POSTWAR READJUSTMENTS IN AGRICULTURE 11 



Towns Covered by Field Work and Investigation 



In order to take account of the full significance of the relationship ot land suit- 

 ability and land utilization, field investigations and observations have been made 

 in a number of towns. In addition, three towns with varying proportions of land 

 suitabilit}' were mapped out and examined as to suitable land not in agricultural 

 use. In many towns where the total proportion of good land is low, the areas of 

 suitable land not utilized for agriculture were found to be as large as in towns with 

 better land. However, in view of their general unfavorable environment, the 

 towns with predominantly poor soil would be the last in line to be considered as 

 desirable tor agricultural development even though there might be a scattering of 

 sizable areas of potentially good land. Moreover, care was taken not to include 

 towns where agricultural land values are brought out of line by existing or po- 

 tential higher land uses, as is the case in many towns in the eastern part of the 

 State. On the basis of these criteria the towns selected for intensive study were 

 Southwick in Hampden County and Uxbridge and Hubbardston in Worcester 

 Count\.^ These towns have a fair amount of good agricultural land and represent 

 the most important types of farming in Massachusetts, such as dairy, poultry, 

 fruit, and vegetable. 



The Town of Southwick 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION 



Located in the Connecticut River Valle^', the town of Southwick is in a good 

 farming area. In addition to the major farming enterprises characteristic of 

 the State, the town has a considerable acreage of crops typical in the Valley, 

 like tobacco, potatoes, and onions. According to the 1940 Census there were 

 169 farms in Southwick. As disclosed by both the AAA records and the Census 

 figures, less than half of these were full-time commercial farms, the rest being 

 part-time farms or rural residences. Supplementary work is provided by the 

 two nearest industrial centers, Springfield and Westfield. Likewise, the local 

 agricultural products are marketed largely in thesie two industrial centers, al- 

 though a considerable amount is also trucked into other areas. 



In addition to farming, part-time farming, and rural residential areas, the town 

 also has summer recreational developments, largely in connection with Conga- 

 mond Lake. 



The town of Southwick, in com.mon with other agricultural communities in the 

 Connecticut River Valley, has shown an increase both in population and in agri- 

 cultural output. The number of dwelling houses increased even more rapidly 

 because of considerable recreational developments. The total number of houses 

 assessed in 1944 was 812 compared with 260 in 1910. 



According to the State Census of 1875, the amount of cultivated land in South- 

 wick was 4,523 acres as compared with 3,709 acres in 1940 registered by the 

 Federal Census. This is a sizable decline, but not as large as occurred in most 

 of the other sections of the State. On the basis of all the evidence obtained, it 

 appears that the town of Southwick has a good agricultural foundation and 

 would derive considerable benefit from improvement in the pattern of its agri- 

 cultural land utilization. 



■'in cooperation with Arthur J. Walrath of the United States Department of Agriculture. 



