Norwich bulletin., 1914-03-12
PASSING OF
 THE HOMESTEAD
Continued from page five.)

stone chimney there, and a little far ther on few charred timbers that tell the gruesome story far plained than pen can write it.
 The old lilac bush that the dear mother set out by the front door when she first took possession of her new home-"a rosy checked. healthy vigor- ous young New England bride'-has generously spread around the ruins and drawn the curtain over what oth- erwise would mark to a lamentable de- gree one of the saddest scenes along what were known as our old New England post roads and turnpikes This is but one phase of the passing of the homestead.
 What about the broad and once fer tile acres that surrounded the original abode, well kept and walled, with barns that sheltered from 25 to 100 head of cattle in winter. and fields and pastures that furnished their sus- tenance in season? Perhaps I can draw picture of such a dismantled home stead, one of many in town within ten miles of where we are gath cred tonight. Farm contains some l, 400 acres. Forty years ago it was Besides the land there was on the property at that time two 16-room old fashioned colonial houses and all out buildings in keeping with such a homestead. The original owner was a hardy New England type of farmer. keeping 100 head of stock, and, as were 99 per cent. of the farmers of that pe- riod-prosperous.
 Passing over the intervening forty years, let us again look at what was one of the best farms in this particu- lar town. One house hos been burned. the other gone to decay through neg lect.
 Barns, of which there were several, rotted away and unfit for service moving lots grown up to brush. fences down and to make the wreck of what was a model, well kept farm of 50 years ago more complete, a sawmiIl came along last year and camped on the place, staying just long enough to eat the vitals out of what was left of homestead that from 1900 to 1850 raised large family and gave employ ment to a half dozen farm laborers be- sides; and more than all gave to the town in which 1t was located a type of citizenship that is sadly missed today, a good neighbor. a good citizen, a good father and a true husband-the noblest work of God.
 Do you wonder then, after the taking of the last census had revealed a star ting amount of statistics of the nature referred to, of the increase in aban- doned farms here in New England, that they. the federal and state gov ernments. saw the great need of i'm mediate action and so have started in every state in the union a plan to re- claim these abandoned farms, increase our rural population, increase the sup ply of farm products, reduce the cost of living and increase the farm values. Fresh in our minds is the recent birth of the farm bureau extension work in this (New London) county, when 300 men and women met in the town hall to listen to farm bureau specialists eX- plain the merits and the workings of the movement and to organize the county in order that we all may re- 'ceive and benefit by the aid available by such organization.
 Truly an uplift for any county or community that has enough public spirited men and women, with suffi- cient courage to undertake such task, with no other thought save the general benefits to be derived by such organization and cooperation co each and every individual within the coun- ty Personally I wish to express my deep appreciation to Norwich grange for the generous support and able work done by the brothers and sisters in helping to organize the New London County Improvement league. With such cooperation, such noble self sacrificing team work on the part of the various societies and civic organ izations is what is going to tell in eastern Connecticut and that very quickly, and while the passing of the homestead is a sign of the times and casts a shadow of sadness over those whose early days were spent within their broad and generous confines yer cannot but feel that where once stood the single homestead many homes will stand and many families gain liveli- hood through the great advance in methods and modern means of making old Mother Earth yield a hundred fold where now she scarcely yields 50.
 In closing l wish again to refer to the causes that have led up to the, passing of the homestead. Perhaps to a far greater degree than any other was the great Civil war, which took hundreds of thousands of the flower of young American manhood from all the states. but especially so from New England, and nowhere in any line of work was this taking away of labor felt more keenly than when the boys from the farm shouldered their mus kets and went to the front. Thousands never came back, and the majority of those who did engaged in other pur- suits. Thus in the passing of the homestead we look forward to a new age, new and more intensive tilling of the soll through division and sub division of the homestead and not as concrete whole. We shall not have the $40, 320 nor the 160 acre farm of the future to look forward to, but instead the 100. 50 and 20 acres, and in many instances the 10 and acre farm.
 Rotation of crops fertilization lime, soil survey, will when scientifically ad miniStered make up in no small degree the loss to New England she may have suffered through the passing of the homestead. Time at last makes all