Commissioner of Agriculture 311 



REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF FARM LANDS AND 



STATISTICS 



By Charles W. Larmon, Chief 



The work of this Bureau during the fiscal year, judged by the 

 results accomplished, has been highly successful and satisfactory. 

 A constantly increasing desire for information concerning agri- 

 cultural conditions and opportunities in this State is noted, and 

 there was a large increase in the number of farms sold to people 

 from other sections of the country. There were 3,869 people, in- 

 cluding 86 families, secured and sent to the farmers of the State 

 during the year. There were 475 farms reported sold during the 

 year as a result of the advertising through the bulletins, " Farms 

 for Sale or Rent in New York," and "Agricultural Advantages of 

 the Empire State." The average price asked for the farms sold 

 was $5,833 each, making a total for the 475 farms of $2,770,675. 

 A large number of farms not described in the Department bulle- 

 tins were sold indirectly as a result of this advertising, of an 

 estimated value of $1,500,000. Twenty-three thousand five hun- 

 dred copies of the bulletin, " Farms for Sale or Bent in New 

 York," fve thousand copies of "Agricultural Advantages of New 

 York," and fifteen thousand copies of other department publica- 

 tions were forwarded to all parts of the country upon request of 

 those desiring special information concerning the agricultural 

 opportunities of the State. At least one-third of these inquiries 

 came from Scandinavians and Germans who came to the United 

 States as immigrants and located in the West and Northwest, but 

 who now desire to change their location to one where land is 

 lower in price, where there are good schools, good social condi- 

 tions, good highways, good shipping facilities, and good markets. 

 Sales of farms for several years have been greatest in the western 

 and southern portions of the State, but the past year shows greater 

 activity in that line in all portions of the State. Those desiring to 

 engage in fruit growing and general farming desire locations where 



