CHAPTER VII. 



ABANDONED FARMS. 



One who has been familiar with the past history of 

 the farm-homes of a country, who has known of the 

 struggles and triumphs of the early possessors of these 

 properties, cannot but be saddened when he sees them, 

 one after another, abandoned ; the lands to become the 

 pasture domain of more successful estates, or to be en- 

 tirely given over to the public common. To be a wit- 

 ness to the industry, the planning, and the achievements 

 in moulding, in fashioning, and in subduing these spots 

 to the tastes and requirements of the occupiers, and then 

 to see them at last entirely surrendered to the wilderness, 

 is surely an impressive picture, even to the most indifferent 

 mind. Such an observer cannot but ask the question : 

 " Is this not an evidence of coming national decay ? " 



Large tracts of country — away from the towns and 

 cities — in the old States and Provinces of America are 

 thus being transformed ; and not only are these manifes- 

 tations of failure on the part of our old farms to hold 

 their own against the conditions of the times confined 

 to the old States, but are rapidly extending over the 

 continent. 



The New England farms have been the first, however, 

 to succumb. There are several reasons for this, though 



Co 



