said Percy, "and I shall certainly appreciate any assistance or
information you can give me."

"Whe-e-ew. What are you up to? Want to sell us a site for the new
Government insane hospital, or going to lay out another addition to
the city?"

"Neither," replied Percy. "I am looking for a piece of cheap land
that I can build up and make into a good farm."

"Oh, ho!" said the Congressman. "That's it, is it? Well, now let me
tell you that you've struck the wrong neck of the woods to find land
that you can make a good farm out of. The land about here is cheap
enough all right--cheaper than the votes of some politicians, but it
can't be built up into good farms. Don't attempt the impossible, my
friend. If you want cheap land for town sites or insane hospitals,
right here's the country to land in; but if you want a good farm,
you stay right in Illinois, or else follow Horace Greeley's advice
and 'go West.'. That's a good suggestion for you, too. Just go West
and get three hundred and twenty acres of the richest soil lying out
of doors."

"There is not much land left in the West where the rainfall is
sufficient for good crops," said Percy.

"Then take irrigated land. The Government is getting under way some
big irrigation projects, and you ought to get in on the ground floor
on one of those tracts. It is a fact that the apples from some of
those irrigated farms sometimes bring more than $500 an acre."