Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-16

i MS column on THIS MONDAY page
has in one year presented fifty-two
prominent themes bearing on farm
life and rural experiences yet not
once has it treated of the price of
land altho this is the subject of most
frequent conversation and attention
among out-of-town people. Even
those in town may have knowledge of
quotations on acres while not keeping
track of their products.
Under the heading-"Are Land
Values Inflated?" the Topeka Mail
and Breeze has this paragraph.
which is a waste of print. being quite
indefinite and unsatisfactory:
"A friend, writing from Shawnee
county, who has noted what we have
had TO say regarding inflated land
prices, asks what we would consider
farm land Of average production.
This is rather hard question. as so
many things enter into farm valua-
ton. For instance, in these days of
high freight rates. farm close to
terminal market is worth much more
situated some distance away. An
other thing that fixes farm values is
the desirablity of that particular
farm as place on which to live. II
freight rates are not to be reduced
tho distance from market Is going to
help in fixing land values more than
ever before. For instance. at our
old Nebraska home but IS cents is
being paid for corn as we write this
while we. hero in eastern Kansas. are
getting an average of As cents. II
this condition continues. our nearness
to terminal market will help to hold
up our land valtes and will iepress
;he values in the Nebraska neiGhbor-
hood so far from market Hence with
so many things entering into the mat
- - sT
tiN an eauable price on farm land
based on the prices that farm produce
are likely to bring in the next ten
years"
II Il Very Different Here
All of which serves to remind us of
the striking difference between farm
ing conditions as near as Topeka and
those in Colorado. Back there, lands
arc practically all alike, and, as stated
in the editorial remarks. distance
from market" is the principal gauge
on which prices are based. From
that longitude toward the west for
500 miles all is dead level. with
amount Of precipitation decreasing
hut no other radical differences, Nor
is II possible TO conceive that affairs
hack there can ever be greatly differ
ent from now. There is not enough
slant in tho streams to allow irriEa-
ton by natural gravity flow. and the
only way irrigation can ever be prac-
ticcd must be by use OF some kind OF
power.
Here in the west this side the Kan
sag line. farming is practiccd in two
WAYS so widely unlike that descrip-
ton of ono bears no relation tn that
of the other. The magic touch of
water Is the great transformer. and
land that can be irrigated at all. or
which can show even a possibility of
a. is at once marked up to high fl
CURES. In tho old days Of a generation
nEo unirrirated land WAS regarded as
practically vnlucless. There has been
q decided change on the last point In
N" past ten years, as could be shown
a. great length in a sketch that
would present one of the most inter
csing and novel romsnces OF all in
dus;ry. Many of us feel that dry
iarmins. which merely means nhtura,
farming, is only in the first stages OF
development.
what IL The Nert Points
Aside from the wonderful advant
ages OF irrigation. what should he the
next feature affecting the value OF
piece of land?
Nearnoss to market. rs noted
above IN tho Topeka sketch. most OF
US would say This is true In most
instances. with the crop produced
and gathered. half the battle has been
won. The other half IL the selling of
it and collection OF the income.
Transportation. therefore. is tho next
step. and transportation has first to
do with distance.
In all the cast half of tho United
States not only is distance an element
Hl factor but condition OF roads In
essential. A rock road or even a
Eraveled road. back there, IL an item
quite as attractive to tho land seeker
a. railroad. on an unimprovcd
country highway. passage with a load
Is almost out of tho question during
half tho months of the year. Tho
bottomlcsS and wayy texture of the
average eastern roads is something
undreamed of here in tho dry smooth
west
some OF the peculiar or local at
fractions which make this or that
farm desirable arc: