524 FARM MANAGEMENT 



its buildings. Many western men who are buying eastern 

 farms are buying buildings. The farms look cheap, be- 

 cause the buildings are worth more than the price asked. 

 But there is no profit from buildings. In very many cases, 

 the farms never did pay. The early settler made his 

 little income by lumbering, and used a generous amount 

 of lumber for buildings. The lumber is gone, the farms 

 have such poor soils that they do not pay for working. 

 Of course, this does not apply to the thousands of eastern 

 farms that have rich soils, but good soils are not given 

 away with a present thrown in. 



329. Climate. The climate of the region should be 

 studied as indicated in the preceding chapter. Often 

 there is a great difference in climate in a few miles. One 

 must be on the lookout for such differences. 



330. Healthfulness is, of course, of great importance. 

 The general prevalence of malaria or other diseases 

 should be considered. Sometimes one buys a farm ex- 

 pecting the conditions to improve, but one should be very 

 careful about locating in a region where the people are 

 not generally healthy. 



331. Roads and markets. How serious a handicap 

 distance to market is, depends on the type of farming and 

 the roads. If roads are good, the handicap is not so 

 serious with some kinds of farming. If these types of 

 farming are, for other reasons, not adapted to the region, 

 then distance to market is a very serious matter. 



Local markets are of much importance not only in 

 selling but in buying. Their importance is less for grain 

 and live-stock than for perishable products. 



Much more important than the local markets are the 

 railroad facilities for reaching important cities. A farm 

 located on a trunk line of railroad is worth more than a 



