20 BULLETIN" 393, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



A farm 4 miles from Fredericksburg, on the Massaponax Road, 

 containing 357 acres, valued at $2,800 in 1910, was sold at forced 

 public sale in 1912 for S4,400, an increase of 76 per cent. 



A farm 3 miles from Fredericksburg, on the Plank Road, containing 

 133 acres, valued at $7,000 in 1910, sold for $10,000 in 1912, an 

 increase of 43 per cent. 



Another farm, 3 miles from Fredericksburg, on the Plank Road, 

 containing 100 acres, valued at $3,000 in 1910, was sold for $4,750 

 in 1912, an increase of 58 per cent. 



It is thus evident that in this little group of sales the increase in 

 value according to the actual record obtained was $20,100, or 63.2 

 per cent, over the 1910 value. The average value, after the roads 

 were improved, was $28.26 per acre, as compared with $17.31 pre- 

 vious to the improvement. 



A confirmation of the 1912 data on land values was obtained in 

 1913, at which time it was found that four transfers of farm land, 

 which took place in that year on improved roads from 5 to 10 miles 

 from Fredericksburg, were on the basis of $30.11 per acre, whereas 

 they were listed in 1910 at $13.89 per acre. It was learned in 1913 

 that some of the farms which had been practically abandoned by 

 their owners as places of residence had been reoccupied. One farm 

 owner moved to New England and rented his farm on the Chancel- 

 Idrsville Road. Returning in 1913 to make some repairs, he found 

 the farm so conveniently located on the improved road that he 

 moved back from New England. 



In February, 1914, another inspection of the roads was made and 

 a further confirmation of the effect of the improvement on land 

 values was obtained. This 1914 record was as follows: 



A farm containing 136 acres, valued at $6,000 before the roads 

 were improved, was sold after the roads were improved for $12,000, 

 an increase of 100 per cent. . 



For a farm containing 133 acres, valued at $7,000 before the 

 roads were improved, an offer of $10,500 was made and refused after 

 the road was improved, an increase of 50 per cent. 



A farm on the River Road, containing 312 acres, which sold in 

 1908 for $4,500, was again sold for $10,500 in 1913, an increase of 133 

 per cent. 



A farm on the River Road, containing 870 acres, sold for $18,000 

 shortly before the road was improved and was sold again for $31,000 

 in 1914, an increase of 72 per cent. 



It appears that the 1,451 acres increased in value $28,500, or 80 

 per cent, or from $24.46 to $44.10 per acre, and it is believed that 

 this increase was caused very largely by the improved roads. 



Taking the two groups of sales and combining acreage and value, 

 we get a total of 3,286 acres, with a total original value of $67,300 



