May, 1925] FARM PRODUCTION IN CHESHIRE COUNTY 15 



THE GENERAL AGRICULTURAL SITUATION. 



In topography Cheshire County shows a series of pine-covered hills and 

 small narrow valleys. Numerous lakes scattered among the hills add to 

 the picturesqueness of the landscape, and together with the healthfulness 

 of the climate attract more and more summer residents each year. 



The summers are moderately cool and humid. Average dates of last 

 killing frosts in the spring and first in the fall for the past five years show 

 a growing season of 123 days; but in most sections of the county corn can 

 usually be successfully matured. Vegetable crops mature late in the 

 summer, and the harvest season is comparatively short. 



The mean annual rainfall of 36.99 inches is distributed with fair uni- 

 formity throughout the year, as shown in the following record of average 

 monthly precipitation at Keene: 



Inches. Inches. 



January 2 . 65 July 3 . 24 



February 2 . 69 August 4 . 05 



March 3.62 September 3.65 



April 2.65 October 2.83 



May 3.00 November 2.71 



June 2 . 76 Decemlier 3 . 14 



Farming reaches its highest development along the Connecticut River. 

 The bottom lands are very fertile and with the adjoining bluff lands for 

 pasture make a good combination for a diversified system of farming. 

 Many of the upland farms in this region are also fairly level, and the fields 

 large enough for the use of most types of modern farm machinery. There 

 are also some farms in many parts of the county well adapted to the use 

 of such machines; but in most sections, and especially in the eastern and 

 southern parts of the county, the acreage of improved land per farm is 

 very small, and the irregular shaped fields are not well adaptetl to the use 

 of large farm implements. Wooded hills, cut-over slash and waste land 

 form a large part of nearly every farm. In the eastern and southern 

 sections many farms have been abandoned, the farm population is small, 

 and many farm residents depend largely on outside work for their main 

 source of income. Farms in all parts of the county have a large propor- 

 tion of non-tillable land which makes it difficult to secure efficient opera- 

 tion. 



Since 1900 the trend of agricultural production in the county has been 

 downward. The number of farms, amount of livestock and acreage of 

 cereals and hays all show a decrease. Farms dropped in number from 

 2,660 in 1900 to 2,330 in 1910 and 1,625 in 1919. This dechne has been 

 most rapid in the eastern section (Districts IV and V on map), where in 

 many towns scarcely anyone is now entirely dependent upon farming as 

 a source of income. Most of the farm residents are old men who have 

 retired, or are younger persons who obtain the major portion of their 

 income from outside work in the mills and factories or on the roads. In 

 nearly every section there has been some abandonment of farms, and 

 this is everywhere considered an important problem. 



There has been a corresponding decrease in production of crops and 

 Hvestock, with the exception of poultry and swine, from 1909 to 1919, 

 as seen in the following table: 



