Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-05-10
ABANDONED FARMS in DEMAND.
Opportunities to Get Land and Build
iuvs Chem in NIassnchusnttS

Opportunities to Get Land and Build
inEs Cheap in Massachusetts.
You have all read and heard more
or less about the abandoned farms of
New England" said the man of an ag-
ricultural turn to Il company of listen
ers. land no doubt SOME OF you have
concluded that large tracts in New
England had utterly gone to waste 1t
is true that many farms there are not
so valuable as in some other parts of
the country, but the case is not nearly
SO bad as it has been represented and
there is hope for New England yet.
II have been looking up farms and
statistics in the State of Massachu-
sets, the richest of the New England
States, l suppose, and l find that of the
5000 farms in the State by the last
census only Ill We're reported to the
State Board of agriculture as for sale.
You will understand that the State has
taken the matter up, and the board lists
N Il catalogue for free distribution all
farms which may come under the head
II aba ndoned.
"Of these III farms 300 have been
sold, either for homes, for investment,
or for farming, and buyers very gen.
orally report themselves to be we'll sat
isfed with their purchases. OF these
purchasers POI are from New England
and New York. lis being from Massa-
cllusctts, but inquiries are received
from all over the Union and from the
British provinces, and he work is pRo-
crossing favorably. Up to April 20,
1860, 252 inquiries had been received,
representing twenty-four States, Cam
ada and Nova Scotia. -Four of the
Southern States were heard from, and
letters had come from as far west as
California and Washington.
"Of course the New England climate
IS not the balmiest in the world or the
most equable, but it is healthful. and
the farms, when properly handled, arc
good producers. Prices are low enough
to warrant a man putting on a little
extra work and fertilizer. One farm
in Berkshire County, five miles from Il
railroad station, containing fifty acres,
a house of eight rooms, outbuildings,
good water, Il vein of white marble and
other attractions. is offered for $1,000,
about what it would cost to build the
house; another in the same county, of
sixty acres, with buildings, water, fruit
and sugar orchards, is offered for $500.
One in Barnstable County of thirty
acres. with house. orchard, etc, two
miles from the station and Il mile from
the shore. is offered for only 5000. An
other in Berkshire of 100 acres, forty
acres under cultivation. with house.
o~utbuildings, TWO barns. good water,
etc. a mile and 81 half from the sta
ton. is offered at 5000. One of 5O0
acres six miles from Great harrington,
with a ten-room house on it. is to be
had Tor $500; another of $40 acres,
with Il twelve-room house. Il fine view
Of Lake Garfield. and 100 sugar trees.
is offered for $1,000: another of 125
acres. with outbuildings. can be had
500 acres with 800 acres 10 pasture and
100 to grass. four miles from SoSth
Lee, is offered ut 50 IN acre; another
of 40 acres is offered for 5000
I'm Dukes County. which is an island,
The average price is $40 an acre: in
Franklin SIS and $40 an acre is asked.
and nearly all farms have houses and
ou,buildings. Twelve counties offer
farms for sale. and while some go as
low as 500 an acre. Others run us
high as 500 an acre. but these are few
in number and really should not he re-
ported in the abandoned farm list