of land can be combined into four distinct 

 classes: cropland harvested, cropland pastured, 

 permanent pasture, and woodland. These classes 

 are described below : 



1. Cropland harvested — This is the heart of 

 the farm and represents the highest use of 

 land in agriculture. All land from which 

 a crop was harvested in the current year 

 falls into this category. 



2. Cropland pastured — This land can be and 

 sometimes is used for cropland. However, 

 because of the organization of certain 

 types of farming, it is often found in pas- 

 ture from which the maximum potential 

 income may not be realized in any par- 

 ticular year. All cropland pastured falls 

 into this category. 



3. Permanent pasture — This land is not 

 cropped because its economic potential is 

 greater in pasture. It is meadow land, the 

 rough and stony land, the land with a 

 high degree of slope. It is usually unim- 

 proved land which farmers have found to 

 be non-productive except for pasturing 

 and haying. 



4. Woodland — Many farms have woodlots — 

 not always because wood is needed on the 

 farm but because this particular land has 

 a marginal value in agriculture. 



DERIVING FARMLAND 

 ASSESSMENT VALUES 



Determining average values for the classes of 

 land that exist in each county was accomplished 

 by capitalizing the net income from farming. 

 These average values are shown in Table I. 



The average values in Table I were adjusted 

 on the basis of the potential productivity of the 

 soil groups. These adjusted values, shown in 

 Table II, are the final estimates of the fair value 

 of farmland based upon its productive capabili- 

 ties when devoted to agricultural or horticul- 

 tural uses. 



The general methods of calculation employed 

 in the derivation of farmland assessment val- 

 ues are shown in Appendix A. 

 Important note to assessors. — The values in 

 Table II are suggested values which may be 

 modified in individual instances by special con- 

 ditions such as topography of the land, erosion, 

 degree of slope, and location on improved roads. 

 These values are designed as guidelines for the 

 assessors, but it remains his ultimate responsi- 

 bility to determine the assessed valuation of 

 qualified farmland in accordance with the 

 standards prescribed in the Farmland Assess- 

 ment Act of 1964. 



Table I. — Average value per acre of New Jersey 

 classes of farmland, based on capitalized net 

 farm income — by county as of October 1,966 (pub- 

 lished annually) 



Count}- 



Atlantis 



Bergen 



Burlington, _ 



Camden 



Cape May.._ 

 Cumberland. 



Essex 



Gloucester 



Hudson 



Hunterdon,. 



Mercer 



Middlesex 



Monmouth- _ 



Morris 



Ocean 



Passaic 



Salem 



Somerset 



Sussex 



Union 



Warren 



Cropland 



Cropland 



Permanent 



harvested 



pastured 



pasture 



(Sper acre) 



(Sper acre) 



(Sper acre) 



340 



170 



68 



540 



270 



108 



240 



120 



48 



340 



170 



68 



220 



110 



44 



340 



170 



68 



540 



270 



108 



340 



170 



68 



580 



290 



116 



200 



100 



40 



220 



110 



44 



360 



180 



72 



320 



160 



64 



300 



150 



60 



220 



110 



44 



560 



280 



112 



220 



110 



44 



240 



120 



48 



220 



110 



44 



380 



190 



76 



200 



100 



40 



Woodland 



(Sper acre) 

 17 

 27 

 12 

 17 

 11 

 17 

 27 

 17 

 29 

 10 

 11 

 18 

 16 

 15 

 11 

 28 

 11 

 12 

 11 

 19 

 10 



APPENDIX A 



DERIVATION OF THE FARMLAND 

 ASSESSMENT VALUES 



a. "Estimates of the acreage of land in 1966 

 for the land use classes in each county were 

 projected on the basis of Census data from 1949 

 to 1964. 



b. "Census categories were combined into 

 exclusive and easily identifiable land use classes 

 of Cropland Harvested, Cropland Pastured, 

 Permanent Pasture and Woodland. Estimates 

 of the acreage in each class for 1966 were de- 

 termined by the method shown in Step a. above. 



c. "The percentage of State farm income 

 arising from agriculture in each county in 

 1966 was projected on the basis of Census data 

 from 1949 to 1964. 



d. "State net farm income for 1966 was pro- 

 jected on the basis of annual U.S.D.A. farm 

 income data from 1949 to 1964. 



e. "State net farm income was allocated to 

 the counties in the ratio calculated under 

 Step c. 



f. "Net income per county was then capital- 

 ized according to a return of 8 percent, estab- 

 lishing total value of land in farms in each 

 county. 



g. "A basic formula was established to de- 

 termine the value of the four classes of land 



60 



