The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-05-27
The Abandoned Farm Scare.

1t is rather amusing to note what a
solemn silence has fallen upon the free
trade organs, regarding their former
pet issue of New England decadence.
Four years ago they pointed out that
our farms were being abandoned by the
hundred and agriculture was dying out
because the farmers were ground to
death under the iron heel of protection.
The clamor led to Investigation. Yer
mont, New Hampshire and Massachus-
etts looked up the matter, but found
nothing to be alarmed about. The agl-
tation showed that some farms had been
abandoned because they were worn out
and some because the owners could
make better living in the manufactur-
ing towns, and many because the at
fractions of the great West were irresist-
ible. But no sooner was public atten-
ton called to the fact that there were
good farms for sale in these States than
they began to be called for. In Yer.
mont the re-peopling of the farms that
are worth working is fast going on, and
the same is true to some extent in New
Hampshire and Massachusetts,.
Now Secretary Gold, of the Connecti-
cut board of agriculture reports that less
than per cent. of the acreage of farm
lQR ldUu III blldJ DDdJO 10 III OhO llithA hO "
or 30,522 acres in a total of 3, 1913. 900,
Regarding the abandonment of Con-
necticut farms, Mr.. Gold finds the same
circumstances prevailing as in Massa-
chusents. He says:
Some farms have been abandoned, be.
cause, from location or otherwise, they
ought to be abandoned their legitimate
use was for growing wood and timber
rather than for general farming. The
diversion of travel and the removal OF
small business centres and small manu-
featuring industries have caused some
property once occupied to be no longer
in demand. In other cases the owners
have preferred to let houses and lands
remain abandoned" as
lar as occupancy is concerned-ratheI
than to be at the expense of repairs to
fit the place for tenant, or even to
persuade themselves to a sale to some
chance customer who might offer. n
We find that there are large number OF
farms in every degree of desirablility
and condition of culture and buildings
which are for sale at very low prices, in
proportion to the cost of the buildings
and fences, expended even in very few
wears. Death of the owner, or Other
family circumstances, place on the mar
ket much valuable property. There are
in some sections, small farms very desir
able as residences, where the owner used
to follow some trade, now removed tc
the village or city, gaining only part Of
his support from his farm. In some
towns these places, as they came on the
market during the last fifty years-fol
that period covers about the time Of
this change-were bought up and alb
sorbed by the larger farms, used fol-
pasturage or the growth of wood; IL
others they remain as separate holdings
and are offered at low prices.
The effort to persuade the people o.
New England that this section is going
to the dogs because of the protective
tariff, has fallen fiat on the face of fact
which every New Highlander knows. Ant
these facts are increasing in number anC
potency every month. The revival o
our industries under adequate protection
is already making agriculture NOR
profitable. The growth of manufactur
ing towns makes the farms more valu
able and they are being occupied by mel
who see, as they have not been able t,
see for years, that a lively market a
their very doors is vastly better than
market Thousand or more miles away
We are not worrying about abandoned
a rms in New England.-SprinGfelt
Union.