52 The Condition of the Western Farmer. [330 



he was really going to own the land, but that he soon dis- 

 covered that he only held it on an uncertain tenure from the 

 railroad companies. It will be noticed that the proportion 

 of the market price which is paid for freight is much higher 

 for corn and oats than for wheat, and in the former grains 

 often runs over one-third of the total price. 



