00 
BULLETIN 1236, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
for labor and materials. During the period 1916-1921 the contract 
cost of stumping alone ranged from $200 to $250 per acre. This 
does not include the slashing and the removal of small stumps and 
logs. When profits from farming are high, the demand for land ready 
for cultivation is comparatively great. This tends to raise the value 
of cleared land up to the market cost of clearing. The amount added 
to the value of land by clearing was comparatively low between 1910 
and 1915, largely because the low demand for agricultural products 
reduced the bidding for cleared land. 
Table 18. — Changes in real estate values due to clearing as computed from S5S sales. 
Number 
of sales. 
Average 
number 
of acres 
per sale. 
Value per acre. 
Per cent 
of farm 
acres 
cleared. 
Value of 
cleared 
land per 
acre. 
Increased 
value 
Period of ?nle<. 
Real 
astate. 
Build- 
ings. 
Land. 
per acre 
due to 
clearing. 
Before 1898 
54 
59 
89 
58 
93 
36.5 
35. 1 
21.1 
20.3 
15.6 
$15.96 
23.13 
66.50 
1 10. 26 
221. 93 
-SO. 08 
1.28 
6.29 
19.94 
44.30 
»5.88 
21.85 
60.21 
120. 32 
177.63 
0.3 
2.6 
7.4 
21.2 
34.2 
$189.33 
164. 80 
234.34 
227. 48 
302.32 
$173 98 
1898-1903 
146. 78 
1904-1909 
1910-1915 
135. 77 
1916-1921 
189 51 
ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH BY SETTLERS. 
The amount of capital which the settlers in this region have 
accumulated is rather closely associated with the time of settlement. 
This is indicated in Tables 19 and 20, which show the increase in net 
worth of settlers from the date of settlement up to the fall of 1921. 
The oldest group of settlers have been on the land an average of 28 
years and have increased their equity in the farm and working capital 
18.7 times $663 the average amount they had to begin with. In 
addition, many have invested part of their earnings in outside enter- 
Table 19. — Comparison of the financial progress and the accumulation of wealth by 
settlers at different periods. 
Time of settlement. 
Before 
189S. 
1898-1903 
1904-1909 
1910-1915 
36 
19.4 
41 
14.3 
27 
7.9 
$694 
249 
179 
$253 
11,251 
2,201 
. 9,662 
L81 
1,204 
8, 522 
167 
1,147 
3,895 
I. 195 
7, 356 
5, 789 
4,327 
192 
6,995 
5,608 
710 
1916-1921 
Number of settlers 22 
Number of years since settlement 
Capital removed from farm: l 
Available in 1921 SI, 714 
Spent prior to 1921 134 
Sum of total capital removed from farm and the 1921 I 
net worth as of farm (see Table 19) I 13, 976 
Outside capital invested in farm since starting 2 177 
Outside earnings of family used on fann since starting' 1,000 
Total capital and earnings put into farm since start- 
ing* 1,840 
Nel financial progress due to the settlers' faun activ- 
ities and increase in land values * 12, 136 
Total accumulation of wealth from all sources si 
ingfl 13,179 
Accumulation of wealth per year since starting 171 
40 
2.6 
$74 
36 
6,128 
270 
417 
1,352 
1,776 
2, 127 
933 
ludes all farm and family earnings which have nol been reinvested in the farm business or 
for mi i ad family expenses. Farm earnings as well as receipts fn m miscellaneous work off the 
farm are it eluded. The amount of such capital saved by the family during their entire period on the farm 
irated from the money which has hem u ed up for doctor bills, education, traveling, etc. 
hides ail out side capital other than money earned by the operator and bis family, as well a-< capital 
or [nheritai 
h the family has earned oiT the farm and put Into the farm business and home. 
« The sum of the original nel worth of the settler (Table 19) and outside capital and earnings put Into the 
lerences between sum of capital removed from farm and 1921 nel worth as of farm and the total capital 
pul Into the fa: m since starting. 
« Tin- riel worth as of the farm plus capita] removed from farm and available in 1921. 
