The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-15
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Dada o., Fay.,, Values

When that Is accomn,.... :.
viii be possible, by consultin, ~
records. to discover Just ~, !
farm IN almost any county i -,
country is good for, what \ ~
raise. whether It is watered a. ~.
what the transportation fsr,,..s.
are, the climate. the conditios 1.
the roads and various other ps,,s
nent data.
While this information ia 49,.
gathered for the purpose Of lendns
1t will have the tendency to heco-s
accepted as a basis of sale vsl.. ,
and therefore, consultation Of 49,
records can establish the nr;c. !,
almost any farm in the country
May Hasten Detailed Spryes
The value Of such informsf,,,
10 % well recognized 1t washi,,
ton that It is considered cutie Nls
ly that some steps may be taken |.
hasten this detailed survey. UrAs.
the present system, the reports n.
made oyiy in connection with ~
applications and while thesa a.
coming in rapidly, independent =.
ditional investigations made air..
ly by government agents VIM
bring much closer the date M
the/whole body Of farm lands Nm
be reported upon.
These reports will have 10 IL
kept up to date by additional nota.
tons from time to time hecanss
changes are constantly takjns
place in the nature Of soils and in
other matters closely affecting tn
value Of farm lands. The lack Of
proper fertilization will exhaust tn
producing properties of q soil and
the farm that once was productive
may become practically sterile. An
excellent example of this 10 fur
nished by the run down tobacco
lands Of certain sections In south
ern states. Once. the most fertile
lands in the world. they we're work
ed year in and year out, without
fertilization and without rotation
of crops or following, with the r.
suit that the soil became exhausted.
Hundreds of thousands Of acres q
such land may be found In many
southern states, grown up in wseds
of q coarse variety and in scrub
pine, which will live on almost any
soil.
Experts Of the bureau Of soils f
the department of agriculture say
there is not much which can be
done to retrieve these old lands,
but the bureau has made great
strides in the last few years In ID
structing the farmers how to pre-
vent q repetition of such exhsus-
ton on still fertile lands. -
The construction Of roads, the ,ey-
tension Of railroads, improvement
of terminal facilities and maly
other elements enter into the data
affecting the value of farm lands.
These reports must be kept up TO
date by the notation Of all such ma
terial changes # they are to b.
come permanent reliable references.
Actually these reports will fur-
nish much data Of human intefes:
in the lives and vicissitudes Of the
farming population, if they are 10
be Of genuine value. Suppose, Tor
instance, that a farmer borfovs
substantial sum on an excellent
farm, to which excellence much il
contributed by the fine barn,
stables, granaries and other build
iAgs which stand upon it. Suppose,
then, these buildings are struck BY
lightning and burned to the grouna.
1t will be seen that the value Oh
that mortgage and the value OF the
farm have been much impaired.
The record at Washington woua
be incomplete and misleading were
not an immediate notation made OF
the disaster. Further, should me
buildings be erected again, tia!
should have its place in the recofd.
These records. as they grow,
should contain the material for sli
the novels of rural life that the
world could read. Doubtless they
will contain the records OF genera
tions of people as the years pass
They should be Of the utmost value
to antiquarians of the future. IL
will be recalled that the rural par.
ish records have been the most
fruitful source of personal history
in England and other foreign ceun'
tries.