March, 1931] LAND SURVEY OF DURHAM 19 



In all probability llu' acreage of pine will increase in the next ten to 

 twenty years, mostly from the pastures which grow up. However, the 

 timber on these lots is scrubby so that the estimate will not be much 

 higher because of that. On the other hand, hardwood lots with an 

 undergrowth of pine may become pine land later on, producing good 

 timber which will raise the estimate. If stands were allowed to grow 

 older before they were cut, the estimate would likewise be increased. 



The Idle Land Problem 



One question which a survey of this kind might answer is, what is the 

 liest use for these different types of land ? This would require a knowl- 

 edge of what can be sold as well as what can be produced. Knowing 

 'about how much can be grown on an acre of each type of land, the 

 l)rodueing power is a matter of calculating, but when it comes to 

 figuring what can be sold, the problem is much more complicated. The 

 best this survey can do is to present the situation, and leave it to 

 another study to complete the work. 



For this i-eason, too. nothing can be said in this report concerning 

 land uses which depend more on the market than on the amount of land 

 available. Cultivated land, residence (both year round and summer 

 only\ poultry and other intensive land uses are in this class. 



The uses which this report can briefly consider, those which depend 

 primarily on the amount of land suitable for each, are pasturage, both 

 of dairy cattle and sheep, hay for wintering all stock, and growing 

 timber, either pine for lumber or hardwoods for fuel. 



About 500 acres in the town are under relatively intensive manage- 

 ment. The remaining 4100 acres of the hayland and all the pasture 

 and woodlands are turned over to this last list of uses. 



What liaylands and pastures are not required by the stock in town 

 tend to become idle, and eventually waste land. Those which are used 

 but not improved from time to time become run out. and very much 

 reduced in value. The amount of idle land can be approximated by 

 determining how much the lands of the town exceed the needs of the 

 stock. Figures from this survey are for the town as a whole, and not 

 individual farms. Figures for an average farm can be estimated 

 later. 



The town assessment figures show 521 cattle, 132 horses, and 708 

 sheep for 1930. Experience has shown that a cow or horse will need 

 about three tons of hay, and that, in addition, the cow w^ill need to be 

 pastured. A sheep will require one-seventh as much as a cow. 



With this as a basis, it would take 1563 tons of hay for the cows, 

 396 for the horses, and 303 for the sheep— a total of 2262 tons. If the 

 better hayland produces two tons to the acre, as it should easily do, 

 that part which is not cultivated will produce 1237 tons of hay. This 

 would leave 1025 tons to be produced by the poorer haylands. 



A reasonable figure for the producing power of these semi-wild 

 fields would be one-fourth of a ton to the acre. It would take 4100 

 acres to produce 1025 tons at this rate. As there are only 3490 avail- 

 able, some hay would have to be imported from neighboring towns. 

 This is, in fact, the case. 



