XX BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



acreage of these farms was 135.36 acres, and the average 

 price asked $1,720.62. 



The new catalogue was desired because of continual de- 

 mand for information, both hy letter and by person. The 

 seventh edition of the catalogue was received from the 

 printers in January, 1898, and after fifteen months scarcely 

 any of the 1,500 copies issued were available for distril)ution. 

 In order to ascertain if there really was warrant for asking 

 the Legislature for a further appropriation to continue the 

 work, a record was kept of the calls by mail during the 

 calendar year ending Aug. 20, 1900. The record showed 

 252 such calls ; 145 being from Massachusetts, 37 from New 

 York, 13 from Connecticut, and the rest scattering. 



An interesting feature of the new catalogue was the print- 

 ing of replies of a number of purchasers of farms advertised 

 in previous catalogues in response to a circular letter of 

 inquiry. Details cannot well be given in this brief resume, 

 and it will no doubt suffice to say that nearly all of the par- 

 ties responding to the circular letter gave their reasons for 

 purchasing, and expressed themselves as satisfied with their 

 purchase. There were also included in the catalogue several 

 pages of statistics of Massachusetts agriculture com[)iled 

 from the State census of 1895, they showing plainly that, 

 while there had been changes in our agriculture, owing to 

 changed conditions, there were no reasons for alarm, but 

 reasons rather for congratulations at the good showing 

 made. It might properly be said in this connection that the 

 extreme difficulty this office has had the past ten years in 

 getting descriptions of farm property for the several cata- 

 logues does not indicate that owners of farms are over- 

 anxious to dispose of their property. 



The reasons assigned by the 136 individuals desiring 

 descriptions of their property included in the eighth edition 

 of the catalogue may be summed up as follows : in other 

 business, living elsewhere, no use for it or unable to carry it 

 on, 67 ; old age, 22 ; poor health, 13 ; having another farm, 

 10 ; to settle an estate, 8 ; reasons not given, 16. In no 

 instance was there any expression of dissatisfaction with 

 farm life, or of the opinion that " farming doesn't pay." 



