THE RENT AND VALUE OF FARM LAND 641 



his plantation with his own capital, as he did three years ago, and 

 was often able to retain a large portion of his cotton for sale at a tune 

 when most to his own advantage, his land was at once converted into 

 an economic stronghold and appreciated in value in a greater degree 

 than the land devoted to any other large crop. 



In the North Atlantic states, and in a less degree in other groups, 

 there has been some back pressure upon the land from the cities. In 

 some regions the old abandoned farms are becoming the country 

 homes of city families, and are passing back into some sort of cultiva- 

 tion and production. 



It would by no means be fair in the explanation of increase of 

 farm values during the last five years to confine it to increases in price 

 of products and to pressure of demand upon area. Very large effects 

 have been derived from better cultural methods; from the substitu- 

 tion of profitable for unprofitable crops; by the adoption of more 

 intensive culture and crop; by better applied labor; by larger and 

 cheaper facilities for reaching markets; and by some improvements 

 in the business features of marketing products. Each one of these 

 causes is of large account and all together combine to make the net 

 return per acre larger than it was five years ago by an amount 

 sufficient to raise the capitalization of farm lands in a considerable 

 degree. 



The values embraced in this investigation include improved and 

 new buildings and all improvements upon farms. In many cases 

 correspondents have reported a large percentage of increase in farm 

 values per acre where the increase was almost entirely due to added 

 improvements in the way of better dwellings, new barns, improve- 

 ments in old barns, new granaries, and new buildings for the protec- 

 tion of live stock in winter. 



Throughout extensive areas there have been great additions to 

 land values as the result of draining by tile and open ditches, and the 

 latter are sometimes so large as to be called canals. Increases have 

 resulted from the removal of the stumps of forest trees and the 

 construction of new or better boundary fences. Better and more 

 durable roads on the farm and between the farm and its market 

 town or railroad station have had a distinct effect upon the farm 

 values. 



Along with numerous improvements, not all of which can be men- 

 tioned here, stands forth the improvement of the soil itself. There 

 is a materially increased production of live stock, with the resultant 



