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portion to the increased and improved
shipping facilities. The fruit is now
landed in perfect condition in northern
markets, which, a few years ago, were
totally inaccessible.
In the far west land heretofore con
sidered of little value has recently pro
duced some surprising results. For in
stance, land adjacent to the Columiba
river has produced a yield of wheat
to equal or exceed that of the middle
west.
Portions of Wyoming, Montana,
Washington, Colorado, Nevada, Ari
zona and New Mexico have never been
developed owing to the lack of irriga
tion. Should irrigation facilities be fur
nished by the government, these sec
tions would offer great opportunities
for profitable investment.
Irrigation an Important Factor.
Irrigation has been an extremely im
portant factor in the past in develop
ing certain sections of the country,
and in all probability will be just as
important in the future. In a recent
report I notice that "a comparison of
the number of irrigators and the num
ber of acres irrigated at the beginning
and end of the decade 1880-1899 shows
that these have approximately dou
bled."
Irrigation has produced many very
remarkable results. In fact some of
the most valuable agricultural land in
existence was at one time apparently
worthless.
Dakota land, for a long time very
quiet, has recently taken a strong
brace. The demand is principally for
farms of large acreage. Kansas land,
with the exception of the more desir
able portions, has reached a very low
ebb, and a heavy purchase of this land
might result in immense profits within
the next few years.
Farm land adjacent to the large cit
ies are always attractive to investors
and practically sure to prove profitable
if bought at a low price. All land,
however, is liable to fluctuate in value,
and because of this fact it is neces
sary for a man to be thoroughly wide
awake in order to be a successful land
investor or operator.
Good Farming Affects Prices.
While the value of a farm as an
investment is largely affected by local
conditions, it is also affected to a
great extent by the way in which it
is operated. A farm may be bought
for $30 per acre and after several
years under expert management sell
for $40 or $50 per acre. I have in mind
a man who recently purchased a farm
of 320 acres in Bates county, Missouri,
and has just been offered $42 an acre
for it. This year his wheat yielded
37 bushels to the acre and his corn
will yield 80 to 85 bushels to the acre.
His profits for the year look something
like this: Profits on corn, 16,000 bush
els, delivered in December, $7,000;
profits on hogs sold, $1,800; on hogs
raised this year, about $1,200; profits
on wheat, 1,620 bushels,sl,loo; on flax,
etc., about $1,000; and the difference
between the purchase price of the farm
and the price he has been offered for
it, $3,840. The total profits will amount
to about $15,940, or nearly $9,600 net
profit in one year, just the price he
paid for the whole farm. This is the
story of a man who knew practically
nothing about farming when he bought
the property, but who was an excep
tionally good manager.
An Illustration of Good Management.
This is simply another illustration of
the fact that any good farm is a good
investment under the proper kind of
[management. In nine cases out of
[ten, when a farm is said to be run
down and unprofitable, the cause can
be traced to inefficient management.
Farming in the true sense of the word
is a real science, but unfortunately
this fact is not appreciated by the ma
jority of farmers. A great many farm
ers with whom I have come in contact
seem to think that very little educa
tion and business ability is needed to
run a farm. I have never known one
of this class of men to be more than
ordinarly successful, while on the oth
er hand, the most highly successful
farmers I have known have invariably
been men of more or less education
and excellent business ability.
Put a shrewd, intelligent business
man on a good (or even fairly good)
farm and in ninety-nine cases out of a
hundred he will be successful, even
though handicapped by entire lack of
experience.
Rapid Increase in Values.
I am continually receiving reports
from all parts of the country indicat
ing rapid increase in the value of land
and great prosperity among the agri
cultural classes.
One man writes: "Farm lands are
now on the verge of the greatest boom
in the history of the state of Missouri.
Crops are magnificent all through the
state and the farmers have been mak
ing money."
Another man writes: "Farm lands
in Minnesota and Dakota have increas
ed very largely in value recently. The
land is exceptionally fine in this lo
cality and the crops have never been
better than they are just at present."
These are only samples of scores of
similar letters.
Farm lands will steadily increase in
value for three reasons:
First —Because of the greater in
crease in population than in the de
velopment of new land.
Second —Because of the increasing
desire of people to locate in states
which are already settled rather than
go into a new territory.
Third —Because of the tendency of
the middle and wealthier class of to
day to buy country homes of large
acreage for themselves.
Tendency to Hold Onto Land.
This latter fact is in itself bound to
increase the value of land from year
to year, although, perhaps, but slowly.
The tendency today to hold onto land
is very strong because of the absolute
independence of the man who owns a
few acres. Labor conditions do not
seriously affect him and he is less con
cerned with the questions of protec
tion and free trade than any other
class of our people. If necessary he
can live absolutely independent of any
other class of people.
Land value in all parts of the coun
try is affected to a great extent by
local conditions which are continually
changing and the man who is going
to invest in land should watch these
conditions very carefully before plung
ing too deeply.
Generally speaking, however, I be
lieve that under the present prosperous
conditions of our country, a judicious
investment in farm land is one of the
safest and most profitable investments
that can possibly be made.
Ninety-one per cent of the fertilizing
matter of the food consumed by the
sheep is returned to the soil.
The Merino is the best wooled sheep.
The Downs, Leicester and Cotswold
produces a sheep having good mutton
form and a good fleece.
A grain nation of two-thirds corn to
one-third bran is good with the fall pas
ture of the fattening sheep.
THE RANCH.
location. <£e/ectMet/tods.
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I JEk Modem Business I
l|jKLl«Xofleße.H»
defect Tedc/iens. Se/ectdtudeoTs.
northwesternTusiness college
809 Second Avenue, Spokane, Washington.
Fills more positions than all other similar schools of the Inland Em
pire combined.
Courses of study: Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Civil Service, Teleg
raphy, English, Cartooning.
Send for catalogue to-day.
E. H. THOMPSON, B. S., Principal.
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WESTERN MACHINERY CO.
WESTERN MACHINERY CO.
No. 308 Occidental Aye., SEATTLE. 1
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