Evening star., 1937-01-17
FARM-OWNERSHIP AID
CREATES NEW PROBLEM
Hell ping City Residents Join ''Land
Aristocracy'' Will Be Desired by
Many. Observer Says.


the so-called farm organizations" In
the usual sense, and is, in addition, a
rural fraternity-the local Grange
hall" a rural club house In q way,
can be seen in many farm communi-
ties.
Whether or not the Grange takes
up the marking Of old farms, some Or
ganization ought teperhaps local
historical societies or newspapers, Or
Rotary or Kiwanis. It would be in
teresting to identify the farms that
have been in the same families hun
dred years or more; or, in the more
newly settled parts Of the country,
seventy-five years or more.
Century" Farms.
An allusion I made to century
farms" some time ago brought me
many letters-I gather that the num-
Der Of such farms is larger than I
supposed. Among the letters were two
sad ones-accounts of farms which
had been in the same family for sew
eral generations, but which had passed
from the ancient ownership very re-
Gently, as result of the depression or
otherwise. Doubtless the depression
took its toll here as everywhere. The
number of century farms is less now
than in 1929. Yet of course time works
always to enlarge the number, for
each year brings new farms into the
list.
From South Carolina. Mr.. John
Mackey King Of Bolton writes me Of
a farm which had been settled, as
virgin soil. by his grandfather in 1772.
and which remained in the ownership
of three generations until six years
ago. 1881. total of 159 years. Some
details of this family's history sug-
gest reasons why old-time Americans
held their farms longer than is now
common. They married early. they
had many children; and while in
dividuals on the average did not live
as long as now, the size Of their fam
lilies made heirs certain. The earliest
owner Of this South Carolina farm,
Robert King, came from Ireland with
a bride whom he had married when
she was 13 years old. Their first child
was born on the ocean and they had
20 more, five sons and 16 daughters.
A brood Of that size provided certainty
of heirs to hold onto the farm. The
family line was long-lived. The origi-
nal owner held the farm from 1772
to 1926, period Of 81 years. His son
held it for So years. from 1926 until
1878. They had vitality too. The
grandson who was the third genera
ton in ownership. was born when his
father was past 10.
In previous article I mentioned
farm which surmised, mistakably,
to be the Oldest farm in continuous
ownership in America, one in Med
ford, Mass, which had been settled in
1640 by James Allen and had re-
manned in the Allen family ever since,
continuous occupancy of 296 years.
After the publication of my allusion,
the New York Herald Tribune sent a
reporter to the farm, who discovered
that it had recently been sold to an
outsider. The reporter, Mr.. Sander
son Vanderbilt, wrote a charming
article. with photographs OF the
typical New England clapboard house
with hand-hewn rafters and wall
boards; and with details about the
present generation of Allen elders
-Alphonso Allen, "a patriarchal soul
with long, white hair and untrimmed
iron-gray beard" and another who
in his youth had lifted 900 pounds
with my bare hands; and about the
"weather-beaten. high-spired Uni
tartan Church where 10 generations
of Aliens have been christened.'
The Oldest Farm.
What must be, I think, the authen-
tic Oldest American farm in continu-
GUS ownership Of the same family, was
called to my attention by Christmas
card from Mr.. Charles M. Bradstreet
of Bridgeport, Conn. The card con-
tanned a photograph of the house ION
land originally granted to Humphrey
Bradstreet in 1885 and continuously
owned and occupied from that day to
this by lineal descendants Of the same
name" Mr.. Bradstreet includes upon
his Christmas card some verse from
the Song Of an Ancient Pitcher" with
which I am not familiar. Although
this picture of farm life must be very
old. only one detail has changed. Few
farmers today wear the same fleece
that they shear; but, as respects the
other details, this picture is still true
for many farms, indeed most farms. in
the older parts Of the country. And
the independence and other satisfying
qualities of farm life still remain for
those willing and able to keep them:
Let the wealthy and great
Roll in splendor and state.
I envy them not, declare it.
I eat my own lamb.
MY own chicken and ham,
I shear my own fleece, and I wear 1t.
I have fruits, I have flowers,
I have lawns, have bowers,
The lark is my morning alarmer.
So jolly boys now
Here's God speed the plough,
Long life and success to the farmer.
This Bradstreet farm near Bridge
port, Conn. in one family from 1885
to 1887. two years more than three
11y fha n1dAct