probably be the
| case in the near future
Lane That Offers Inducements.
Neither does it signify anything
that North Carolina probably raises
some Of its crops at greater expense
than is paid in raising the 0 in
not the point I am trying to bring
out, but the inducements hat the
prices of North Carolina lane offer
an investor in farm property. That
shows US hat fifteen dollar Hand in
North Carolina brings more of a re-
TURN TO Tie 1dII1CE III the staple farm
crops than over six times as expensive
land brings in Illinois.
The conclusion is that fifteen dollars
is a bigger investment in a farm in
North Carolina than a hundred is in
most sections OF the Union, and that
it will bring a bigger return in a
more agreeable climate. This is a
fact that is not suspected by many
men. yet I hav no doubt that it is
wholly correct. for the rapid expan-
sion Of the South indicates the cor
rectness Of it. North Carolina has
had little but the farms from which
to build up its prosperity, yet the
State a developed it's farms and
falong with it's farms has created one
of the most substantial manufacturing
industries on the continent, and at 8
gait that is almost without parallel in
| it's line.
State In Good Shape.
The cotton country is depressed
considerably by the low price of the
staple, but dom think for a minute
that it is in any such disastrous shape
as h West has been. Let us look a.
the farm mortgages Of the United
States. North Carolina has mortgage.
on less than one-fifth Of her farms
and the only other States hat hav.
SO small a proportion Of mortgages OF
the farms are the two Virginias
4 - &A4A0 oX1u AxAO / i z
Western States of Colorado, Arizona
and Nevada. Of the Southern State.
Texas is the only n with mortgage!
on a third OF her farms. OF tn,
Western States every one except Obi,
!; has mortgages On more thar a thirt
: Of its farms, which is mentioned jus
to show that the South is not in an.
suffering condition.. The averag
debt against the North Carolina farm
when the census was taken was
trifle over five hundred dollars, which
4 Is the smallest average Of any Stat
t Carolina farm is in right fair shap,
compared with any farms any place
Now all of us who live in Nortl
: Carolina hould taxi up his task Q
I announcing to the world that here Il
: our State is the cheapest farm Ian,
+ available in America, and it is no
only cheap in selling price, but it i
! cheap eve II sold at many times it
present prices, for it shows that i
can produce more dollars in return
4 for the dollars invested thar any O
the high priced land of the ceuntr
: is doing.
A thousand dollars in North Caro-
y lima has a higher productive abilit
than five or six times as much none
n invested in farm property in many @
the States. and that productive abilit
. is in a country hat by all natural con
ditlons is highly desirable to live in.
q This the world ought to know, be
\ cause we want the people who wan
these farm opportunities if they ca.
be shown where the opportunities arr
Can't we North Carolina people q
\ something in the way Of putting on
advantages out where They can b
= seen?
History Of Efforts to Raise tn