The Newtown bee., 1899-10-20

ING TO DO.
 The energetic and venerable secretary If the State Board of Agriculture, T. 8. ]t Id, of West Cornwall, who keeps mp 70 the times notwithstanding advancing 7ears, has just gotten out 6 second edI. ion of the Descriptive catalogue of Farms in Connecticut fer ssle." To mink of the state going into the business of selling T advertising forms sale looks like 8 marked trend toward social | ism. And some will say: "It the state | helps the aRr.culturists in this way, why | shouldn't it htlp the mt r1hant, the | butcher or the builder, by advertising | bis business for sale and then he'ping him to 8 custOmt r, In the came way it is aiming to help the farmer" But we are not comI aiming of Secretary Gold, or censuring him in any way. We are sim ply calling attention of the trend toward socialism, which many extremists are ad. vocatlng to-day. We think the State Board could not be in better or more practical business, although the write is not socialist nor has he any particular leaning that way. To give the general public an Idea of what the young secre- tary from West Cornwall is aiming at let us quote from the catalogue just out:
 The question of abandoned farms" has been so widely discussed that it has been hard for many persons to see that it was not in that class of property alone that out interest was enlisted. Some farms have been abandoned because, from location or otherwise, they ought to be abandoned; their legitimate use was for growing wood and timber, rather than for general farming. The diver sion of travel and the removal of small busi- ness centers and small manufacturing 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 unoccu- pied-"abandoned" as far as occupancy Is concerned-rather than to be at the ex- pense of repairs to fit the place for & ten ny fn Io sale to some chance customer who might offer. Our expressed opinion, that such cases are rare of abandoned farms" in Connecticut has been confirmed by the reports returned to this tffice. Many read, "No abandoned farms in this town"i others, ''No farms for sale in this town" But when we set aside these two classes-the abandoned farms" and the townships where there are none, ol where there are no farms for sale-we find that there are large number ot farms in every degree of desirability anC condition of culture and buildings which are for sale at very low prices, in propor
 tion to the cost of the buildings anC fences, expended even in a very few
 years. Death of the owner, or othe, family circumstances, place on the mar ket much very valuat le property. Ther, are in some sections small farms very de sirable as residences, where the owne
 used to follow some trade, now removed to the village or city, gaining only par of hls support from his farm. In som
 towns these plsc ices, as they came on th
 market during the last fifty year.-for that period covers about the time of thi change-were bought up and absorbed by the larger farms, used for pasturag, or the growth of wood in others they remain as separate holdings, and ar, offered at very low Irices. Again we re peat with emphasis our previous state ment that Connecticut offers in it's soi and climate, aiE and water, scenery, wilC or cultured, facilities of travel, wher, education, character and refined taste are not confined to the few but are en joyed by the many-so that Connection
 is not surpassed by any other section o the country to live in. We complain o out climate. It Is not perpetual sprin, with the bursting buds and hopes of May or continual summer; nor does the fruit age of autumn always continue to fl our laps with 8 store of nuts and fruits yet the golden pumpkin yellows in tn sun, reminder of thanksgiving-a feas so adapted to the season of the year, tha the Yankee will keep it, even in distan and diverse climes. Letters of inquiry from all New England seek the mldel climate of Connecticut. We have jus enough of winter to tone up our systems to give taste of it's pleasures and to pre- pare us for the activities of spring Though the weather Is 8 perpetual source of complaint, who would trust his most esteemed friend to control its The sue. cession of the seasons, with varied heat and cold, dust and mud, are essential ele- ments of happiness. We should tire of 8 lie where there were no disappoinr. ments. If all fruit were equally good and perfect, and dropped into our bsskeis