Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-06-18
Agricultural.


Value Of Farms.
A very difficult question TO answer Is asked
when the census-taker inquiries the value Of
FIRMS Property is generally supposed to be
worth what it will sell for. but when there is
no demand for it, and no sale at any price
how shall its value be estimatedi Is it
worthless; Are the fine productive farms
that are offered for sale in many parts of this
county Of no value; Except in a few cases
they have no sale and there are no buyers.
Perhaps one in fifty that is offered for sale is
sold. When a sale is made the price is gen
orally much below what has been held to be
thu real value. a farm that once brought
$1,000 was lately sold for 5000 This place
is III a good location, with comfortable build
ings that cost nearly the price of the farm.
Two very desirable farms situated near a
pleasant village have been offered for sale for
more than a. year without finding buyers.
One of these farms cuts 30 tons of hay year
the other. about 30 tons. II farms in such
locations cannot be sold, the prospect is poor
for disposng of places less favorably situa-
ted There are hundreds of hill farms for
sale for little more than the cost Of buildings
and fences. Among these are some that are
very productye-farms that summer and
winter % or 30 head of cattle, besides having
large apple orchards and sugar lots fitted up
with buckets, and improved apparatus for
boiling sap. Such places should be in great
er demand Thousands Of foreign emigrants
that annually seek homes in the West do
worse than to settle upon Vermont farms
where all the Improvements that it takes
u lifetime to effect in new country, would
be found awaiting them
I'll. price Of lumber and all kinds of build
ing material are so much higher in the West
that the cost Of a house alone such rs is
found Oh many Vermont farms. would be
more there than is asked here for the whole
farm, including lands and fences and al equal
ly good dwelling. This is saying nothing Of
the fruit orchards for which the occupier Of
new lands waits at least. ten or fifteen years
nor the maple sugar lots that are found no
where III greater perfection than III Vermont
Horace Greeley whose extensive obserya-
tioH- aud study Of the farming interests Of
the different states give weight to his opiu-
ion said, ia substance that money invested
in a Vermont farm would bring more OF the
substantial comforts Of life than the same
amount invested in western lands This was
said before the depreciation Of real estate
Lad reached its present extent. II true then,
it is more than true now. because tin depre-
citation Of farming lands has been less il the
West than in the East
There is reason to believe that there will
be no further depreciation il the value of
good farms that are not allowed to deterio-
rate in quality. The best and most accessible
lands of the West are all occupied and will
soon be held at an advance, if they are not
already. Some part of an increasing popula-
ton will necessarily be forced to the farms
for the support of the whole. This will Gre
ate a demand for farms that can hardly fail
in time, to reach the best farming State Of
New England Vermont