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Jefferson reporter accounts for the large ‘increase of price in that county as 
follows : . 
Our county is quite broken and hilly, and was considered almost worthless for farming, 
averaging about $5 per acre; but in 1863-64 the hills began to attract the attention of fruit- 
growers, since which time prices have been rapidly advancing. 
In many counties lands depreciated largely during the war, but have been 
increasing in value since 1865; from that date they have generally recovered the 
decline, and ‘made the advances noted above the values of 1860. In this regard 
our Shelby correspondent says : 
Farm lands are now about the same as in 1860; they were 25 per cent. lower in 1863-64, 
but have advanced at the rate indicated since the latter date. Good farms can be bought 
here for about $20 per acre. 
Another correspondent, in Livingston county, writes as follows : 
The price of farm lands in this county has increased about 50 per cent. since 1860. Farms * 
selling in 1860 at from $10 to $40, according to locality, improvement, &c., are now selling 
at from $15 to $60. For some time during the war real estate diminished in value very 
much below the prices of 1860, but towards the close of the war it increased rapidly, and 
has advanced steadily ever since until it has reached the present rates, at which it seems to 
be on the stand. 
2. The wild and unimproved lands of Missouri range in price from $1 to $70 
per acre, embracing in character and soil as great a variety as in price. In 
Carter county this description of land is assessed at $1 30 per acre. In Stod- 
dard it is worth $2 50 per acre on an average; of excellent quality; one-half 
called “ swamp,” but most of it usually dry and very fertile. Mississippi, $1 50 
to $5 per acre, quality good. Scott, $3 per acre; northern part of the county 
hilly, and produces wheat, Indian corn, rye, barley, tobacco, fruits, &c.; the 
eastern and western parts, rich bottom land, (which sometimes overflows ;) the 
central and southern parts sandy and differs in productiveness. Cape Girardeau, 
$1 and upwards ; four-fifths of the area of the county susceptible of cultivation ; 
one-fifth suitable for pastures ; some portions suited to the vine and other fruit 
culture. Madison, $3; rolling, heavily timbered with oak; soil thin. Iron, 
$1 25 to $10; various qualities. St. Genevieve, average $1; varies in quality 
from good, gently undulating, to thin and rocky lands. Jefferson, $20 to $25; 
nearly all the hills or ridges have been tested in fruit-raising, and proved successful. 
St. Louis, unimproved farm lands average about $70 per acre ; hilly land about 
$30; bluffs along the rivers $10; the hills tolerably good farming lands, but 
good for fruit ; the blufflands rocky and of little value except for wood, though, 
as far as tried, grapes do well. Lincoln, $7 50; some of the best land unim- 
proved for want of population ; 422,945 acres in the county ; population, 13,000. 
Pike, $10, and Montgomery, $8; adapted to wheat, Indian corn, tobacco, &e. 
Audrain, $6, good prairie lands ; Lewis, $6 50 to $15 for prairie, and $15 to $25 
for timber; three-fifths of the county timbered, the other two-fifths rolling 
prairie; Clark, $5 to $10; Scotland, $6 50, good upland prairie and rich bot- 
toms; Linn, $5, prairie, high and dry, soil generally good, slightly sandy ; will 
produce all the crops of the latitude—corn about 40 bushels and wheat 20 
bushels to the acre; Livingston, average, $13, prairie and timber; black, loamy 
soil; rolling prairie and river and creek bottoms. Mercer, $4 to $7, largely held 
by non-resident speculators; about two-thirds of the county unimproved, about 
equally divided between timber and prairie ; high and rolling, nine-tenths suscepti- 
bleof remunerative cultivation. Harrison, $1 25 to $5; black loam, quality good ; 
Gentry, prairie $3, timber $12; the country is rolling prairie, with an abundance 
of timber; soil rich, dark loam, 20 inches deep, with clay subsoil. Nodaway, 
$4, capable of producing the crops of the latitude, particularly corn and grass ; 
medium for wheat. Holt, $5, for lands lying near settlements; much not worth 
over $3 or $4; large tracts are held by speculators at $7 to $10 per acre. De 
Kalb, $10, upland prairie; La Fayette, $20 for prairie, claimed to be of finest 
quality, soil four feet deep; inferior quality, $10 per acre, will yield good crops 
