1. Reasons For Not Currently Renting For Active Farm Use 



The single most frequently given reason was that there was no demand 

 for land to rent — no one had inquired about renling their farm land. 

 Probably also a weak demand (a low rental) was a background factor in 

 most of the other cases; some of the miscellaneous reasons for not currently 

 renting might have been overcome if rentals were higher. The next most 

 frequent reason for not currently renting for active farm use was that some- 

 one had been making partial use of the land, such as putting cultivated crops 

 on a fraction of the tillable land or cutting such hay as continued to grow 

 without reseeding or fertilization. In a smaller number of cases the owner 

 himself was making partial use of the farm land. These partially used places 

 were not being used intensively enough to prevent fairly rapid deterioration 

 of their farm land. The third most common reason for not currently renting 

 seemed to be mistrust of renters. Most of the cases of mistrust were in con- 

 nection with less than commercial size places where owners did not want 

 others near their buildings or thought grass land might be left unseeded or 

 cattle might not be adequately fenced in. Some farmers at the' retirement 



Table 14. Principal Reasons for Owners Not Currently Renting Their 

 Land for Active Farm Use 



Principal Reasons 



Number in Number 



Greenland Number in in All 



and Stratham Hopkinton Three Towns 



No demand for land to rent 



Rented for partial use 



Mistrustful of renters 



Owner may farm in future 



Owner partially uses 



For sale 



Indecision concerning future of place 



Unsettled estate 



Lease held by inactive farmer 



Not worthwhile to rent 



Reason not obtained 



stage were doubtful that a renter would farm their places well and protect 

 their property. The fourth most frequent reason was the possibility or in- 

 tention of the owner himself farming. Sometimes this intention had been long 

 delayed or the possibility did not seem immediate. The for sale, unsettled 

 estate, and indecision cases might be lumped together (a total of nine) as 

 transition situations. If the transition periods are short they are of little 

 significance, but if they are prolonged the land may reach the stage where 

 it is usable only after expensive improvements. 



2. Owners' Willingness To Rent 



Of the 61 owners in the three towns, 21 were willing to rent, 13 were 

 uncertain, 19 were unwilling, and the attitude of 8 was not obtained. 

 Three of the eight owners of commercial size places were not interested in 

 renting — two because they expected to farm again while the third was an 

 unsettled estate. In two of these three cases it probably would be to the 

 owners' advantage to have the farms used in the interval. The same would 

 probably also be true for the two uncertain owners of commercial size places. 



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