The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-03-11
is $500 LAND COMING IN IOWA?
Iowa's Farms Are Becoming Smaller
in Size, Higher in Price, More
PrOductive-ln Heart of Most
Fertile Region in Country.

in Size, Higher in Price, More
PrOductive-ln Heart of Most
Fertile Region in Country.
Iowa's farms are gradually becom.
ing smaller in size, higher in price
per acre and more productive, accord.
ling to an analysis of the reports OF
more than 200 transfers in every
section of the state, during the past
three months. Reports from goa
| farm sales show the price ranging
from $110 to $500 an acre and the
size of the farms from thirteen acres
| to half a section. In number Of
cases large farms have been divided
thus forever reducing the size of the
large farms in Iowa, bringing about
the smaller tract A division of these
2O5 farm sales, according to the size
of the farm shows:
So farms of less than 100 acres.
65 farms of less than 16O acres.
SIS farms of less than $50 acres.
Iowa lies in the heart of the most
fertile section of the Mississippi Val
Hey, and the Mississippi Valley is
naturally the most fertile region in
the world that has a climate suitable
to all people. The most fertile lands
|cf neighboring states are those that
border Iowa. At least three pre-
historic ice sheets crept over the
state, each bringing with them rich
soils from the north, and these gla-
ciers melting away, left many feet
of fertile earth covering the solid
rock foundation. In this foundation
nature has stored on inexhaustible
supply of water, which is ever at
hand to be used during occasional
dry spells in the summer season.
Iowa soil is subject for volume,
though it may be said briefly to
range from pure clay and heavy
black loan through all varieties, to
the purest and cleanest sand. The
remarkable uniformity and fertility
OF the sail and the readiness with
which it absorbs and stores the
moisture, together with the congenial
climate, gives Iowa foremost place
among the states of the Union.
The price of Iowa land is often
said to be too high, and the question
is asked, When is the advanced going
to end? Only during very recent
years have the people of Iowa be-
gun to realize the natural advantages
and resources of the state. Particu-
larry is this true of the land. Farm
ers have sold their farms and sought
more land for the same money, but
when they have sold their land it
ers who, often divide the one farm,
making two. BY this method, and it
is the most important one, the large
Iowa farms have been broken up,
until today what would be small
ranch in the cheaper land country
OF other states, are few and far be-
tween here.
With the establishing of the small
err farms, the average ranging from
so to 200 acres, the productivity of
the soil has been increased, through
more careful management, and the
of more scientific meth
ods of cultivation. A farm near
Story City was rented in 1914, and
the owner was to receive, half the
crop and So month for house rent.
At the end of the year the owners
share totaled as follows:
Oats and straw ... ....$ 10000
Hay. ). .... 41OOI
FdSLule low
& House rent :. -. -. SO. 90
Total -. -. -. $l2O4. 90
This makes a total of $12.04 an
acre. The farm of 100 acres was of
such a size iii this case, that the
farmer was able to realize full re-
turns for efforts expended This par
tioular farm is worth on the market
about $3.50 an acre. The owner,
thereby, realized nearly 10 per cent
On his money invested, while the ten
ant probably cleared more than
$1,000 during the year of 1914.
People in Iowa and outside of
Iowa have laughed when they have
heard it said that farm land in this
state will be worth $500 an acre.
Yet this price has already been
reached in few instances and now
it is predicted that $1,000 an acre
will be reached. This latter price is
probably some years distant, yet
with the steady advance of land
which is said to be $3.50 in ten
years, these apparently enormous
prices are hardly fancy. 1t is pre-
dicted that within a few years the
owner of a ten acre or more farm in
Iowa will BE King men for a
that. Iowa Statewide Publicity
Committee.