Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-06-08
RECLAIMED FARMS.

O30O0D0083AA00D Oo04DGo
Many q the Abandoned Places q
New eaghaaA Deaag Re-
asAAbilstateA.
New Workers have taken up the prob.
lem Of reclaiming the abandoned
farms of New England. A realty COM
pany has been formed for this purpose;
farms are to be purchased with = view
of selling them again to buyers who
lice in the tenement districts Of large
cities. 1t is estimated that there are In
New England to-day something over
100000 acres Of abandoned farm land.
once the homes Of q happy, prosperous
yeomanry, whose sons and daughters
have abandoned the old homesteads to
seek wealth, fame and social distinc-
tion in the commercial centers Of Amer.
ica.
A few years ago the states of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont and Massa.
chusetts, in which most OF these aban-
doned farms are situated, began to dis.
cuss the best way in which these farms
might be reclaimed. Most of the boards
of agriculture in these states Advertised
the farms widely, giving the price, a
description of the estate, and its adj
vantages if it possessed any. After a
year Of hard work they succeeded in
nrousing quite an interest in the ques-
ton, until now they can look back and
picture in their minds eye large num-
Der of these old estates in high stae
of cultivation. In the five years that
the Massachusetts state officials have
been agitating the matter more than
$50 of these farms have been reclaimed.
Three years ago Vermont had over
100 deserted farms. To-day she is proud
to say that she hasn't one. These farms
have been taken mostly by families Of
means in New York, Philadelphia, Chi
cago, Boston and other large cities, who
have, in many cases, bought them for
summer residences. On many of the
farms the old broken-down buildings
have been torn down and attractive and
commodious buildings replaced them.
In New Hampshire over 100 of the
abandoned farms have been taken up
by non-residents, and, as in the case of
Vermont, are largely owned by summer
residents. The state authorities say
that those who have taken the farms for
summer homes have been great bene-
fit to the community. When the state
authorities took hold of the abandoned
farm question the state had fully 1,400
farms that were deserted. Maine has
not been SO successful. To-day she has
over 5000 of them, the combined acre
age of which exceeds 100000 acres.
Their assessed value exceeds 81 ,000, 900.
A man, who has done much to delnbn-
strate that the abandoned farms of
Maine and Massachusetts can be made
profitable is Mr.. Frank p. Bennett, ed
itor of the American Wool and Cotton
Reporter, who is the owner of what
were formerly IL abandoned farms in
Freedom, Me-, and vicinity. They are
entirely successful, and have COM
bined acreage of 1900 acres, from which
he is sending out thoroughbred sheep
through the state of Maine. His aban-
doned farm ut Saugus, Mass, 80 min
utes' ride from Boston, upon which he
resides, had not been occupied for five
years before Mr.. Bennett purchased it.
1t is now one of the most attractive
estates in that town, and Mr.. Benefits
sanitary dairy is model of neatness.
Another notable instance of the re-
claiming of an abandoned farm is the
estate of Mr.. William H. Rudd, of Ma
tick, Mass. 1t was formerly the home
stead of one of the best families of the
old town, but for a number of years
prior to Mr.. Rudd's purchase of it the
buildings had been going to decay, and
it was an uninviting place. Mr.. Budd is
a well-known Boston merchant. He
called it Orrocco farm and expended q
good many thousands of dollars in new
buildings, remodeling the old house,
putting in the latest Improvements, un-
til to-day he prides himself on having
one of the most up-to-date farms in
New England, or the entire country,
for that matter. His speciality is poul-
try, eggs and milk. The farm has an
international reputation for it's Ply
IuOuLn ltOCk Dfccu Ol ucuS. MI. Auuu
has been obliged to set aside two days
in the week as public visiting days.
Mr.. Henry M. Thompson, of Easton,
Mass, has had excellent success in
retaining one of these Bay state
abandoned farms. Mr.. Thompson was
one of those men who, tired of
city life, and seeing the list of
abandoned farms advertised, decided
to give up business life and try farming
for living. Most of those who have
taken these abandoned farms are en-
phatic in stating that farming in New
England is profitable. They state with
postiveness that the same amount. of
energy and perseverance put into a
farm in the New England states as is
expended by the average man in the
various callings of life will yield bet
ter living than the average mechanic
or tradesman ekes out in the big cities
Of the country.-Leslie's Weekly.
Tame Butteraies for Pets.
Women have had all kinds of pets
from time immemorial, but perhaps the
strangest of all fancies in this direc-
ton is the latest news which comes to