Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-03-26

pies an intermediate position. The
farmer there does not have to pay as
large a price for his farm as he would
in the Champlain valley, and from
the definition he cannot have as large
an income from his farm. Prices of
farms in the county have been rising
more rapidly of late years, particular
ly under the stimulus of the high pric-
es the French Canadian farmers are
willing to pay for good farms. Two
sales that marked the height of prices
when the thesis was written were COM
piated III May, 1916, when S25, goo was
paid for a farm in Westfield and S40,-
600 for one at West Glover. These
prices have since been exceeded.
From the table giving the rank of
the various counties according to the
percentage of the total farm invest
ment in land, we find the Champlain
valley counties, Bennington and
Windham, exceed the state average,
while Rutland, the Connecticut and
midland counties Excepting Wind
ham) have a smaller percentage. This
agrees with the fact noted above,
that farm values increased at an ear
lier time in the western counties than
in the more billy regions. Orleans
has 1910 of the total farm invest
ment in land, as against the state
average of 1920 and the extremes
OF 1890 and $3.50 shown by Grand
Isle and Orange respectively.
In the proportion of the total farm
investment in buildings Orleans oc-
cupies a position low down in the list
of the counties with $3.50. A proba-
BILE explanation of this fact is to be
found in the fact that the houses of
the county are not as large or as eX-
pensive as those of the earlier settled
regions. 1t is entirely reasonable to
suppose that the large barns Of the
northern part OF the state do not cost
IS much as the more substantial hous-
IS of the southern sections.
The farmers Of Orleans county
ave a larger per cent of their total
Investment in machinery and other
equipment than any other county but
LamOille, and similarly are exceeded
> :, .4.d5oc G-o-.o IL tGt-- i-l,c-tl-IS-It
n equipment per farm.
But while-this shows that the men
of the region are awake to the posi-
Dility OF labor by means of modern in
ventions, in order to be able to buy
and use economically the machinery
the modern inventor is producing the
farms should be far larger than they
are in Orleans county. The invest
nearly twice what Warren reports in
the best farming areas and is too
large for profitable agriculture. This
excessive investment is offset to some
extent by the fact that the investment
in land in this county is low. For
simple comparison Orleans and Grand
Isle counties may be compared:
Value ofland Value of Eq 'pm'nt
Der DeF imDr'VfQ
C'nty farm farm acre farm - "a acre ii
GRID Isle s2,953.62 ss2.28 s2z9.sO s4.l7
Orleans 1902 lI.95 374.6O 1856
This comparison shows that the
total investment of the Orleans coun-
ty farmer is much less than that of
the Grand Isle farmer, although of
course allowance must be made for
supposedly greater productiveness of
the Grand Isle farm.
1t should be noted here that Grand
Isle has an average of 81 improved
acres per farm to the Orleans aver
age of Al. From this it is evident
that Grand Isle could afford a greater
outlay in machinery than the latter,
judging by the area of cultivated land
while on the other hand the Orleans
county farmer should have more
available capital for equipment after
purchasing the bare land.
The result: of the farm manage
ment surveys demonstrates fully the
truth of the well-knoWn fact that the
area derives its income almost entire
ly from livestock and practically all
of this from the sale of dairy cattle
and dairy products. From the census
figures we find that Orleans ranks
fourth in the proportion of total farm
investment in livestock but is far out
cIassed in the value of livestock per
farm. The farms of the county are
average in size, the pastures large
and unsurpassed, while the county
ranks third in the number of cows per
farm. There can be but one conclu-
sion drawn from these conditions;
namely. that the farmers of the re-
gion have wholly failed to appreciate
the advantage of improved livestock.
With the opportunities before it Or
leans should be one of the great pure
bred livestock centers of the country.
One of the developments to be plan
ned for is livestock association sim
liar to those in successful operation
in the Middle West, where, through
judicious advertising, the counties
have become recognized centers of
the breeding stock of their breeds.
AS a brief summary of the lessons
to be drawn from the study of the in
vestments of these farms it is safe to
say that:
/. Farm lands are relatively low
priced but are rapidly increasing in
value.
2. The amount of overhead invest
ment in buildings is low.
8. The investment in machinery
per acre is high, indicating too small
farms.
Tho ipvarfpoap+ in IivaS+onI- 10
low, indicating low-grade stock and
few dairies of pure-bred animals
Ito be Continued.)