The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-09-18
Vacant Farms and the Drift to cities.

The subject of abandoned farms has
been given new interest by the measures
which are being taken by the Massa-
chusetts State board of agriculture TO Sc
cure remedy for this evil, and the agi-
tation has led correspondent of the
Boston Herald to suggest that the New
England States which have abandoned
farms to be repopulated establish joint
agency with headquarters in London,
whose duty it should be to give definite
information regarding these farms, their
location, character and price, and any
other points which might be of value as
an inducement to purchasers.
This suggestion leads the Springfield
Union to say that it would certainly be
advantageous if a good class of English,
Scotch and Welsh farmers could be at
tracted to rural New England since they
would more readily assimilate with our
citizenship than Swedes, Germans and
others not speaking our language nor
understanding our institutions and ira
ditions. The Union asks further whether
it would not be possible to employ
United States consuls or consular agents
in this work and it continues as follows:
''It is understood that the Massachusetts,
board of agriculture intends to issue
definite and detailed information re-
garding the abandoned farms in the
State. This information should be
placed in the hands of our representa-
tives in Great Britain, and attention
called to it by general advertisement.
We are inclined to believe that many
British farming people would greatly
better themselves by settling in New
England, and the proper thing to do
is to place the necessary information
within their reach"
1t is sad fact that remarkably large
proportion of the farmers in this coun-
try already are foreign born or the chill
dren of foreign born parents. New Eng
land probably boasts of larger percent
age of native American farmers than
any other section of the country and it is
peculiarly significant condition of
affairs that leads to call for foreign
farmers, even in old New England. There
are young men enough in New England
and to spare, who ought to be able to
make good the number of successful
farmers each year, but it must be ad-
mitted that they are not doing so, but
rather drifting to the large towns and
cities. How long is this tendency to
continue Is this country to be forever
dependent upon foreign countries for its
farmers in spite of the fact that it is
growing in population faster than any
other nation of its size in the world, or
are the conditions 10 change in the near
future so that there shall be reaction
in the drift from the farm to the city +?
These are questions which present them
selves to everyone who has given this sub
ject any study and their answer deserves
the careful attention of the statesman as
well as the student, the press and the
people.
In the meantime every farm ought to
be occupied and If residents of our own
country will not take hold of abandoned
farms, good English, Scotch or Welsh
farmers should by all means be induced
to come in and possess the land. 1t
seems to us, however, that every legiti-
mate means should first be employed to
repeople these farms with Americans or
at least with families already in this
country. Why not establish agencies in
one or two Of the larger cities as an ex-
pertinent to induce men who want to
work but are out of employment to learn
farming and occupy these vacant lands ?
An advertisement of such an opportunity
in one or more of the metropolitan
dailies would reach large number of
men of this character who have families
dependent upon them and, supplemented
by the aid of conscientious agent it
might lead to happy solution of the