The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-06-03
THREE FACTORS THAT ARE IN.
CREAsING IOWA LAND VALUE.
Iowa Land on Increase as Never Be
fore in History of state.

Is !. E Il
The increase in the price Of Iowa
acres furnishes subject Of inter-
est to every Iowan and hundreds Of
thousands OF people throughout the
country. That the price OF Iowa
land is on the increase as never be-
fore, there is no doubt. The cause
Of this cannot be explained in brief
article, However, a few significant
reasons are apparent Three OF these
are: the increase in production OF the
soil, modern machinery and methods,
and the increase Of the status OF the
farmer as business man.
While the day of speculation in
land is not gone, yet the time is here
when the price of the land is govern
ed to large extent by its fertility,
it's resources and it's inherent posi-
bilities. This is particularly true OF
Iowa. During recent years, the in
crease in the productivity Of the soil
is remarkable. In every section Of
the country, the land owners insist
that their farms be well treated, and
that no portion is wasted. The use
of the tile has reclaimed thousands
OF acres in the state. No county
within the borders but can show
where the tile has made land, that
was good only for pasture, the most
productive in the world. Many of
the farms that sold for less than 500
an acre, and are now worth more
than 5000 an acre, have been given
a great amount Of care. Every draw
and low place has been brought up to
the highest efficiency through the use
OF tile. Scientific rotation Of crops,
besides other scientific methods of
preserving and increasing the fertil-
ity has helped to boost the price.
The time has come in Iowa when
the farmer does more efficient work
in one day than he did in two days,
ten or fifteen years ago. Modern ma
chinery gives to the farmer an OPP
portunity to exert more effort toward
efficiency, while he is at the same
time getting his work accomplished
in less time Time was when the
farmer used pair of oxen, or one
horse on his plow, then came the
larger pillow with two horses, then the
gang pillow, with more horses, and
now the farm tractor is a factor of
increasing efficiency. And the Iowa
farmer of today controls working
plant that represents more money
than the average business man in the
city.
Now that the Iowa farmer has
come to control working capital of
many thousands of dollars, he sees
that his principal or in other words,
his broad acres, increases proportion
ately in value and his status as a
business man is perhaps the most Sc
cufe of any class in this state.
Iowa land value has not yet reach
ed the top notch, by any means, is
the belief of those who have made
the subject study. The three points
mentioned are among those that
have secured the present values OF
Farms particularly in Iowa; but Iowa
is a state that is just getting we'll
started. 1t has resources vet unde-
veloped and possibilities yet unreal
lied. Each year witnesses a substan-
tial increase in the wealth of the
state, and the gradual and certain
growth of the industries, with the
absolute and permanent backing of
the agricultural certainties, is the
factor which has placed the state
foremost in the union.-Iowa State
Wide, Publicity Commission.