Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-05
Abandoned Farms East and West

| When the subject of abandoned farms
was first preached in Vermont and other
parts of New England, considerable OPP
topic was manifested on the ground that
the existence of deserted farm lands in a
State was something of a reproach there
to. At that time abandoned farms were
supposed to be peculiar to New England,
but as time elapsed and the residents of
other leading States began to urge the
adoption of measures calculated to secure
the occupation of such lands it was dis
covered that many parts of the East had
their abandoned farms.
During the past several years it has been
learned that even the great West is not
exempt from the abandoned farm evil, If
such it may be called, and the publication
If statistics on the subject shows that our
Western friends have suffered in this di-
rection beyond anything that people of
the New England or other Eastern States
had dreamed of. Whole towns nave been
deserted in some parts of the West, but
what is worse, we are told that there are
a number of Western boom towns with
substantial! business and residence struc-
lures and handsome streets which are
without inhabitants. 1t is easy to under
stand why mushroom villages in the ex-
treme West, erected on sand lots should
be deserted but it is more difficult to see
why land once fertile should be deserted
in the Central West.
If an allegation of this kind were made
by some irresponsible party we might con-
clude that he was prejudiced. but no .nfer-
ence of this character is possible when u
man like Gov. Mount of Indiana makes
the statement with reference to his own
Stats. Gov. Mount in the course of an ad-
dress before the Indiana Stale grange said
there were large tracts of land in the
Hoosier State, once fertile, which had
been exhausted and abandoned. lie as
serted that in Clay county alone there
were 10000 acres, or over fifteen square
miles, of land given over to waste In
view Of the fact that Indiana is compare
lively a new State, this is a remarka bic
situation, and its disclosure will lead to
serious thought on the part of agrlc l.ur-
lists as to the best means of preventing
repetition of this experience elsewhere
Surprise over Gov Mounts disclosures
will undoubtedly be mingled with curios-
ity in connection with the remedy which
he suggests for the abandoned farm evil.
He expressed the opinion that farming
could be- made more attractive by teach
ing something of the science in the public
schools and said he expected to sec n law
passed by the State Legislature this win
ter to provide for the teaching Of the pri-
mary principles of agriculture III the pub
lie schools. 1t is very likely. however, that
the teaching of the theory of fancy fam
ing to children in the public schools will
come far short of furnishing Il satisfac-
tory solution of the problem. A long time
must necessarily elapse before the pupils
Of the public schools of the present time
can take a part in the redemption of the
abandoned farm lands and in the mean
time these lands will have become more
hopelessly waste than at present.
| Alter lying in vain to secure the orcu-
patton of its abandoned farms by foreign
colonization, Vermont has found the most
satisfactory solution of the problem TO be
the advertising of the existence of these
lands in such n manner as to attract the
attention Of vigorous and thorough young
farmers who are not afraid to work The
number of deserted farms in this State
has been materially reduced in this man.
ner and at comparatively small expense
and now that all sections of the country
are known to be similarly afflicted 10
State need hesitate to advertise boldly to
the world that it has a number of aband-
oned farms which can be purchased
cheap If indeed they can not be had for
the asking. In the meantime farms will
continue to be abandoned until some phil
osopher discovers how to stop people from
leaving the rural district for the cities.