16 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 430 



of land-clearing operations on a greater scale. Whether such operations will 

 become an important factor in the improvement of land utilization on farms 

 will depend, in the final analysis, upon the benefits received in relation to the 

 costs involved. As far as benefits are concerned they should be appraised thor- 

 oughly in each individual case. In some situations the clearing of an acre of 

 land will result merely in the addition of an acre of crop or pasture land to the 

 total acreage of the farm. In other cases, the clearing of one or more acres of 

 land niay lead to the consolidation of individual fields and provide opportunity 

 for more efficient and economical operation of the entire acreage on the farm. 

 In tlie latter case the benefits received are reflected in the improvement of an 

 area much larger than that immediately cleared. The removal of stone walls 

 or the drainage of small wet areas likewise may lead to considerable enhance- 

 ment in the efficiency and value of the entire farm acreage. 



The cost of clearing land with heavy-duty machinery or by any other means 

 will depend first of all on the condition of the land to be cleared. The costs will 

 increase with a greater amount of stoniness or larger stones. In this respect 

 there is a variety of conditions beginning with the most favorable situations 

 and ending with the presence of large boulders which it would not be practical 

 to remove with the best machinery available. The removal of stumps offers the 

 same problems with different gradations of difficulties. 



A recent study^ by the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station in 

 cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture investigated a 

 number of farms where land clearance operations were carried out, with the ob- 

 jective of determining the costs under ^-ar}'ing conditions. The total cost of 

 clearing for pasture, including the fertilization, seeding, and other operations 

 for final utilization, ranged from $100 to as high as $175 per acre under less 

 favorable conditions. The clearing alone cost about one-third less than the 

 above figures. Most of this work is being done on contract. It is estimated that 

 where the bulldozer and other machinery are owned the total costs of clearing 

 would range from $75 to $100 per acre of cropland. 



In actual experience, the operations so far examined in Massachusetts have 

 been conducted on an individual basis and take into consideration the costs 

 prevailing largely under wartime conditions. However, should the needed equip- 

 ment and machinery become available on favorable terms, and operations be 

 carried out on a cooperative basis through a continuous process on a number of 

 farms, it should be possible to make a considerable reduction in costs. 



In this connection, advantage might be taken of surplus equipment being 

 disposed of by the Army for civilian use. The purchase and operation of this 

 equipment cooperatively, possibly through the instrumentality of the recently 

 adopted State provision for soil conservation districts, might be considered a 

 promising arrangement. A considerable amount of educational work will be 

 needed by the Extension Service and other agricultural agencies to point out to 

 producers all the advantages as well as the difficulties involved in adopting a 

 program of land clearance. In order to obtain adequate results it will be neces- 

 sary to subject each individual case to a thorough analysis as to the character 

 and condition of soil, the possible kind of improvement, and the resulting benefit 

 to the entire farming unit. 



^reek, C. R. and Hauck, J. F. Article in Farm Economic Facts, Massachusetts State College. 

 March 1945. 



