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An actual article I found that was printed in "The Budget" newspaper about someone looking for a farm:
(in 1873)
Having sold my farm in Pulaski County, VA, wish to purchase on in this section of country, costing from $1,500 to $10,000. I propose to make a payment of $1,600 down, and $1,000 in one year, $2,000 in two, $2,500 in three, and $2,900 in four years with interest at 6 percent paid annually and lien upon the land until all is paid. Persons proposing to sell will do well to put their price as low as they can afford, for I expect to examine and purchase the cheapest farm offered, considering quality, locality, etc. Please write me a full description of your land, answering all of the following questions in regard to it.
1. Describe the dwelling, outhouses, barn, etc
2. How bold is the spring and how far from the house?
3. How large and how old is the apple orchard, if any, and what the quality of fruit?
4. Is the farm well watered?
5. Is the land of limestone or free stone soil?
6. How many acres too rocky to plow?
7. Is there any red slate soil? If so, how many acres and is it south, southeast, or hilltop exposure?
8. How many acres of porous or free stone soil, and what exposure is it?
9. What is the subsoil generally, red clay or porous and sandy?
10. What color is the surface soil?
11. Is the land much worn?
12. How many bushels of wheat and corn will it average in ordinary seasons, per acre?
13. How many acres of cleared land and how many of timer, and what kinds of timber?
14. How many acres of the cleared land so hilly as to require a hillside plow to do the plowing well, and how much of the timbered land, if cleared, would require the hillside plow from this cause?
15. How many acres of the timber could be gotten to conveniently with a wagon?
16. Is the land much broken or hilly?
17. What kind of grass will your land produce best?
18. Does bluegrass grow on it without sowing?
19. How far from good flour and saw mills?
20. How many churches convenient, what distance off, and what denominations?
21. Name the nearest railroad depot, the distance by wagon road, and is that road good?
22. How far to your courthouse?
23. How is society - morals good or bad?
24. What is the common price of good land now, and what it before the war in your section?
25. What is the common price per month of good laboring hands in your country and are they in much demand?
26. What does pine lumber for building cost per 1,000 feet?
27. Is the title to your land good?
28. State your price
Letters in answer to the above will be received until the 30th day of March, 1873.
Robert Craig Dublin, Pulaski County, Virginia
(in 1873)
Having sold my farm in Pulaski County, VA, wish to purchase on in this section of country, costing from $1,500 to $10,000. I propose to make a payment of $1,600 down, and $1,000 in one year, $2,000 in two, $2,500 in three, and $2,900 in four years with interest at 6 percent paid annually and lien upon the land until all is paid. Persons proposing to sell will do well to put their price as low as they can afford, for I expect to examine and purchase the cheapest farm offered, considering quality, locality, etc. Please write me a full description of your land, answering all of the following questions in regard to it.
1. Describe the dwelling, outhouses, barn, etc
2. How bold is the spring and how far from the house?
3. How large and how old is the apple orchard, if any, and what the quality of fruit?
4. Is the farm well watered?
5. Is the land of limestone or free stone soil?
6. How many acres too rocky to plow?
7. Is there any red slate soil? If so, how many acres and is it south, southeast, or hilltop exposure?
8. How many acres of porous or free stone soil, and what exposure is it?
9. What is the subsoil generally, red clay or porous and sandy?
10. What color is the surface soil?
11. Is the land much worn?
12. How many bushels of wheat and corn will it average in ordinary seasons, per acre?
13. How many acres of cleared land and how many of timer, and what kinds of timber?
14. How many acres of the cleared land so hilly as to require a hillside plow to do the plowing well, and how much of the timbered land, if cleared, would require the hillside plow from this cause?
15. How many acres of the timber could be gotten to conveniently with a wagon?
16. Is the land much broken or hilly?
17. What kind of grass will your land produce best?
18. Does bluegrass grow on it without sowing?
19. How far from good flour and saw mills?
20. How many churches convenient, what distance off, and what denominations?
21. Name the nearest railroad depot, the distance by wagon road, and is that road good?
22. How far to your courthouse?
23. How is society - morals good or bad?
24. What is the common price of good land now, and what it before the war in your section?
25. What is the common price per month of good laboring hands in your country and are they in much demand?
26. What does pine lumber for building cost per 1,000 feet?
27. Is the title to your land good?
28. State your price
Letters in answer to the above will be received until the 30th day of March, 1873.
Robert Craig Dublin, Pulaski County, Virginia
