The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-08
" Abandoned Farms In New York
state.


A pamphlet published BY the Bureau
Of Plant Industry of the Department Of
Agriculture on agricultural conditions
in southern New York tells us there il
no agricultural land in New York State
that IL not claimed, and u seldom hap
pens that land is sold for taxes The
region covered by the bulletin il:
The rather vide belt extending from Chau
AuquA eounU IN the soyth~ssi through part. Of
CattarAuEua Anesany ana Steuben the southern
part Of Ere. Wyoming. Livinrsion and a,s.
through schuyler. chsmung. TompkIns Tlosa
Cortland. Broome, ChenanEo otsego and south.
ern Madison To SchohArie ana Albany oounns.-
There is no statement OF the acreage
Of the agriculturally abandoned or non
productive lands but il is known TO be
large. and practically all OF IL is suscep-
tible Of redemption and profitable culti-
walton.
Most Of these farms arr on hilltops
or on the hillsides cleared Of the timber
growth from sixty TO a hundred years
ago. While the soil is generally poor
IL il not infertile The special trouble
with II IL many wears Of improper treat
ment, Of overdraits on its natural ca
pacity. Wheat was the first crop Of the
early settlers on the land from which
they cut the forests oats. barley, corn
and potatoes were added aftorward
Other crops were planted by some farm
ers, AMI for time sheep in considerable
fiocks were kept in some districts. Then
came the drainage Of population 10 the
cities and the composition If the West.
whittier many went IN hone ~ better
conditions and opportunities Unscien-
tific methods caused decreased Weld.
and carelessness in seed selection accel-
Grated decline. Cultivation becoming
Improbable, many thousands 81 acres
were left untitled. agric,ilturally -aban-
doned On them no crops are grown.
little or no stock il kept. and weeds and
waste have full possession
Yet the fertility ~ these now non-pro-
ductive acres has not been exhausted.
This has been proved by officially con-
Quoted experiments in various localities.
Practical work has been done and zoo to
25O bushels 81 potatoes IN the acre have
been produced from soil that had been
Welding only ~ To CO bushels Good
crops of corn and wheat have been
taken from land formerly supposed to
he unsuitable for such CROPS II has
been demonstrated that on many n
these supposedly exhausted and azri-
c1Ilturallv abandoned farms succe ,sf,il
fruit growing - only 4 matter Of cul-
tural methods
The decline ~ farming in the Fast has
already reached ~ lowest point:
The M, cuert toward ne West ana the great
Ie' soprsnt ~ the large cities durias N. last
twenty vsaTs have fps'sred and encouraged
change snd neglect IN the East 10 fact msny
~ these changes may be said ~ bs the direct ~
suits NJ this ,emsnt Vhch has nov no, Only
reached 10 urIus but ~, turned hack eastward
Determination and abandonment nave ceased
rsorEaa.zston sni rerprstruc'ian have begun
n this II true ~ Is ~ much significance.
socially and politically ~ well a. eco
nomicallv. There - measureless bene-
NJ 10 q State N close relation and fair
balance II rural producers and urban
consumers. m utguity n agricultural
and mechanical interests
The state and m" nation are COOPER
ating IN the movement for the agric,il-
tursl redemption NJ This region and
effort ~ being mad" TO attract sntIlers
Nnny JARVIS can 10 purchased for less
money than the buildings are worth. d"
hut attention Is called 10 the difficulties
TO be- encountered b. purchasers MANY
Of the farms are away from railroad
lines, more or less isolated and remote
from schools and churches. Moreover
the restoration Of these acres 10 not
work for the unskilled IA agriculture