70 BULLETIN 1295, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
ANALYSIS OF SETTLERS’ PROGRESS ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS 
Consideration of the special conditions and indications of progress 
on individual projects throws considerable hght on experience in 
colonization under conditions in the Lakes States. Following is a 
brief analysis of the 15 projects from this point of view: 
I. Settlers on Project I made the best clearing and net gain record of any 
group, because nearly all had had experience in cut-over farming before com- 
ing here. Many were settlers making their second start as pioneers or were 
sons of settlers. Their clearing program included marsh clearing. 
II. The Belgians on Project II came mostly from farms, and were among the 
very best settlers found anywhere. Their net gain and clearing record were 
as good as upon Project I. The group of Finns was developing more slowly, 
. partly because of their land, partly because of their isolation, and partly be- 
cause of the character of the group. However, they had their farms on a going 
basis and were slowly improving their buildings. Moreover they had reduced 
their indebtedness by $120 per settler, a “showing made only on two of the 
other projects studied. Dairying had been their salvation. They averaged 
seven milk cows per farm. 
III. The group of 31 settlers visited on Project III had an average beginning 
net worth of $1,821. Nearly half of them came directly from farms, and 
practically all had farm experience. The company advertised only in farm 
papers and had no agents; the settlers therefore were neither of the class 
which is attracted by easy terms and special features, nor of the class which is 
forced into buying by high-pressure salesmanship. They had $766 of cash on 
hand after settlement; consequently, they worked off the farm less than was 
the case with most projects. Average receipts from labor off farm and from 
timber products were only $140 per year for first and second-year settlers. The 
third-year settlers had an average of 7.3 head of cattle, and had livestock re- 
ceipts averaging $250. The clearing record of the settlers on this project was 
only a little above the average, but they had increased their inventories in 
buildings and livestock much more than the average. The index of net gain 
was one of the highest. The farms sold averaged 40 per cent of merchantable 
timber, which means that timber products were likely to be one source of in- 
come in the future. 
IV. The 18 settlers visited on Project IV were mostly Polish settlers who 
had been on their farms an average of 9.45 years. Although their average 
beginning net worth was only $1,106 in 1909 and 1910, this would equal almost 
twice that amount at 1918 to 1920 price leveis. The land company gave them 
easy credit terms and some supervision, but made no advances of any kind. 
They were in debt an average of $1,300 more in 1920 than when they started, 
but they had erected buildings worth $1,589 per farm, had accumulated $1,076 
worth of livestock, and $331 worth of machinery. They had cleared an average 
of 27 acres per farm, had brushed an additional 20 acres per farm, besides clear- 
ing 5 acres of marshland per farm. Thus, only about one-fourth of their farms 
was still in brush and timber. Their receipts in 1919-20 averaged $1,045 
per farm, of which 73 per cent was from their dairy herds, which averaged 7.6 
milk cows per farm besides 5.8 head of other cattle. 
Thus, these settlers had made excellent progress in every respect. Their 
thrift and industry and especially the easy payment policy of the company en- 
abled them to develop their farms even though getting more and more into 
debt. 
V. The plan for Project V involved a good deal of vague and indefinite talk 
about such things aS community cooperation, community planning, and the like, 
but it did involve a considerable amount of real aid for the settlers. For some 
reason, the lumber company behind the plan abandoned it shortly after its 
initiation, with the result that the 21 settlers covered in the survey were operat- 
ing under ordinary five to eight year contracts with no advances of any kind. 
The initial payments made were unusually low, being only 10.8 per cent of the 
purchase price. But the average beginning net worth of these settlers was only 
$832, next to the lowest of any group; consequently, they had an average of only 
$406 of cash on hand after settlement. They bought only 47.4 acres of land on 
the average, less than any other group studied, but paid more per aere for it, 
relatively speaking, than any other group (see Table 25). The cultivable land 
was of excellent quality, but the area was remote and raw. The 21 Settlers 
