4 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 430 



animal inspection data on the numbers and various types of livestock provided a 

 basis for an analysis of distribution of livestock by size of enterprises in individual 

 towns and areas. Likewise, United States Census figures and publications of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture dealing with the trends of various 

 phases of farm business in the State were thoroughly scrutinized for the bearing 

 they have on the problem at hand. Previous studies on land utilization in the 

 State by the author likewise provided a basis for developing further analysis in 

 connection with possible readjustment in this field. For the last several years 

 annual examination has been made of the trends and methods of production 

 with a view to increasing State production under wartime conditions. The opin- 

 ion of farm groups, agricultural leaders, and technicians during that time proved 

 helpful in appraising the basic information and desirable adjustment relative to 

 the various phases of agricultural production in Massachusetts. 



Improvement of Agricultural Opportunities on the Existing Farms 



Over a period of years the pattern of land utilization on many Massachusetts 

 farms has become such as to render them gradually more nearly obsolete, from 

 the standpoint of modern mechanical methods of operation. This in turn has 

 made them inadequate to provide the necessary level of living under present con- 

 ditions, and has' resulted in a fundamental tendency of the agricultural set-up to 

 be lacking in suitable opportunities in farming for deserving young men in rural 

 areas. The plain facts indicate that the proportion of young men operating 

 farms in Massachusetts has been declining for a number of years, while the pro- 

 portion of older men has been constantly on the increase. This tendency has 



Table 1. — Age of Farm Operators, 1910-1940. 



Age Group 



1920 



1930 



1940 



From U. S. Censms 



