Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1914 — Clyde Reeve's Writes About His New Home in “York State." [ARTICLE]

Clyde Reeve's Writes About His New Home in “York State."

Masonville, N. Y., Dec. 11, ’l4. Dear Editor and Friend : I am very glad to accept your invitation to write a few lines for your Christmas edition, and am pleased indeed to thus reach SO many of my friends in one letter. We are located on a small farm in the Deleware valley. If you eare to look pu the New York state map, close to the Pennsylvania line and near the central part of the state, you will find the town of Deposit, which is on the Erie railroad, almost half-way between New York City and Buffalo. 'Phis is one of our close towns, or rather cities. Almost equally distant from us lies the cities of Unadilla, Walton and Sidney, while we have several small towns only a few miles away. The scenery here is very fine and it surely appeals to the city folks, as all the towns and much df the country near them is occupied during the summer time by city boarders. I am not artist enough to describe this, but you should see it to apreciate it. But I hear my practical western friend say, “Scenery will not feed and clothe a man.” So I want to touch on our reason for coming here, some of the resources of this section and some of its needs. + We had been in touch with eastern farm literature for several years before we caihe' last summer to look over a part of this country. ■You all know that it is nearly impossible for a poor man to get a start” on high-priced land of your vicinity. It would take as much or more money to start to farm on a rented piece of grouifH than to make one’s first payment and begin to own their land here. For instance, Homer Babb of Remington, Ind., bought the

farm just north of mine, consisting of 100 acres, for the consideration of $3,000. The house and barn alone are easily worth $2,500. Another farm just south of where I live consists of about 176 acres, tAvo = houses, four barns, a fine bunch of cows and heifers, horses, farm tools, wagons, sleds, etc., can be bought today for $5,000; $2,000 cash and owner don’t care when you pay the rest if you only keep up the 5 per cent interest. This farm has been in the same family for over 100 years, and a year ago the present OAvner, his father and grandfather all lived in the same home. This example is only one of many, for Ave see more old people up here and they seem to take a more active interest in life, than at home. It seems to prove it a very healthful climate. There are many such farms here that are for sale and it Is usually some old man that Avants to sell. You can get the farms and the stock all on them, as in this second instance, Avith scarcely enough paid down to pay for stock. ■ ' Mr. Wilson, the late Secretary of Agriculture, said that if a young of limited means should come to his department Avith the inquiry as to the best location for farming, he would send him neither to the Avest or south but Avould advise him to look Avell into the resources of the state of New York. A man from Pennsylvania bought here the other day and he says that the land here lies almost the same in every Avay that it does in Pennsylvania, and that if anything, our ground is richer of the tAvo and our woodland has larger and better timber; yet land that he left was worth SIOO an acre, Avliile the farms here are bought from one-fourth to onehalf as much. It Avould surely seem from this that land must increase In price before very long. Delaware county itself is noted for its dairy products. Its spring watered fields and rich grass lands make it an ideal country for this purpose. You may get some idea of its importance when I tell you that we rank second in the state in number of cows, having nearly 80,000 head, and first in yearly value of dairy products, about five million dollars. While dairying ranks first, yet there are great opportunities for diversified farming, potatoes, poultry amt stock farming. Good apple orchards on every farm. 1 have not lived here long enough to speak for a certainty but 1 think this country first of all needs what we call some “western push.” One can see this applied on some of the farms and where you see it so farmed the mart is wonderfully successful. They are in a sort of rut here and go from year to year with pasture and hay, and buy their grain. But when you see the hay and grass you do not wonder after all, for this is above all things a great grass country. Everyone says that from two to three tons to the acre is not unusual.

I expect 1 have wearied your patience and I know I have more than taken my allotted space, so will close, wishing all my friends the merriest Christmas and the happiest New Year that has ever fallen to their lot. if any of the readers care to learn more of this country I will be glad to answer any questions they care to ask or any letters they care to write. I believe there are opportunities here for the poor man and the man wilh limited means that he can not find at our old home.

Thanking you for this opportunity, I a *n Your friend.

C. W. REEVE.