44 THE AMES FORESTER 



county as it is located between the best farming part and the 

 hilly timbered part. The population of the county is 29,866 

 and decreased 1.1 per cent during the decade from 1900 to 

 1910. The census gives 21.1 per cent of the county wooded 

 and the present survey gives 25.4 per cent. The percentage of 

 farm homes to total homes for the entire State is 36.6 and 

 47.4 of the farm homes of the county are encumbered. 24.9 

 per cent of the farm homes are rented. Much of the land is 

 ledgy but on the whole is much better than the locality in 

 Connecticut. 



The northern half of Chester County, which is the locality 

 chosen in southeastern Pennsylvania, is in a highly developed 

 farming region where progressive methods are followed and 

 the population frugal and industrious. It is a dairy and 

 grain raising region with hay and cattle growing to some 

 extent. Since the county is near Philadelphia and well cul- 

 tivated, the population is large, 109,213. For the entire State 

 the per cent of farm homes to total homes is 13.1 and has de- 

 creased slightly since 1890. The per cent of farm homes en- 

 cumbered in the county is 55.7 and 29.1 per cent of the farm 

 homes are rented. The per cent of wooded area is given by 

 the census as 12.2 and by this survey as 17. The greater part 

 of the land in the valleys is tillable but the ridges are usu- 

 ally timbered and not capable of cultivation. The forest is 

 hardwood with large home consumption and ready sale in most 

 of the locality. 



Madison County in central Indiana is the locality chosen 

 to represent the best farming part of the State. It is a flat, 

 fairly fertile region originally solid forest with much wet 

 ground. The census shows now 11 per cent of the area wooded 

 and the present survey shows practically the same 10.9 per 

 cent. The population of the county is 65,224. For the en- 

 tire state the percentage of farm homes to total homes is 32 

 per cent and has decreased from 44 per cent in 1890. In the 

 county 35.5 per cent of the farm homes are encumbered. 36.1 

 per cent of the farm homes are rented. The timber is all 

 hardwood and belongs to the general oak-hickory formation, 

 with many species of hardwoods associated, as beech, ash, 

 and maple. While the markets are good as a rule for imple- 



