No. 4.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. xix 



(sixth edition), making the total number of descriptions 

 printed 621. Also, as in past years, a circular of inquiry 

 was mailed each owner and agent having a description in the 

 catalogue of an undisposed-of farm. 



Up to December 15 returns were received concerning, all 

 told, 510 of the 560 farms described in the several previous 

 editions of the catalogue. Of these, 242 were reports of 

 "sales," 95 reports of "withdrawals" and 173 wished to 

 have description continued. Nothing having been ascer- 

 tained concerning 50 farms advertised in previous editions, 

 these descriptions, as was intimated in the above-mentioned 

 circular would be the case, were discontinued. 



A large majority of the purchasers of these farms are of 

 American parentage. The returns indicate the following : 

 American, 151 ; Irish, 14 ; German, 8 ; French, 7 ; Scotch, 

 4 ; Danish, 3 ; English, 2 ; Swedish, 2 ; Italian, 1 ; Russian, 

 1 ; Prince Edward Island, 1 ; Nova Scotia, 1 ; undeter- 

 mined, 47. 



In regard to residence of purchasers at time of purchase 

 the following is shown : Massachusetts, 144 ; New York, 

 11 ; Connecticut, 10 ; New Hampshire, 5 ; Rhode Island, 3 ; 

 Florida, Ohio and Vermont, 2 each ; Nova Scotia, Maine, 

 Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and New Jersey, 1 each ; un- 

 known, 57. 



In regard to the use which the purchasers intended to 

 make of the farms purchased the returns show the following : 

 For general farming, 93 ; for a home, 23 ; for an investment, 

 13 ; for a summer residence, 12 ; for poultry and farming, 

 7 ; for dairying, 7 ; for the wood and lumber, 6 ; for poul- 

 try culture, 5 ; for sheep raising, 3 ; for cranberry growing, 

 fruit and poultry, poultry and market gardening and to cut 

 into small lots for emigrants, 1 each. No statement was re- 

 ceived concerning 69 of the farms reported sold. 



The total acreage of the 242 farms reported sold is 26,693, 

 or an average acreage of 110.30-}-. Two hundred and 

 forty * of these farms sold for a total of $362,675, or an 

 average of $1,511. 14-f-. 



The following gives a clearer idea of the acreage and price 

 of the farms advertised in the several editions of the cata- 



* Price not given for two farms. 



