Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-11-15

| Scnu 10 your paper DeCduse l nave ndu
no business with any other publication
in Vermont. The enclosures explain them |
selves, and if you see fit to comment on
the subject / should be pleased to for
ward a copy to Mr.. Benedict.
Yours very truly,
w. G. CoMsTocK, Jr.
DENVER, COL, Oct. 2G, 1889.
Dear John-I send you a slip from an
indianapolis paper. Is it true that New
England farms are being abandoned? If
it is not true, hand this article to some of
your newspapers and have them answer
it. Please send me, if anything is pub
lished about it. such articles as may be
written. Yours truly.
NJ. BENEDICT.
THE NEW ENGLAND EXODUS.
"The practical abandonment of farms
and farming lands in parts of New Eng
land has for some years been matter of
comment Elsewhere throughout the
country farms | change hands, owners
grow tired, or families scatter, but new
corners take possession and the agricul-
tural processes 90 on without Interrupt
ton. In New England, in latter years,
families are sure to separate; the sons
90 West, or to the cities, and the
daughters follow them; not one is will
ing to remain and cultivate the acres
that have been titled by their ancestors
perhaps, for generations. The old homes
are for sale, but no one comes to buy.
The extent to which this abandonment
exists is shown by the statement of the
Vermont commissioner of agriculture,
noting in detail the location, Characters
ties and prices of such land in that State.
In one township four thousand acres are
i
from one to four dollars an acre. OF
this tract one-half is in farms from sew
enty to two hundred acres, many with
buildings: the other half is divided only
by tumbling stone walls and marked by
old celar-holes. In another county is Il
farm of two hundred acres that can be
bought for one hundred dollars, build
ings and all and the soil is said to be
good. In another region from thirty
five to forty farms, contiguous, or nearly
so, are abandoned and unoccupied"
The direct question of the above letter
is us it true that New England farms
are being abandoned?"
New England is quite a paddock. How
many of its farms are being abandoned
or have been abandoned do not know /:
nor how long they have been abandoned.
! do know that there are several which
are not abandoned; for | was in New
Hampshire the other day and noticed
people still lived there, both in country
and town, and some of the houses really
looked very bright and attractive, so
much so that | thought perhaps the wo-
| hal t,, do u.itl fnr I ha
New Hampshire women are very good
housekeepers.
But the article quoted by Mr. Benedict
refers to the Vermont commissioner of
agriculture and his talk about the aban-
doned farms in Vermont.
Vermont ain tolerably well acquaint-
ed with, and as regards her might, per-
haps, answer a little more fully.
In the first place, | would caution
against any too implicit confidence in the
statements of the Vermont commissioner
of agriculture. Thus far he has been lit
tie vapory. No lucid statement has yet
been made by him in the matter. Per-
haps there has not been time. Perhaps
Mr.. Valentine will prove himself capable
of giving a statement full and accurate
of the fluctuation of values in land in
Vermont. with causes and results. Quite
possibly statistics of this kind can be
used to advantage in increasing popula-
ton or improving sales. There is always
land for sale and farms for sale; what
ever will attract BUYERS will improve the
market.
There are in Vermont certain lots OF
timber land which have been cut ovel
and perhaps at one time partially cult
waited in connection with some coal OIL
lumber job, that are now being permitted
to grow up again to forest On some OF
these, while the lumber Job was in opera
ton, small cabin was erected by the
Frenchman who cut the wood, and those
to decay. Under the magic of Mr.. Val
entine's pen they might present quite !
picture in his scene of desolation, anC
we would suggest that these residences
be bought for about 81 an acre, perhaps
for 81.
/ reside myself in one of the mountain
towns of Vermont whose farming lant
all lies from 300 to 5000 feet above thu
sea. but, aside from several lots of til,
character | have just described, the eX
tent and productlveness of its farms have
steadily increased in the twenty-five
, years that | have known it. None o
5 them are abandoned; indeed, | know o
no abandoned farms in Vermont tina
:. were ever self-supporting. Houses ar
/, abandoned They grow old and decay
3 New ones are erected. Aggregation o
wealth takes place everywhere. a ma
grows rich and buys his neighbours farm
!. one or more, and adds to his own. Yer
possibly then the houses on these no
4 needed are allowed to go to decay. Dr