pal conveniences, a barn which not only protects the animals and feed but 

 also meets sanitary regulations and is economical of the operator's time, ade- 

 quate and convenient water, permanent or movable fences for the livestock, 

 and pasture and crop land relatively free of brush and stones, well drained, 

 and maintained in a relatively high slate of productivity by fertilizers and 

 reseeding. All of the above types of improvements are needed on a place 

 which is to be used as a complete dairy farm unit. On places to be used as 

 supplemental land by farmers with separate farmsteads, the land improve- 

 ments are essential on tillage land I land for hay. silage, etc. ) . while fencing 

 it essential and appropriate land improvements highly desirable on pasture 

 land. 



The provision and maintenance of these so-called improvements require 

 a considerable investment of money and labor on the part of someone. It is 

 not assumed that they should be made unless they will add more to income 

 than their cost. Of course, if certain improvements would be maintained 

 whether they are used for farm purposes or not, the owner need consider 

 only whether the additional expense for farm use will be covered by increased 

 farm income. This situation may often occur on places which are owned at 

 least in part for nonfarm uses, as is the case in nearly all instances of idle 

 farm land. 



What were the attitudes of the owners of idle farm land toward making 

 improvements needed if their places were to be farmed? Owners' responses 

 appeared so dependent on their individual farm and personal circumstances 

 as to make an enumeration oi their answers of little use. Some generaliza- 

 tions may be made, however, from listening to a large number of comments. 

 These comments are not confined to owners in the three towns from which 

 the above data on owners" attitudes were obtained. Let us consider first the 

 provision and maintenance of improvements on places which might be 

 used as farm un'ts. Those owners who have an active interest in farming and 

 who have the means (these are most apt to be business or professional men 

 who are interested in farms at least partly as earning investments) are gen- 

 erally willing to provide needed buildings, fences, and other more permanent 

 improvements. They are generally also willing to at least share in the land 

 improvements, depending somewhat on the extent to which they add to the 

 long-time value of the farm. For instance, the owner would provide tile drain- 

 age but the. renter might share in the cost of lime. They generally expect the 

 renter to at least share in the cost of land improvements which are. of a more 

 temporary nature and from which the full benefit is expected during the life 

 of the lease. This applied particularly to fertilizers and seed. Obtaining im- 

 provements in this kind of farm situation is not too great a problem. Persons 

 interested in working out the details to fit particular situations can get ad- 

 vice and lease forms from their countv agricultural agent or from the agri- 

 cultural extension service of their state college of agriculture. 



Unfortunately the problem of needed improvements is not so easilv 

 solved in the great majority of cases. Probably a majority of the owners on 

 even the places with enough agricultural land for a dairy farm unit lack 

 either the strong interest or the ready means to make the necessary changes. 

 Retired farmers and women heirs of farmers often lack funds to make im- 

 provements, well-to-do nonfarmer owners often lack interest and "know- 

 how", less well-to-do nonfarmer owners may lack interest, know-how, and 

 funds, and all nonfarming owners are likely to lack the equipment some- 



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