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line of human activity; but it also has farmers who love, 

 and are finding profitable, the careers on the land which they 

 have chosen. The success of the latter is undoubtedly due to 

 two causes: (a) to a fundamental liking for the land and all 

 the natural accompaniments of its cultivation; and (b) to the 

 economic status and prospects of farming in this Common- 

 wealth, discussed in the following section. The investigations 

 on which this report is based yielded abundant and convincing 

 evidence that Massachusetts farmers believe, not only that farm- 

 ing in general offers a desirable career, but also that those who 

 intend to make farming a life pursuit in this State will find 

 themselves put to no serious disadvantage because their lot is 

 to be cast in this Commonwealth. 



2. Farming prospects are good, and are steadily improving. 

 Having glanced over some of the incentives which have led 

 men to engage in farming operations, we may now consider 

 certain facts and figures with regard to the condition of agri- 

 culture in this State. 



(1) The agricultural census of Massachusetts shows that 

 farming prospects are good. The Massachusetts State census 

 for 1905 reported the value of property devoted to agricul- 

 ture in general in this State as $288,153,000. The annual 

 farming output was valued at $73,110,000. The growth of 

 agriculture in importance is shown by the fact that in 1875 

 the total value of output was $37,073,000; in 1885, $47,756,- 

 000; in 1895, $52,880,000; and in 1905, $73,110,000. 



In 1905 the value of the agricultural products of Worcester 

 County was reported as $14,279,000 ; and of the city of Worces- 

 ter alone as $1,491,000. 



There is no reason for believing that State census figures 

 for 1910 would show retrogression. In three decades, ended 

 in 1905, the annual value of agricultural products in this State 

 had practically doubled. The United States census may not 

 show large additions to the agricultural population of this 

 Commonwealth, but it may reasonably be expected to show 

 gains, at least commensurate with those of the last generation, 

 in the annual value of Massachusetts agricultural products. 



(2) Massachusetts farmers say farming prospects are promis- 

 ing. Most of the conferences held in preparation for this report 



