23 



In the following summary the bureau recapitulates the salient 

 points brought out by the investigation. 



Abandoned farm land in Massachusetts is principally confined 

 to the western counties. Such land aggregates 3.45 per cent of 

 the total farm acreage of the State, outside the limits of cities, 

 and about 0.87 per cent of the value of such farm land. In 

 Nantucket and Suffolk counties no abandoned farm land is re- 

 turned. The percentage of acreage of abandoned farm land of 

 total farm acreage, for the counties returning abandoned farm 

 land, is highest in Hampshire County, reaching therein 6.85 per 

 cent. It is lowest in Essex County, being therein only 0.06 per 

 cent. 



The average size of abandoned farms with buildings is 86 acres, 

 and for those without buildings 87 acres. The average value of 

 abandoned farms with buildings is $894, and for those without 

 buildings $561. The average value of buildings on abandoned 

 farms is $337 per farm, ranging much less than the average value 

 of buildings upon farms under cultivation. Much of the aban- 

 doned land may be bought for less than $10 per acre. 



While some of the towns containing abandoned farms show a 

 recent decline in the value of agricultural products and property, this 

 is not universally true, and the decline in certain localities is over- 

 balanced by increase in others in the same county, so that, not- 

 withstanding the existence of abandoned farms, each county, 

 except Nantucket, shows an increase since 1875 in the value of 

 agricultural products, and every county shows an increase in the 

 value of agiicultural property. In some counties, also, an increase 

 in the acreage of land under cultivation appears. 



Except in Barnstable and Dukes counties, the towns reporting 

 abandoned farms show an aggregate increase in population since 

 1865 ; and, except in Barnstable, Dukes and Franklin counties, an 

 increase since 1855. The increase is not usually so great, how- 

 ever, as appears in the other towns in the counties respectively. 

 In the towns containing abandoned farms, and having no impor- 

 tant manufacturing industries, a decline in population generally 

 appears. The exception is in Middlesex and Norfolk counties, in 

 which, however, the proportion of abandoned farm land is small. 



For two years or more this office has been anxious to do 

 something to call attention to such farms in Massachusetts, 

 and, if possible, to get them into the market. The last 

 Legislature granted the necessary authority and appropria- 

 tion to make at least a beginning, and shortly afterwards the 

 executive committee of the board met and instructed the 



