Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-07

country, which had done great damage
| state. It had been repeatedly published
In the newspapers that there were $1,000
abandoned farms In New York, with
thousands Of farmhouses falling into de-
cay and millions Of acres given up to
briars and weeds. 1t L. true that there
was an alarming decrease In the number
Of farms under cultivation and that the
farm population was migrating In large
numbers to the cities. but we were unable
Of farms reported was, less than ten
years previous. the average number or
acres to the farm had very largely in
creased, and that the chief reason why
farms were left uncultivated was that
the owners had become too old to work
and had been unable to find either ten
ants or laborers to work for them. we
therefore undertook TO collect ana pup
lish descriptions Of all the farms In the
state that were for sale, and the reasons
why they were offered and to act as an
Intermediary between the seller and the
purchaser. The bulletins in which this
information was published demonstrated
that hundreds of thousands of acres of
improved agricultural land could be
bought in New York state at prices just
as low as are being paid for wild lands
in the west, and that they required only
intelligent cultivation and practical at
tention to bring them back to q hlSn
state OF fertility.
Runs to Large Figures.
These bulletins were circulated as
widely as possible and in 1905 which was
the first year that We could compile re-
suits, the proceeds of the sales of farms
advertised through this bureau amounted
to 81 396, COO so far as they had been re-
ported And il was obvious that a very
large IL not an equal number OF sales
had not been reported. At the end OF
each year new circulars are sent TO the
owners Of all the farms advertised in our
bulletin asking whether their property
Is still for sale, and. IL it has been sold
the price, the name Of the purchaser ana
other information. Based upon the replies
received we estimate that at least S65'D.
ono has been paid as purchase money Tor
old farms which have been sold directly
through the agency of this bureau 1T IS
equally true that IS per cent of those
farms have doubled in value under the
intelligent and Industrious tillage of their
new owners.
THE activity thus created has caused
general advance in the value of lands,
particularly in localities where farms have
actually been sold. We have established
a number Of colonies in the state, includ-
ing several Jewish colonies, which have
been located with the cooperation OF the
Jewish Agricultural and Industrial So
ciety.
."The agricultural attache Of the Ger
man embassy DIT NdSiilIlS lOI Was ldhSL
about the state for several days in 1908
and was shown many Of the farms that
were offered for sale at that time. HIS
report to his government was officially
published and widely circulated, and sew
eral German families. as a consequence,
have located in New York state instead
of going west.
During the summer of 1910 We con-
Quoted about the state several delegations
representing from twenty-five to seventy
tho lItyty1
west of the Missouri river. and. as re-
suit. several took options on farms they
saw and came back last spring with the
purchase money In their hands
las practical demonstration of the
fertility of the so-called abandoned"
farms and to correct the impression
that the farmers of New York have been
fleeing from exhausted SOIL We made an
exhibit at the state fair last year that
attracted much attention. 1t consisted
farms which had been recently sold for
50 to $25 an acre. It was quite effective
in correcting the impression that the soil
Of New York is worn out The restora-
agricultural state has been one of the
most important and valuable tasks of
this bureau. and we believe that we have
accomplished 1t. The call now is come
east instead Of Go west, young man.. !"
Many Farms Listed.
Mr. Riddell handed me copy of the
bulletin which had just been published
for 1911. 1t contains a description of
more than 1000 farms which are Of
fered for sale arranged alphabetically
by counties and towns. with information
concerning the population of the con-
tributing territory, the transportation ia
cilities and the capacity of the nearest
markets. Many OF these farms can be
tod RAV t0rvv ~ until tGn
privilege Of buying. Each farm Is fully
described, the price, terms. address Of
owner and references being given. The
bureau has been unable to find a single
farm in the state, Mr.. Riddell says. which
has been actually abandoned in the sense
that no one claims ownership. Very few
are actually unoccupied or wholly uncul-
tivated. Some Of them are In a good
state OF cultivation; others are more or
less run down or have been neglected.
cause their owners have grown old and
are not able to work them and cannot
find tenants or laborers to help them.
Some Of them belong to aged people who
ciining days with their children; others
belong to the heirs Of former owners who
have died; few belong to people who
have retired and sought residences with
friends and kindred. These are the chief
reasons. In no case has a farm been adj
vertised for sale because 1t IS not suf-
ficiently fertile to support tenant.
THE recent bulletin offers for sale
about one-haf of per cent of the total
number Of farms in the state said Mr.
Riddell. land they can be bought as low
as SIS an acre and as high as $3.50 an
acre, according to location and improve
ments. In nearly every case the de-
scriptions have been guaranteed by the
supervisor Of the town. SO that no mis-
representation is possible"
Helped by Trolley Lines.
The state of New York is traversed by
many trolley lines. which are forming a
network Of transportation over the whole
area and are given the quickest, easiest
and cheapest methods of traffic. They
bring almost every farmer in the state
within an hours ride of some town or
village; the rural delivery system reaches
every farmhouse in the state; there is
telephone line on every road and in the
neighborhood of our cities many farm
houses are lit with electric lights. These
innovations and conveniences have re-
moved the principal objection to rural
life and have had a great influence In
sending city people back to the farms.
The state government is now expanding
$50. 600, 600 In building good roads, SO that
there is no longer any difficulty in get
ting farm products to market We know
that the agricultural resources of New
York are as great and as valuable as