LAND .USES 31 



munity of the State, a detailed analysis of local conditions is of primary import- 

 ance. The land utilization survey throughout the State and the analysis of land 

 utilization factors, presented in considerable detail in a series of maps for in- 

 dividual towns, make it possible now to formulate local plans on a definite factual 

 basis. From the data obtained and from the examination of individual com- 

 munities, it is possible to fix broad classifications of the individual towns in rela- 

 tion to several important factors. These factors cover both vital features in 

 agricultural land utilization and pertinent social and economic influences operat- 

 ing in the communities. On this basis consideration is given by towns to the 

 proportion of woodland, the density of cow and poultry population, the average 

 size of farms, and the percentage of land suitable for agriculture. 



From the economic and social point of view land values, density of population, 

 and the amount of industrial employment in various communities are taken into 

 account. For purposes of effective measurement of these characteristics and for 

 subsequent classification of the towns, all the communities in the State (excluding 

 the Island counties) with a population of less than 10,000 have been divided into 

 three groups, each containing the same number of units. The procedure followed 

 was, first to array the towns in ascending order in relation to each item under 

 consideration. In this manner the first group contains one-third of the towns 

 where a certain characteristic is least important, and the second and third groups 

 indicate in their respective order the increasing importance of the factor under 

 consideration. By observing the group into which the town falls in regard to 

 each particular item, it is possible to form a judgment as to the character of the 

 town and its relation to other towns. For instance, the standing of the town in 

 regard to the proportion of improved land, amount of woodland, and density of 

 cow and poultry population will indicate the extent of agricultural land utiliza- 

 tion and development in relation to other communities in the State. The relative 

 position of the town in regard to farm land values, if considered with other factors 

 such as location and proportion of iniproved land, will indicate the extent to which 

 other land uses exert their influence on agricultural land utilization. The intensity 

 of industrial employment indicates the extent to which additional sources of 

 income are available to the town and the amount of land associated with resi- 

 dential and part-time farming developments. The grouping of towns in regard 

 to each item under consideration is presented in a subsequent series of maps. 



Land Suitability 



Land suitability has been determined on the basis of soil and topography. 

 Areas classified as of good or medium quality for agricultural purposes have been 

 combined to form the total amount of land designated as suitable. This designa- 

 tion has no reference to the present use or cover. As a matter of fact, for reasons 

 already discussed in the first part of this report, much of the land suitable for 

 agricultural development and at one time actually used in farming is now devoted 

 to some other use, with most of it under wooded cover. This in itself would 

 prevent these areas from being immediately available for agriculture. However, 

 by comparing the groupings of towns on the basis of land suitability and the 

 amount of improved land it is possible to observe which towns, by virtue of his- 

 torical or other reasons, have lost their agricultural significance, even though 

 they may rank high on the basis of their physical background. Likewise there 

 are a few towns where a high degree of agricultural land utilization prevails in 

 spite of a rather limited amount of good land to justify such a condition. Never- 

 theless for the great majority of towns a high degree of coincidence between these 

 two factors will be easily observed. 



