The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-11-25
WHY CLEAR MORE
LAND?--HERE'S WHY

Farmers Of the upper peninsula
are sometimes saying, "Wny clear
more land? The prices on farm pro-
ducts are down, taxes are way out OF
sight, and everything we buy is still
high in price," Sound farming meth
ods demand clear thinking.
Good roads, good schools and good
communities cost money. The new
country needs these quickly, almost
all at once. The cost seems ...kh at
first. Notwithstanding .-.sse facts,
the solution of tie -vDlem is not al
ways a met II cutting out road
buildin .A.lding cheaper schools and
|. -. cheaper teachers. 1t is more
:. problem OF how to conduct our bls-
mess affairs SO that we are able to
Fay the cost of these things. Brush
and stumps will not pay taxes even
though the tax be very small. The
cleared land will pay taxes; uncleared
land eats up without giving back the
taxes.
A wise business man, whether on
the farm or in the village is today
laying a foundation for the better
prices and better times which have
followed period of depression. The
foundation of agricultural Northern
Michigan is cleared land, not only
from standpoint of banker and mer-
chant, but from the standpoint of the
farmer. What is the trle condition
in Northern Michigan today? The
settler in the north has to sell, butter
and dairy products. He has wood.
He has labor. Sometimes he has hay.
All Of these things are bringing fair
prices even under unfavorable condi-
tions. The Northern Michigan farm
er, aside from his groceries and cloth
ing, buys cows, horses, feed, seed and
dynamite chiefly. All Of these items
are comparatively low in price and
the new settler in Northern Michi-
gan, with his limited areas cleared, is
a buyer of these things, and therefore
it is to his advantage to buy when it
is cheap. Let US get our good cows
now. One pound of butter will buy
three pounds cf dynamite to be used
in clearing land. Caring the wonder
full times, so-called, from 1910 to
1914, this same pound of butter would
buy only two pounds of dynamite at
prices then prevailing. This is not all
on account Of the price the manufac-
turer receives for dynamite, but part-
y on account Of better distribution
and selection of materials which pre-
vail at the present time. The farmer
says potatoes are cheap. AS matter
of fact, Northern Michigan does not
have so many potatoes on hand. Ac-
cording to- reports of our State Bu-
reaa of Markets, the farmer can buy
10R more dynamite with his potatoes
k,x Aa o@ v1vrsn
ceived during the years 1910 to 1915.
"A days labor or cord of wood would
buy nearly twice as much land clear
ing explosive as it used to buy.
This indicates that it is good time
for the farmer in Northern Michigan
to lay his foundation for agricultural
production to be ready when the pric-
es Of all farm products become nor
NAL.
Land values in the great agricll-
tural states became very high during
and Immediately following the great
war. The past year has witnessed a
slump in these values and in the mon
ey markets of the country where we
have to sell our farm mortgages in
order to get money, they are telling
US that we should reduce our valua-
ticns. This reduction in land values
is reflected to US even though we did
not have any appreciable land boom
in the cut-over districts. That means
that we have got to show that our
valuations, instead of being reduced
as is the case in the great developed
agricultural sections. should be in
creased because Of actual increase in
our productiveness due to clearing.
Ar increase in productiveness is the
only way to better Northern Michi-
gan's financial conditions. Cleared
land in the only safe collateral for
loans If we expect fair valuations.
lew interest rates and convenient
terms.
The man who can show the stuff
of which he is made NV clearing land
! will soon warm position for himself
in the community and be able TO Sc
cure the credit he needs for future
development.