The sun., 1910-05-23


arrested. II amuses ne.
Passing OF the Abandoned Farm in
New Hampshire.
A remarkable exhibit confronts W on
page II Of New Hampshire Farms for
Summer Homes a handsomely illus
trated and geographically excellent
publication for which the State Board Of
Agriculture il sponsor. We refer tO the
picture Of an unpainted frame house
with pent up door and broken windows.
under the shadow Of a great elm and
looking out over a tlrmblcdOwn stone
fence on a road untravelled. Il might
be taken for the place where HAw-
rHORNE wrote The House Of the Seven
Gables, but II has q distinction all its
own. A line Of type under the picture
tells US: There are abandoned farms
still. This one ia in HOpkintOn, Merri-
mack county,
Twenty years ago abandoned farms
were a drug on the market In New
Hampshire: in the boulder country there
seemed to he no other kind Of farm. A
tract Of SOO acres. wood and pasture,
with a rambling house and spring water
piped into il, together with a progeny
Of gray barns and outhOuses, could bs
bought for two orthree thousand dollars.
Il was a melancholy reproach 20 the old
State. Sometimes a forgotten grave
yard was found by the musing stranger
in a second growth Of forest. The
census taker had les and less 70 do.
The bear numbered through the orchards
Of decrepit trees. Then the Legisla-
ture, in a brave attempt 10 stay the
depOpulation Of the back country, i'm
posed upon the Board Of Agriculture
the task Of promoting immigration by
using printers ink but the remedy
was not found until IL occurred 10 some
genius that the honorable board was
promoting the wrong kind of immigra-
ton. and that instead Of husbandmen
on her abandoned farms New Hamp-
shire wanted captains Of industry.
statesmen, lawyers, doctors and liter
ary men. In short, the right course
was 10 advertise the attractions Of New
HAMPSHIRE ~ summer pleasure
ground. The abandoned farm had
been a scarecrow; /. was now 70 be
a lure. We take on our hat also 20
the son of New Hampshire who con-
ceiyed the fetching idea Of odd Home
Week Don't tell us that he was a
exile whose heart untrav-
elled fondlv turned 10 HoOksett or Boz
cawen. still 10 Coos or Carroll turned
with Ceaseless pain, and dragged at
each remove a Engineering chain. He
was one ~ the conspirators 20 turn the
tide II migration from the city to the
country and sell the hill pasture 20 men
who we're more Interested in the azure
robe Of the mountain than in separators
and scanty hay crops.
We see the perfect result in the sump-
tuous publication already mentioned,
the edition de luxe ~ abandoned farm
In nthe preface there Is con
fession in the very first sentence, in
fact The New Hampshire State Board
~ Agriculture. charged by the Legisla-
ture Of the Commonwealth with the duty
0f promoting immigration 10 the farm
ing sections of the state, issues herewith
the eighth edition Of its annual publica-
ton. designed 70 further that end and
called New Hampshire Farms for Sum-
mer Homes. II Is like looking through
a picture gallery Of stately and luHuri-
Ous homes tO turn over the pages Of this
book. Take the MacEeagh estate at
Dublin, for instance What cool and
spacious porticOs, what far smOOthed
lawns. what Italian gardens, what en-
vistas Of deftly trimmed wood
landl Between them tho architect and
landscape gardener have made a para
disc where Oncs was a senile farmhouse
carted away n make room for tho
pleasure palace and a hillside given up
g. the prodigality of nature. A most
beautiful group Of pictures shows
another Dublin estate, Including Italian
garden and ancient theatre. with mar
bic Nenuses and naiads peeping at ono
inoiher through the shrubbery and dis
playing charms that we're only dreamed
ri on abandoned farms by tho original
proprietOs. There are summer homes
by comparison In this collier
ton, but the camera has transformed |
them 40 that wo think Of each happy
tenant a. one who -on honey dow hath |
Fed, and drunk tho milk Of Paradise.
Views Of mountain and lake are 10 bs |
. - 'Etrs a. .-~-y }