^ Bulletin 490 July, 1929 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York " Lawrence M. Vaughan (Study conducted under the direction of G. F. Warren, of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Cornell University) ■ Published by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station Ithaca, New York Received for publication December 18, 1928 Ex ICtbrtB SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "Ever'tbing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned book." OLD YORK LIBRARY — OLD YORK FOUNDATION C?Vi- * 2. 1 1 /gov h Sl- avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library CONTENTS PAGE Uses of land in New York State 7 Land that disappeared from farms in New York 7 Why the land was abandoned 15 More production from fewer acres 16 Future production 17 New York agriculture not decadent 18 Studies of abandoned farm areas in New York 19 Connecticut Hill area 20 Location 20 Description 22 Livestock 23 Machinery 23 Real estate 23 Condition of buildings 25 The people 28 Absentee owners 32 Utilization of the land 32 Farm operations 36 Taxation 42 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 42 Bald Mountain area 44 Location 44 Description 44 Livestock 46 Machinery 47 Real estate 47 Condition of buildings 48 The people 49 Absentee owners 51 Utilization of the land 52 Farm operations 55 Taxation 58 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 59 Comparison of the farming operations in 1906 with those in 1925 61 Bull Hill area 62 Location 62 Description 62 Livestock 63 Machinery 64 Real estate 65 Condition of buildings 65 The people 68 Absentee owners 72 Utilization of the land 73 Farm operations of the foreign-born farmers 76 Farm operations of the American-born farmers 80 Comparison of farms of foreign-born and of American-born operators. ... 82 Taxation 86 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 86 Swale area 90 Location 90 Description 90 Livestock 92 Machinery 93 Real estate 93 Condition of buildings 94 The people 96 Absentee owners 98 3 s Contents Swale area (concluded) : page Utilization of the land 99 Farm operations 100 Taxation 1 04 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 106 Summer Hill area 107 Location 107 Description 107 Livestock 109 Machinery 109 Real estate 110 Condition of buildings 110 The people 113 Absentee owners 115 Utilization of the land 116 Farm operations 118 Taxation 120 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 120 Summer Hill Turnpike 125 Description 125 Farm capital 125 The people 126 Utilization of the land 128 Farm operations 129 Taxation 132 Comparison of farm operations in Summer Hill area with those on Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 133 South Bradford area 134 Location 134 Description 134 Farm capital 136 Condition of buildings 136 The people 137 Absentee owners 14° Utilization of the land 14° Taxation 143 Sugar Hill area 145 Location H5 Description H5 Farm capital 145 Condition of buildings J 47 The people 148 Absentee owners I 5° Utilization of the land I 5° Taxation 153 Virgil area *54 Location !54 Description 1 54 Farm capital *56 Condition of buildings I 57 The people J 5 8 Absentee owners I ° I Utilization of the land Taxation l6 3 Smyrna area 165 Location Description 165 Farm capital 167 Condition of buildings The people *7° Absentee owners l 7 l Utilization of the land 1 7 2 Taxation *74 Contents 5 PAGE Berne area 1 76 Location 1 76 Description 1 76 Livestock 1 76 Machinery 176 Real estate 178 Condition of buildings 1 79 The people 180 Absentee owners 1 83 Utilization of the land 183 Farm operations 185 Taxation 189 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 189 Decatur area 191 Location 191 Description 191 Livestock 191 Machinery 193 Real estate 193 Condition of buildings 194 The people 196 Absentee owners 198 Utilization of the land 198 Farm operations 200 Taxation 203 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 204 Parish area 206 Location 206 Description 206 Livestock 206 Machinery 208 Real estate 208 Condition of buildings 208 The people 210 Absentee owners 212 Utilization of the land 213 Farm operations 214 Taxation 218 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 218 Ohio area 220 Location 220 Description 220 Livestock 222 Machinery 222 Real estate 223 Condition of buildings 223 The people 225 Absentee owners 226 Utilization of the land 226 Farm operations 229 Taxation 233 Contribution of the agriculture of the area 233 Areas in which the use and condition of buildings, and the use of land along the roadside, were ascertained 235 Summary 248 Population 250 Utilization of the land 252 Buildings 253 Value of property on occupied farms 253 Income 253 Value of products sold or used 255 6 Contents PAGE Laud values and taxes 256 How may the land be brought into use ? 256 Prices of lumber 259 Freight paid on lumber consumed in New York State 260 What would become of the present settlers if the land were taken for forests ? . . . 261 The taxation problem z6i Appendix 262 Tables 262 Utilization of land along the roadside, in 100-foot units, as obtained with a crop-meter in abandoned farm areas in New York 262 Use and condition of buildings, abandoned farm areas in New York 266 Combinations of buildings in abandoned farm areas in New York 273 Record blanks 280 Blank used for all occupied farms in Connecticut Hill, Bald Mountain, Bull Hill, Swale, Summer Hill, Berne, Decatur, Parish, and Ohio areas. 280 Blank used for all occupied farms in South Bradford, Sugar Hill, Virgil, and Smyrna areas 284 Blank used for vacant farms in all areas in which records were taken .... 285 ABANDONED FARM AREAS IN NEW YORK 1 Lawrence M. Vaughan USES OF LAND IN NEW YORK STATE Nearly two-thirds of the land in New York is in farms. Of the farm land, nearly one-half is in harvested crops other than pasture and woods (table i). TABLE i. Approximate Acreages of Land in New York Acres Crops harvested in 1924 8,290,33s Land on which crops failed in 1924 91 .041 Crop land idle or fallow in 1924 (nearly all idle, very little fallow in this State) 706,287 Pasture, plowable 2 , 080 , 544 Pasture, woodland 2 , 02s ■ 249 Pasture, other 3,297,710 Woodland not pastured 1 , 780 , 380 Other land in farms 998 ,380 Total land in farms 19,269.926 Land in farms in 1880, but now abandoned or taken for city, village, or other uses 4,510,828 All other land, occupied before 1 880 by cities or mountains, or otherwise 6,717, 806 Total land area of State 30 . 498 , 560 Pasture occupies nearly one-fourth of the total area of the State, but part of this is woodland pasture. One-eighth of the State is in farm woodland, but more than half of these woods are pastured. LAND THAT DISAPPEARED FROM FARMS IN NEW YORK According to the United States Census, the area of land in farms in New York in 1880 was 23,780,754 acres, whereas the amount of land in farms in 1925 was 19,269,926. More than 4,500,000 acres disappeared from farms in forty-five years. For the thirty-year period from 1880 to 19 10, an average of 60,000 acres a year was abandoned; from 1910 to 1920, 140,000 acres a year; and during the years 1920 to 1925, 270,000 acres a year. On the average, during the forty-five-year period there was a reduction in farm land of 100,000 acres a year. Even in the period of rising prices, a large amount of land was abandoned (table 2). Idle land that is part of an occupied farm is not included in the abandoned area. In the abandoned-farm areas, many farms are still occupied but are little used. Farm land has been abandoned for farming purposes in all counties of the State, but not to the same extent nor for the same reasons. Abandon- 1 Also presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University, October, 1928, as a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy. Author's acknowledgments. This study was made under the supervision of Professors G. F. Warren and W. I. Myers. The writer is indebted to them and to other members of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at Cornell University, also to the farmers and the county, town, and school-district officials who assisted by furnishing data. 7 8 Bulletin 490 TABLE 2. Land in Farms in New York, as Reported by the United States Census Year Number of farms Acres Acres disappeared Total Per year 1850 170,621 196,990 216,253 241 ,058 226,223 226,720 215,597 193. 195 188,754 19, 1 19,084 20,974,958 22,190,810 23.78o.7S4 21 ,961 ,562 22 ,648, 109 22,030,367 20,632,803 19,269,926 i860 1.750,387 60 , 000 1 .397.564 1 ,362,877 140,000 270,000 I92S Total 4,510,828 100,000 ment has been heaviest in the counties around the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, and around New York City (figures 1 and 2). More than 25 per cent of the land formerly in farms has been abandoned in each of the counties included in these areas. About 836,000 acres of the land that disappeared from farms is south of Ulster County. Most of this land is now in city or suburban use. More than 1,500,000 acres of the farm Figure i. percentage of land that disappeared from farms from peak to 1925 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 9 land abandoned is in the sixteen Adirondack and Catskill forest-preserve counties. In south- central New York, the abandonment has been from 15 to 25 per cent. In this region there are many scattered areas of abandoned farms. These abandoned areas are located at the higher elevations and are separated by the intervening valleys. The rate of abandonment has increased in all sections of the State, but not at the same rate. During the thirty-year period from 1880 to 1 9 10, nearly a third of the abandonment was in the Metropolitan section (table 3). Although abandoned for farm purposes, much of this land has been taken on by the expansion of the metropolitan area. In the next ten-year period, from 19 10 to 1920, the rate of abandonment in this section actually decreased (table 4). During the five years from 1920 to 1925, the rate again increased, reaching four times that of the preceding ten years. In the Catskill section the abandonment has been much greater in the more recent years than in the years prior to 1910. During all periods, from one-fifth to one-quarter of the total abandonment in the State has been in the Adirondack section (table 3). For the ten-year period from 19 10 to 1920, the abandonment in all sections except the Mohawk Valley and the Metropolitan section was increasing at a rate greater than the average for the State. In the next Figure 2. location of the 4,510,828 acres of land that disappeared from farms from i880 to i925 io Bulletin 490 TABLE 3. Land That Disappears from Farms in New York Section 1880 to 1910 1910 to 1920 1920 to 1925 Acres disappeared Acres disappeared Acres disappeared Number Per cent Number Per cent Number Per cent South-Central Catskill 48.933 22S. 795 219.791 366,099 119.542 161 ,496 79,597 529.134 2.8 12.9 12.6 20 . 9 6.8 9-2 4-5 30.3 67,768 273.417 216,871 376,481 119. 412 67,792 173.762 102 ,061 4.8 19.6 15- 5 27.1 8.5 4-8 12.4 73 47.815 215, 660 155.577 283.847 128,913 87.131 238,721 205,213 35 IS- 8 II .4 20.8 9.5 6.4 17.5 151 1.750,387 100.0 I .397.564 100.0 1 ,362,877 100.0 TABLE 4. Rate of Disappearance of Land from Farms in New York Section 1880 to 1910 1910 to 1920 1920 to 1925 Acres disappeared per year Acres disappeared per year Per cent increase in rate over preceding period Acres disappeared per year Per cent increase in rate over preceding period South-Central State 1 ,631 7,526 7.326 12 , 203 3.98s 5.383 2,653 17.638 6,777 27.342 21 ,687 37.648 11 .941 6,779 17.376 10, 206 315-5 263.3 196.0 208.5 199.6 25-9 555 (-42.1) 9.S63 43M32 31 .115 56,769 25.783 17 .426 47.744 4L043 41. 1 57-7 43 S 50.8 US 9 I57-I 174-8 302.1 58.346 139.756 137.8 272.575 95 five-year period, nearly half of the land that disappeared from farms was in the four sections south of the Mohawk Valley, and these four sections were the only ones increasing their abandonment at a rate more rapid that the average for the State (table 4). The peak of the land in farms did not occur in all counties in 1880. The counties around New York City and in that vicinity had more land in farms in 1850 than at any time since. There were five other counties which reached their peak prior to 1880, and eleven which did not reach their peak until after 1880. Practically all of the counties to the west and north of the Adirondacks were not fully settled until 1900 and later. Consequently, the actual amount of land abandoned, when computed from the peak of individual counties, is 4,885,652 acres, instead of 4,510,828 acres as computed from 1880. Township figures would indicate an even greater abandonment (tables 5, 6, 7, and 8). 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O* O N N o o ■ r-sc • 00 00 « _ § m cx ^ 4) 3 ■CO ■ OiX o> m 00 ao» ? r 1 *i 1 r»co h n n^ loo r*-co 0\ o ih « m OOOmMMMMMMmmm«(N(NC-J(NN o > Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 28. Ages of 31 Occupants, Connecticut Hill Area, 1927 3i Age Number of occupants Average age (Years) 5 30.0 16 48.0 10 63-7 31 SO. 2 TABLE 29. Birthplaces of 30 Occupants and Their Parents, Connecticut Hill Area Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers S 12 10 9 3 7 6 5 4 6 5 9 9 Total 30 30 30 TABLE 30. Previous Locations of 30 Occupants, Connecticut Hill Area Previous location No location other than present one Other farms in Connecticut Hill area Other parts of Catherine or Newfield Township Other townships in Schuyler or Tompkins County . . . Other counties in New York Other States Occupants TABLE 31. Previous Employments of 30 Occupants, Connecticut Hill Area Previous employment No employment other than farming. Lumberman Basket maker Tailor Carpenter Patrolman on state road Occupants Previous employment Machinist Chauffeur Driver of ice wagon Laborer on railroad Laborer in factory Occupants TABLE 32. Years of Continuous Residence on Their Present Farms of 31 Occupants, Connecticut Hill Area, 1927 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 10 10 6 5 1.8 6.9 13 -2 34-8 31 II .0 32 Bulletin 490 Absentee owners There were in this area 78 vacant farms and 14 parcels of land, besides the occupied farms. All of this property was owned individually by 78 different persons, a few owning more than one piece. Most of the owners were located near the area. There were 12 living in other counties of the State, while only 6 were located outside of New York State (table 33). A number of the present owners who had come from other sections had settled temporarily in this vicinity, waiting for an opportunity to sell their farms. TABLE 33. Locations of 71 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Con- necticut Hill Area, 1927 Location Within Connecticut Hill area , Other parts of Catherine or Newfield Township Other townships in Schuyler or Tompkins County. Other counties in New York Other States Owners 7 25 About one-third of the owners of these vacant farms were farming elsewhere. The majority, however, were in a variety of other occupations (table 34). TABLE 34. Occupations of 62 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Con- necticut Hill Area, 1927 Occupation Farmer Retired Day laborer (odd jobs) . . Country storekeeper Painter Lawyer Carpenter Lumberman Blacksmith Teamster Truckman Rural mail carrier Owners Occupation Operator of cheese factory. Operator of grain elevator . Operator of sawmill Caretaker of home Doctor Undertaker Real-estate agent Cigar maker Foreman in cigar factory . . Laborer in clothing factory Truck gardener Owners Of the present owners of the vacant farms, 46 had never lived on their farms. The average length of residence of the 32 who had lived on their farms was 10.8 years. It had been 6.8 years, on the average, since they left these farms (table 35). This gives some indication as to the time required to dispose of a farm in this area. All of the farms were for sale. Many of them undoubtedly had been sold, perhaps several times, during this period, but had come back to their original owner. Utilization of tPie land Records were obtained on 123 pieces of property, of which 31 were occupied farms, 78 were vacant farms, and 14 were miscellaneous parcels and woodlots (table 36). The vacant farms occupied about two-thirds of the area. The average size of all farms was about 88 acres. The Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 33 TABLE 35. Number of Years since the Owners* of the Vacant Farms Left, Connecticut Hill Area, 1927 Approximate number of years since leaving Number of farms vacated each year 9 4 6 1 1 1 4 4 I 1 Total 32 * These are the 32 owners who had at one time lived on these farms. TABLE 36. Classification of Property, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Number Total Average acres of farms acres per farm Occupied farms: 20 2,352 117. 6 Non-operated 11 782 71. 1 Vacant farms: 28 2,500 893 Idle SO 4.005 80. 1 14 675 48.2 Total 123 10,314 operated farms were larger, as some of the adjoining farms had been annexed. Of the 10,000 acres in the area, about one-third was in woods, nearly one-half was in idle cleared land, about 7 per cent was in pasture, 8 per cent was in hay, and 6 per cent was in other crops (table 37). TABLE 37. Utilization of the Land, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 541 417-25 435-5 841.25 737 162 17-3 13-3 13-9 26.8 235 5-2 258 158.75 261 3.622.25 2,075 130 4.0 2.4 4.0 55-7 31.9 2.0 799 580 728.5 4,655-5 3,259 292 7-7 5.6 7-1 45-2 316 2.8 Pasture Farmstead 4 32 192 447 0.6 4-7 28.4 66.3 Total 3,134 100.0 6,505 100.0 675 100.0 10,314 100.0 The woodland in this area does not represent a great deal of timber, as most of it has been cut over recently. Judging from the number of portable sawmills located throughout the area, the remaining timber was rapidly being cut off. Nearly three-fourths of the cleared land was idle. On the vacant farms the idle land represented more than four-fifths of the total cleared land, as compared with about two-fifths on the occupied farms. The location of the cleared land and the woodland is shown in figures 5 and 6. 34 Bulletin 490 I Woodland cine/ id/p Jane/ □ C/cdrod /and m crofts or pasture? Figure 5. cleared land in crops or pasture, connecticut hill area, tompkins county Most of the area is either idle or in woodland Figure 6. land in woods and all other land, connecticut hill area, tompkins county One-third of the land is in woods, of which only a small part is near the roadside. In addition there is considerable tree growth along the field lines Hay comprised nearly three-fifths of the crop acreage (table 38). Any- thing over which a mowing machine was run was included in the acreage of hay. The hay was poor in quality, with an average yield of 0.7 ton per acre, and in many cases was not worth cutting. Buckwheat and oats were the other important crops, representing 20 per cent and 12 per cent of the crop area, respectively. Potatoes, although they used but 3.6 per cent of the total acreage, were important as a cash crop. TABLE 38. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Acres Per cent Vacant farms and parcels Acres Per cent Total area Acres Corn for fodder, Corn for grain . . Potatoes Beans Buckwheat Oats and barley Oats Barley Rye Hay Total 37-25 27 187 12. 5 103 12 4 541 2.6 1 .0 3-9 2.8 19-5 1-3 10.7 I -3 0.4 56.5 13 3 I 82 19 5 5 I 2 57-75 13 7 258 61.3 29.5 10 50.25 27 269 17.5 160.75 12 4 799 958.25 100 .0 420.75 1.379 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 35 The yields of all crops were low' as compared with the average for the State (table 39). The average yields of the four principal crops in this area — hay, buckwheat, oats, and potatoes — were 64.8 per cent of the average yields for New York. When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average was 58.4 per cent of the state average. TABLE 39. Yields of the Principal Crops, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Number Number Average yield per acre Crop of of farms acres Connecticut New York Hill State (Bushels) Bushels) 16 28.25 78.4 117 2 11 S9 11. 8 Buckwheat 14 IS2 II .5 18.9 4 175 19. 1 Oats 14 108. s 26.7 34 3 12 16.7 28.3 (Tons) (Tons) Hay 23 489 0.7 1 .32 A tenant can rent a good farm in the State for half of the crops. On rented farms the landlord maintains the buildings, and pays the taxes and many other expenses. Consequently the tenant on an average farm receives nearly as large a crop as does the owner of a farm in this area, and bears only a part of the expenses. Nearly one-third of the crops were on the vacant farms. Some of these crops were put in by the owners of the farms who lived outside the area, but most of them were raised by farmers within the area. Nearly two- thirds of the crop acreage on the vacant farms was hay. Hay, buckwheat, and oats made up 95 per cent of the total. The abandonment of the vacant farms has not all taken place in the last few years, but has been going on for a period of fifty years at least. The farms had been vacant for an average of 16.3 years. About half of them had not been occupied for ten years and more. During 1926, 11 farms were vacated. (Table 40.) Some livestock was pastured on these farms for a time after the operators had left. This was usually done either by the neighbors or by the owners, who might be living on other farms outside the area. This practice was evidently continued until the feed became poor and the fences needed repair. The soil is not naturally adapted to pasture grasses. At least a ton of lime to the acre is necessary to obtain a good catch of grass seed. Inasmuch as the value of this land for pasture was not sufficient to offset the heavy expense of liming and fencing, the pastures were abandoned shortly after the operator left. These farms had not been pastured, on the average, for ten years. The fences were completely gone on 65 of the vacant farms and parcels. There were only 27 pieces of land fenced, making available for pasture 914 acres. These lots were scattered all over the area, and in many cases the fences were poor. One-third of these 27 pastures were used to some extent in 1926. The growing of a few crops on the vacant farms was continued by the neighbors after the owners had left. These crops were generally put 3° Bulletin 490 • TABLE 40. Stages in the Adanoonment of Vacant Farms, Connecticut Hill Area Year Approximate number of years since operations were discontinued Number of farms last occupied this year Number of farms last pastured this year Number of farms last plowed this year Number of farms last hayed this year 1 1 Q 15 20 I 5 13 1 2 2 4 4 5 3 3 5 A 5 5 4 3 1 3 2 5 1 6 7 8 6 3 1 2 2 7 I 1 8 1 3 I 10 10 II 14 9 IS 6 4 2 3 20 5 II 6 25 6 3 I 2 30 3 O 1 35 2 I 2 1 40 3 4 4 45 1 I SO 11 Average number of years since operation was 78 16.3 77 10. 77 9.0 78 8.0 in near the buildings, because they were more accessible there and the fertility of the land was greater. During 1926, some plowing was done on 15 of the vacant farms. The average number of years since crops had been put in on the vacant farms was nine. After all other farming operations had ceased, hay was still being cut on many of the farms. Some hay was cut on 20 vacant farms in 1926. Taking all vacant farms into consideration, however, the average period since any hay had been cut was eight years. There are fairly definite stages in the abandonment of these farms. First, the people leave, but the farms are pastured until the fences are gone ; crops are still put in near the buildings until the fertility of the soil is exhausted; and finally, hay is cut until it is replaced by weeds. Farm operations Of the occupied farms, n were not operated. The men living on them kept practically no livestock and did not till the soil. They derived their income from work done off the farm, and most of them were located near the edge of the area. These farms are not included in the following discussion. For the remaining 20 occupied farms, only eighteen complete farm records were obtained, as two of the operators had not been on their present farms for a full year. The total receipts on the 18 operated farms were $19,506, or $1084 per farm (table 41). Nearly one- third of the income on these 18 operated farms came from work done off the farm, principally work in the woods during the winter. The receipts from crops, livestock, and livestock products were practically the same, each representing about 18 per cent of the total receipts. Wood- lot products brought about 10 per cent of the total receipts, and increase in capital made up the remainder, 6 per cent. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 37 TABLE 41. Detailed Receipts on 18 Farms, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Num- ber of farms having receipt Number of units Average price per unit Total Average value per (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: Buckwheat Oats Rye Hay 13 3 7 I I 3 I 1 ,234 bu. 135 bu. 1 ,021 bu. 570 bu. 20 bu. 19 tons 25 bu. $ 1-33 3-29 0.81 0.50 0.70 II .84 0.7s $1,636 444 828 285 14 225 19 $90.8 24.7 46.0 15.8 0.8 12.5 1 . 1 47-3 12.9 24.0 8-3 0.4 6.5 0.6 $3,451 $191-7 100.0 17.7 Livestock: Bulls Pigs Other hogs 6 14 I 4 I 3 A 13 9 24 1 87 1 29 c 743 153.89 19.96 28.00 14-43 10 . 00 8.24 30 . 60 O.84 $ 48S 479 28 1 ,258 10 239 153 625 $26.9 26.6 1.6 69.8 0.6 13-3 8-5 24.7 14.8 14.6 0.9 38.3 . 3 7-3 4 • 7 19- 1 $3,277 $182.0 100.0 16.8 Livestock products: 5 10 3 IS $ 653 I , 138 1.340 $36.3 83.5 7-7 74-4 18.0 41 3 3.8 36.9 Butter . Wool Eggs Total 3,201 lbs. 363 lbs. 4.013 doz. $o . 47 0.38 0.33 $3,634 $201 9 100.0 18.6 Woodlot products: 2 I 2 $1 ,660 50 189 $92.2 2.8 10.5 87.4 2.6 10. Lumber Total 54 cords $3 -50 $1,899 $105.5 100.0 9-7 Outside work: Working in woods 7 8 I ! 1 J $3 . 799 1 ,300 27 970 $211.1 72 . 2 I -5 53-9 62 . 4 21.3 0.4 15.9 Other man and team work Fair exhibits State road Carpenter Total $6 , 096 $338.7 100.0 31 -3 Increase in capital $1,149 $63.8 100.0 59 $19,506 $1,083.6 100.0 100.0 Potatoes were the principal crop raised for sale, producing nearly one- half of the crop receipts. Buckwheat also was important, representing about one-fourth of the crop sales. The sale of ewes produced more than one-third of the livestock receipts. This item was due largely to the receipts of one man, who sold out his entire flock of about 50 head. The sale of cattle brought about 30 per cent, and the sale of hens 20 per cent, of the livestock receipts. The chief livestock products sold were butter and eggs, these making up more than three-fourths of the total. No fluid milk was sold from this area. Very little wood was cut and sold by these farmers. The largest woodlot income was from timber sold standing. 38 Bulletin 490 In addition to the cash receipts, these 18 farms contributed, toward the farmers' living, farm products valued at $6485, or an average of 836c per farm (table 42). Firewood was the most important item, amounting to about $1600, or 25 per cent of the total. TABLE 42. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on the Farm, Con- necticut Hill Area, 1926 Commodity Unit Average price 18 operated farms Total area Quantity used Total value Value per farm Quantity used Total value Milk Pork Veal Beef Total Quarts Pounds Dozens Number Pounds Pounds Pounds Bushels Bushels Bushels $0.05 0.47 033 0.84 0.18 0.13 0. 10 .1-33 3-29 0-7S 18,439 2,888 2.350 288 3.122 60 1. 075 505 4-5 233 $ 922 1 ,357 776 242 562 8 108 672 IS 175 $51 2 75-4 43.1 13-4 31-2 044 6.0 373 0.83 9-7 20.717 3.417 2.805 409 3.722 60 1 .075 630 5 258 $1,036 1 ,606 926 344 670 8 108 838 16 194 $4,837 1 ,648 $268.7 91 6 $5,746 2,401 Firewood Cords $3-50 471 686 $6,485 $360.3 $8,147 The farm expense on these 18 farms amounted to $15,071, or $837 per farm (table 43). The current operating expense accounted for 75 per cent of the total expense, decrease in capital for 19 per cent, and live- stock purchased for 6 per cent. The largest item of operating expense was for unpaid labor, which amounted to more than one-third of the total. Purchased grain repre- sented about 11 per cent of the total operating expense, taxes 10 per cent, and cost of hired labor, including board, 10 per cent. All other expenses were small, none of them amounting to more than 5 per cent of the total. Taxes were the only expense paid by every operator. Insurance, unpaid labor, breeding fees, threshing, grass seed, and grain were all rather common expenses. There was but one farmer who hired a man by the year, and one who had a man by the month. On only 6 farms was there any expense for building repairs, and on only 5 for fences. The total expense for building and fence repairs amounted to an average of §2 9 per farm for the 18 farms. About 7 tons of fertilizer, mostly superphosphate (acid phosphate), was used on 7 farms. Lime was used by 9 farmers, the total amount being 60 tons. Very little new machinery was brought into the area, and repairing was done only when absolutely necessary. The total machinery expense for both purchase and repair averaged S34 per farm. All but one of these 18 farmers carried insurance. The total insurance carried was $54,470, or $3026 per farm. The cost per farm was about $14. Most of the farms were well insured. Seven of the farmers had automobiles, and that part of their expense chargeable to the farm averaged about $18 per farm for all operated farms. The average amount expended per farm for livestock purchased was $49. About half of this was for horses, 20 per cent was for cows, 15 per cent was for brood sows, and 9 per cent was for pigs. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 39 TABLE 43. Detailed Farm Expenses on 18 Farms, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Number of farms having expense Number of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Operating expenses: Labor: Year help Month help Day help Board of hired labor Unpaid labor (including board) Breeding fees Building repairs Hay purchased Grain purchased Grinding feed Fencing Fertilizer Lime Horseshoeing Insurance Sawing lumber Machinery bought Machinery repairs Machinery hired. ...» Threshing Gasoline, oil, etc Twine Automobile expense Grass seed Other seeds Telephone Taxes (including school) . . . Veterinary fees 5 6 14 14 6 14 7 7 IS 7 tons 60 tons 480 300 116 275 .153 56 367 131 ,254 95 150 155 333 127 249 24 463 144 12 238 IIS 7 328 499 10 34 $ 26.7 16.7 6.4 15-3 230.7 3-1 20.4 7-3 69.7 53 8.3 8.6 18. s 7-1 138 1-3 2S-7 8.0 0.7 13-2 6.4 0.4 18.2 27.7 0.6 1.9 65.8 03 4.2 2.7 1 .0 24 36.8 o.s 32 1 .2 11 .1 0. 8 I -3 1.4 2.9 1 . I 2.2 0.2 4-1 1.3 O.I 2.1 I .0 O.I 2.9 4-4 o.i 03 10. s O.I Total . In. 305 $628.1 100.0 Livestock purchased: Cows Horses Brood sows Boars Pigs Hens 15 67 $175 425 130 IS 76 63 $ 97 23.7 7.2 0.8 4.2 3-5 19.8 48.1 14-7 1-7 8.6 7-1 Total . $49-1 100.0 Decrease in capital . $2,882 $160.1 Grand total . $15,071 $837-3 There was a decrease in capital on 12 farms, amounting to $160 per farm for the operated farms. The net decrease in capital on the 18 farms was $1733, or $96 per farm. The total value of livestock on the 18 farms at the end of the year was $457 higher than at the beginning. There was a decrease in the number of cows, sheep, and hens, and an increase in the number of heifers and hogs (table 44). The total value of machinery was $225 lower at the end of the year, and the total value of real estate was $1965 lower. The reduction in real-estate value was due partly to lack of maintenance of the buildings, and partly to the sale of timber. When all of the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, an average of $246 per farm is left to pay for the use of capital and for the operator's labor (table 45). The average capital per farm was $3993. Figuring interest on this amount at 5 per cent as an additional expense, leaves these farmers an average of $47 each as pay for their year's labor, in addition to having a house to live in and products from the farm to use. 4° Bulletin 490 TABLE 44. Changes in Inventory during the Year on 18 Farms, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Number of livestock At beginning of year At end of year Increase Uecrease Cattle: 49 6 1 49 2 22 5 5 3 I , 102 4 5 44 16 1 SI 2 59 6 7 I 25 999 4 3 5 10 1 I Horses and mules: 2 Sheep: 25 16 Hobs: 2 1 20 3 103 Poultry: 2 $10,658 $11 ,875 $50,285 $11,115 $11,650 $48,320 $457 $225 $1,965 TABLE 45. Labor Incomes on 18 Farms, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Total Average per farm Receipts: Increase in livestock Crops Livestock sold Livestock products Miscellaneous Expenses: Decrease in real estate Decrease in machinery Livestock purchased Operating expenses Income from capital and operator's labor Capital: Real estate Machinery Livestock Interest on average capital at 5 per cent . Labor income $ 457 3.451 3.277 3.634 7.995 $ 1,965 225 $49,302 II ,762 10,886 $71 .950 $18,814 14.379 $4,435 3.596 $839 $ 25 192 182 202 444 $109 13 49 628 $2,736 653 604 $3 , 993 The total indebtedness of these farms was $5200, or $289 per farm. Therefore $14 of the $199 interest charge had to be paid in cash. The charges for unpaid labor and for decrease in inventory were expenses not paid for in cash. Consequently, the average amount of money per family available for living expenses and for saving was $574. Cash living expenses averaged $262 per family for food and $169 for clothing. This left an average of $143 per farm available for other things. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 4i * g u. > K O 03 O H 2 O O CO O h 8 « w 3 1/3 .a » in 32 o OJ H O - • '1-tJi- < H -tN [J CI > -t-> +j +j (lj +-> )0 y o £0 c.H.a.2 E- 2 >*-*-» 00 o > 1|S o o Si5S ■s > SO "2 « « S 1- > 42 Bulletin 490 Taxation The total assessed valuation of the area in 1925 was $92,475, or $8.97 per acre. In 1926 a few changes were made and the total assessment was reduced to $91,275, or $8.85 per acre. The tax rate was also a little lower in each township in 1926 than in 1925. This made the town, county, and state tax 29 cents per acre in 1925 and 27 cents per acre in 1926 (table 46). The average school tax paid for the school year 1925-26 was 13 cents per acre, and for the school year 1926-27 it was 10 cents per acre. While the town, county, and state tax per acre is practically the same for all townships, the range in school taxes paid was from 4 cents per acre to 31 cents per acre. Combining the average school tax of 13 cents per acre with the average town, county, and state tax of 29 cents per acre, makes a total tax of 42 cents per acre for 1925. In 1926 this was 37 cents per acre. This tax in 1926 represented 4.2 per cent of the assessed valuation and 3.3 per cent of the farmers' valuations. The average assessed value of land was $8.85 per acre, or about 63 per cent of the farmers' estimated value (table 47). On the occupied farms the assessed value was 50 per cent of the farmers' estimates and on the vacant farms it was 72 per cent. The vacant farms without buildings, and the parcels and woodlots, were assessed at practically full value. In general, the lower the value per acre, the nearer a farm came to being assessed at full value. TABLE 47. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Number Acres Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 31 3.134 $33 , 400 $10.66 $66,850 $21.33 Vacant farms: Both buildings usable Only the house usable Both buildings unusable Total 19 9 3 17 30 1. 755 800 213 1 .497 2,240 $17,695 7.790 1 ,690 10, 250 15,125 $10.08 974 793 6.85 6.75 $29,440 9.600 3.300 14,640 15.910 $16.77 12 .00 15-49 978 7 . 10 78 6,505 $52,550 $72,890 $8.08 $11.21 14 675 $5,325 17-89 $5,250 $7-78 Grand total 123 10,314 $91,275 $114,990 $8.85 $14.06 ""Including buildings. Contribution of the agriculture of the area The value of the agricultural products which this area contributed for use on the farm and for sale amounted to $2.31 per acre of cleared land (table 48). To obtain this, it was necessary to import supplies amounting to 62 cents per acre of cleared land. The difference, which represents the net contribution of the agriculture of this area, was $1.69 per acre of cleared land. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 43 TABLE 48. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Connecticut Hill Area, 1926* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (6763 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops: Sold $3,451 862 3,277 920 457 3.634 3.055 $0.51 O.J3 0.48 0. 14 0.07 053 0-45 Livestock: Livestock products: Sold Total I15.656 $2.31 Products imported: $ 884 463 144 225 I,38S 509 488 122 I0.13 0.07 0.02 O.03 0.20 0.08 0.07 0.02 Machinery: Feed Total 14,220 $0.62 III. 436 $1.69 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from the vacant farms by persons living outside the area. The total number of working days on the 18 operated farms was 8434 (table 49). Nearly two-thirds of the work was done by the operators, TABLE 49. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Connecticut Hill Area, 1926 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent of total 18 5.400 64.0 Unpaid labor: Wife 9 780 1. 815 30.1 69.9 7 Total 2.S9S 100.0 30.8 Hired labor: I 300 139 68.3 Day 317 Total 439 100.0 5-2 8,434 100. 1.36s 1 .013 57-4 42.6 Total 2.378 100.0 28.2 Number of working days spent on agri- 6,056 100.0 71.8 8,434 100.0 44 Bulletin 490 and nearly one-third by the unpaid family labor. Only 5 per cent of the labor was hired. The number of days spent on work done off the farm and in the woods was 2378. This leaves 6056 working days for the agri- culture of the area, which is 0.9 day per acre of cleared land. The net amount of $1.69 is the pay for 0.9 day labor, interest on invest- ment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, breeding fees, grinding feed, horse- shoeing, insurance, machinery hired, threshing, use of automobile, use of telephone, and veterinary fees. BALD MOUNTAIN ARK A Location The Bald Mountain area is located in the townships of Caroline, in southern Tompkins County, and Candor, in northern Tioga County. It contains nearly 6000 acres, and may be roughly outlined as the region lying south of Brooktondale, west of Caroline Center and Speedsville, north of Perryville and Prospect Valley, and east of Willseyville, White Church, and Caroline Depot. A map of the area is shown in figure 7. The center of the area is about 6.5 miles from the Lehigh Valley Railroad at Brooktondale, and 7.5 miles from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad at Caroline Depot and Willseyville. Brooktondale, Caroline Center, Speedsville, and Willseyville are all on macadam roads. The nearest city is Ithaca, thirteen miles distant, with a population of about 19,000. Description The highest point within the area is 1895 feet above sea level, and the lowest is about 1200 feet. The farmsteads are situated at an average elevation of about 1500 feet, which is about 500 feet above the surrounding valleys. The approach from Brooktondale, Speedsville, or Willseyville is very steep, while that from Caroline Center and Prospect Valley is more gradual. The soil map of Tompkins County shows the soil in the area to be chiefly the stony silt loams of the Lordstown, Volusia, and Allis series (table 50). The stony silt loams are the poorest types of these series, and the steep phase is the poorest of the Lordstown stony silt loam. Practically half of the area is made up of rough stony and broken land and Lordstown stony silt loam (steep phase), both of which are non-cultivable. The Volusia soil is in small tracts scattered throughout the area. Both the TABLE 50. Soil Types of the Part of the Bald Mountain Area within Tompkins County Per cent Lordstown stony silt loam (steep phase) 36.4 Allis stony silt loam 36.0 Rough stony and broken land II .8 Volusia stony silt loam 10. 1 Chenango gravelly silt loam 2.6 Lordstown stony silt loam 2.2 Wooster gravelly silt loam 0.9 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 45 *8? Figure 7. eastman hill, bald mountain, and south danby areas 46 Bulletin 490 Volusia and the Allis soil are poorly drained. The location and amount of the Allis stony silt loam would indicate that most of the crops were raised on this type of soil. There were about 28 miles of public roads within the area (table 51). All of these were dirt roads, none of which were considered in good condi- tion by the writer. Nearly two- thirds were considered poor or not passable. TABLE 51. Condition of Roads in Summer, Bald Mountain Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent Good 0.0 Fair 10 13 5 357 46.4 17.9 Total 28 100.0 Livestock Dairy cows were the only kind of livestock of any importance in the area. There were 2 farms having 10 cows each, but the usual number of cows for the operated farms was from 3 to 5. The average for all of the occupied farms was 3.8 (table 52). There were about two-thirds as many heifers being raised as there were cows. The cattle represented 57 per cent of the value of all livestock. TABLE 52. Number and Value of Livestock on 16 Occupied Farms, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Total number Average number per farm Total value Average value per head Average value per farm Per cent of total value Cattle: 61 3 S $5,170 $85 $323 40 9 39 2 4 1,097 44 106 13 4 1 SO 25 3 4 4 2 I5S 39 10 1 2 2 1 100 50 6 8 43 2 7 3.876 . 90 242 30 6 5 3 50 10 3 4 Hogs: 5 3 181 36 II 1 4 2 1 7S 38 5 6 10 O 6 190 19 12 1 5 Poultry: 962 60 1 989 1.03 62 7 8 30 I 9 31 1.03 2 3 19 I 2 76 4 5 6 3 2 14 5 0.88 1 Total $12,654 $791 100 There was an average of 2.7 horses per farm. Practically no sheep were kept. A few hogs were raised for home use, and two farmers raised pigs for sale. There were about 60 hens per farm. The largest flock was 100 hens. The total value of livestock was $12,654, or $791 per farm. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York •17 Machinery There were 4 tractors in the area, 3 Fordsons and 1 International. They were valued at $2850. There were 2 Ford trucks, valued at $500. The other farm machinery had an estimated total value of $4215. The total value of farm machinery was $7565, or $473 per occupied farm. There were 9 automobiles in the area, with an average value of $200 each (table 53). TABLE 53. Automobiles,* Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Make of car Number Total value Value per car Ford 4 2 1 1 1 $000 450 200 100 ISO $225 225 200 100 150 Total 9 Si ,800 $200 * Not "included in farm machinery. Real estate The farmers' estimates of the value of land and buildings in this area averaged $12.60 per acre. The total value of the 5702 acres was $71,700. There were nearly 3000 acres with a value of $10 or less, and about 4500 acres with an average value of $10 (table 54). TABLE 54. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value shown in column preceding 82 $ 2 $ 200 $ 2 4 82 4 800 3 6 278 5 1 750 4 2 653 80 6 500 4 4 733 7 1 500 5 952 198 8 1 600 5 5 1 ■ 150 927 9 8 400 7 1 2,077 781 10 7 800 9 2,858 11 2 900 8 2 3. 118 496 12 5 950 8 7 3.614 280 13 3 600 9 3.894 98 14 I 400 9 I 3.992 117 15 I 800 9 3 4.109 370 16 6 000 9 9 4.479 506 17 8 500 10 6 4.985 82 18 1 500 10 7 5,067 27 19 500 10 7 5.094 132 23 3 000 II 5.226 28 4 500 II S 5.388 187 29 5 500 12 1 5.575 64 31 2 000 12 4 5.639 63 32 2 000 12 6 5.702 * Including buildings. The occupied farms were valued at $37,500, or an average of $2344 per farm. The average total farm, capital on the occupied farms was $3608, of which 65 per cent was in real estate, 22 per cent was in livestock, and 13 per cent was in machinery. Bulletin 490 Condition of buildings There were 70 separate farmsteads in this area. 4 In 1927, two-fifths of the houses and nearly half of the barns were not usable or were gone (table 55). More than two-fifths of the usable houses and nearly three- fifths of the usable barns were considered poor. TABLE 55. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Bald Mountain Area, 1927 Houses Barns Condition Number Per cent Number Per cent Good 7 10. 3 43 17 24-3 13 18.6 18 25-7 22 31-4 7 10. 6 8.6 21 30.0 26 37.1 Total 70 100.0 70 100.0 Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 56. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Bald Mountain Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent House Barn Good Good 2 2.9 Good Fair 3 4.2 Fair Good 1 1-4 Fair Fair 8 II. 4 Good Poor 2 2.9 Good 0.0 Fair .*?.". 6 8.6 Fair 2 2.9 Poor Poor 12 17. 1 36 51.4 Good Not usable 0.0 Good Gone 0.0 Fair 1 1.4 Fair Gone 1 1-4 Not usable 2 2.9 2 2.9 Not usable Good 0.0 Good 0.0 Not usable Fair 0.0 Fair 0.0 Not usable 0.0 Gone Poor 2 2.9 Total having either house 8 11. S 2 2.9 Gone 5 7.1 Not usable I 1-4 18 25.7 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable 26 37-1 70 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. 4 The area referred to here, which is the one shown on the map. is a little larger than the area in which records were taken in 1926. No records were obtained in that part between Prospect Valley and Speeds- ville. The information on buildings was obtained in- 1927. This larger area is used in the discussion of roads and buildings only. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 49 There were only 14 farmsteads having both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn (table 56). About half of the farmsteads had both buildings still usable, while nearly two-fifths had no usable buildings. Nearly half of the vacant farms in that part of the area in which records were taken had both a usable house and a usable barn, while one- third had no buildings that were usable (table 57). TABLE 57. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Farmsteads having Number Per cent 14 45-3 3 9.7 0.0 2 6.4 2 6.4 I 3.2 I 3.2 0.0 8 2S.8 Total 31 100.0 * Based on survey records. The people At the time when this survey was made (September and October, 1926), there were 50 persons living in this area (table 58). TABLE 58. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Number Per cent 18 14 10 8 36.0 28.0 20.0 16.0 Girls Total SO 100.0 There was only 1 boy in the area more than 20 years old. The average age of the children was 8.7 years, and the average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 2 (tables 59 and 60). There were no children on 7 of the 16 occupied farms. There were 16 occupied farms in the area. The average age of the occupants 5 was about 47 years (table 61). Only 3 were under 40 years of age. None of the occupants were born in the area, and only 1 was born within the limits of the counties in which the area is located (table 62). There was living in the area but one family which was related to the early settlers. There were 6 occupants who were born in other States, and 4 who were born in other countries. Half of the occupants came directly from other States to this area (table 63). The previous employments of the farm occupants were as follows: one coal miner from Pittsburgh, one farmer from Wyoming, one railroad 5 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators, or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. So Bulletin 490 TABLE 59. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Age Boys Girls Total Under 10 years 4 5 9 3 3 6 2 2 1 1 10 8 18 9-4 8.0 8.7 TABLE 60. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 3 3 3 3 6 9 Total • 9 18 2 TABLE 61. Ages of 15 Occupants, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Age Number of occupants Average age « 3 10 2 (Years) 30.7 48.5 63.0 IS 46.9 TABLE 62. Birthplaces of 16 Occupants and Their Parents, Bald Mountain Area Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers Within Bald Mountain area 1 2 1 S 3 3 6 6 7 4 5 5 16 16 16 TABLE 63. Previous Locations of 16 Occupants, Bald Mountain Area Previous location Occupants No location other than present one Other farms in Bald Mountain area Other parts of Caroline or Candor Township . . Other townships in Tompkins or Tioga County Other counties in New York Other States Abandoned Farm Areas in New York worker from St. Louis, one farmer from Michigan, one lumberman from Pennsylvania, one teamster from Monroe County., one shop worker from Cortland, one painter from New York City, one copper miner from Michigan, one wire-mill foreman from Pennsylvania, one blacksmith from Syracuse, one day laborer from Pennyslvania, one machine-shop worker from Pennsylvania, one lumberman from Chemung County, one farmer from Broome County, one farmer native of the county (table 64). TABLE 64. Previous Employments of 16 Occupants, Bald Mountain Area Previous employment No employment other than farming Lumberman Miner (coal or copper) Machinist Foreman in factory Occupants Previous employment Laborer on railroad Laborer on canal, and teamster Blacksmith Painter Day laborer Occupants Of the 16 occupants, 13 had lived in the area for less than five years. Of these,, 5 had been there for less than one year. The average length of residence for the 13 was only 1.6 years. The longest term of residence of any occupant was sixteen years. (Table 65.) TABLE 65. Years of Continuous Residence of 16 Occupants, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 13 2 1 1.6 S.8 16.0 S to 9 16 30 Absentee owners There were 3 1 vacant farms and 7 parcels of land in this area. Most of the owners of these vacant farms were located near the area, but 7 were in other counties of the State, and 4 were in other States or other countries (table 66). TABLE 66. Locations of 28 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Location Within Bald Mountain area Other parts of Caroline or Candor Township .... Other townships in Tompkins or Tioga County. . Other counties in New York Other States in the United States Other countries Owners 12 5 7 About one-third of the owners of the vacant farms were farming else- where. The majority of them, however, were working at occupations unrelated to agriculture (table 67). 52 Bulletin 490 TABLE 67. Occupations of 24 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Occupation Farmer Machinist Retired Lawyer Day laborer . . . . Electrician Railroad worker Owners Occupation Salt-works worker Garage worker Government worker Real-estate agent Carpenter Paper hanger Owners Only 16 of the present owners of the vacant farms had lived on their farms. The average period of residence of these 16 owners on their farms was 16.3 years. The average number of years since these owners left was 9.6 (table 68). TABLE 68. Number of Years since the Owners* of the Vacant Farms Left, Bald Mountain Area Approximate number of years since leaving Number of farms vacated each year 2 3 3 1 1 5 1 7 2 8. . 1 12 2 30 3 Total 16 * These are the 16 owners who had at one time lived on these farms. Utilization of the land The area studied included 5702 acres. There were 16 occupied farms, 31 vacant farms, and 7 parcels and woodlots (table 69). The average size of all farms in the area was 115 acres. The operated farms averaged about 150 acres each. TABLE 69. Classification of Property, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Number Total Average of farms acres acres per farm Occupied farms: Operated 14 2,118 151 3 2 173 86 5 Vacant farms: 18 1,916 106 4 Idle 13 I ,221 93 9 7 274 39 1 Total 54 5.702 About one-third of the total area was in woods, and a little more than one- third was in idle cleared land (table 70). Only 7 per cent was in crops other than hay, and 1 1 per cent was in hay. Abandoned I 7 arm Areas in New York 53 TABLE 70. Utilization of the Land, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels and woodlots Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 341-75 203-75 319 482.5 765 89 14.9 12.8 13-9 21 . 1 33-4 3-9 275 89 166 1.570 954 83 8.8 2.8 S-3 50.1 30.4 2.6 10 3-6 616.75 392.75 491 2,088.5 1. 941 172 10.8 6.9 8.6 36.7 34-0 3-0 6 36 222 2.2 13- 1 81. 1 Total 2,291 100.0 3.137 100.0 274 100.0 5.702 100.0 Three-fifths of the cleared land was idle. On the vacant farms the idle land represented about three-fourths of the total cleared land, as compared with one-third on the occupied farms. More than 60 per cent of the crop land in this area was in hay, about 18 per cent was in buckwheat, and 12 per cent was in oats (table 71). These three crops represented more than 90 per cent of the total crop area. TABLE 71. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Total area Per cent Beans (Acres) 13 II. 5 32.5 5.23 in 4-5 101 6 4 3 2 5 336.75 (Acres) 7 2 6 (Acres) 20 13- 5 38.5 5.25 177 4-5 119 6 4 3 2 5 611 .75 2.0 1-3 3-8 0.5 17.5 0.4 11. 8 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.5 60.7 66 Oats Barley 18 Millet • Corn and millet Oats and cowpeas Alfalfa Total 275 635 5 374 1 .009.5 100.0 A comparison of the crops grown in 1925 and in 1926 on 9 farms shows but little change. There was slightly less buckwheat in 1926 and slightly more oats and hay (table 72). Yields were ascertained for the crop year 1925. Potatoes were a little better than the state average, but the other crops were considerably below (table 73). The New York State average yield of potatoes in 1925 was much below normal. The yields of the four principal crops — hay, buckwheat, oats, and potatoes — averaged 75 per cent of the New York State yields. Potatoes were important in raising this average yield, but they represented only a small part of the acreage. When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average was 58.4 per cent of the state average. A little more than one-third of the crop area was on the vacant farms. In 1926 some crops were put in on 14 vacant farms and hay was cut on 1 7 (table 74). The average period since crops had been grown or hay cut on the vacant farms was about four years. 54 Bulletin 490 TABLE 72. Comparison of Crops Grown in 1925 and 1926 on 9 Farms, Bald Mountain Area Crop 192s 1926 Acres Per cent Acres Per cent 17 4.2 7.5 10.5 3 18. S 63 82 6 2 1- 7 2- 4 0.7 4.2 Ws 1-4 0-5 I7-7S 85.5 72 4.4 21 .0 17-7 Oats 7 3 5 199 1.7 0.7 I .2 49.1 Millet 4 5 241 0. 9 1 . I 54-4 Alfalfa Hay Total 406.25 100.0 442. 5 100.0 TABLE 73. Yields of the Principal Crops, Bald Mountain Area, 1925 Average yield per acre Crop NumDer Number of farms of acres Bald Mountain New York State (Bushels) (Bushels) 9 17-75 94-9 86 Buckwheat 9 85- S II. 3 19 Oats 9 72 28.7 36 2 7 18.3 19.5 Hay (Tons) (Tons) 9 199 0.7 1.38 TABLE 74. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Bald Mountain Area Approximate Number Number Number Number number of of farms of farms of farms of farms Year years since last last last last operations occupied pastured plowed hayed were this this this this discontinued year year year year 3 8 14 17 1925 1 2 5 2 3 1924 2 5 1 2 I 1923 3 2 1 1 1 1922 4 2 1 5 1 2 2 1920 6 2 2 O 1919 7 1 I 1918 8 1917 9 1 10 4 4 5 15 4 2 1 20 2 1 1 25 • 30 2 35 2 I Total number of farms 31 31 31 32 Average number of years since operation was 9 9 7.2 4.3 3-7 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 55 Some stock was pastured on 8 vacant farms in 1926. There were only 361 acres fenced and available for pasture on the vacant farms. This was scattered all over the area in 14 different lots. The average period of vacancy of the unoccupied farms was about ten years. Abandonment started about thirty-five years ago, and a third of the vacant farms have been vacant for more than ten years. Farm operations Of the 16 occupied farms, 14 were being operated, but 5 of the operators had not been in the area long enough to furnish a complete year's record. Consequently, this discussion of farm operations is limited to data obtained from 9 farms. The total receipts on the 9 operated farms were $9332, or an average of $1037 per farm (table 75). TABLE 75. Detailed Receipts on 9 Farms, Bald Mountain Area, 1925 Num- ber of farms having receipt Number of units Average price per unit Total value Average value per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: 8 2 I 1 I 910 bu . . . 260 bu . . . 100 bu. . . 40 bu . . . 30 bu . . . $i .82 0.78 0. 50 1. SO 1 .50 $1,655 203 50 60 45 $184.0 22.5 5-5 6.7 5-0 82.2 10. 1 2.5 30 2.2 $2,013 $223.7 100.0 21 .6 Livestock; 2 4 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 2 8 2 3 24 97 17 6 9 $70.00 13-50 42.SO 45-00 48.33 I .20 I .00 3-00 7 .22 $140 108 85 I3S 116 116 17 18 65 $15-6 12.0 9-4 150 12.9 12.9 1-9 2.0 7-2 17.5 13- 5 10.6 16.9 14- 5 14-5 2.1 2-3 8.1 Bulls $800 $88.9 100.0 8.6 Livestock products: 2 2 4 8 $1,218 162 1 ,075 407 $135-4 18.0 H9-4 45-2 42-5 5-7 37.6 14.2 2, 150 lbs. . . 1 , 499 doz. . . $0.50 0.27 Eggs $2 , 862 $318.0 100.0 30.6 Woodlot products: 3 1 1 2 275 cords. 100 cords. 80 cords . $3.l6 0. 12 O.80 $868 12 64 119 $96.5 I -3 7-1 13-2 81.7 1 . 1 6.0 II .2 $1,063 $118.1 100.0 11. 4 Outside work: 3 3 I 116 days.. 19 days. . 12 days. . $4-73 1 .68 4-17 $549 32 50 $60.9 3-6 5.6 87.O 5-1 7-9 Machine work Total $631 $70.1 100.0 6.8 Increase in capital 8 $1,963 $218.1 100.0 21 .0 $9,332 $1 ,036.9 100.0 Bulletin 490 Livestock products were the most important source of income, milk and butter being the important items. Crop sales, principally of potatoes, constituted about one fifth of the total receipts. Livestock sales brought only q per cent of the total receipts. About 12 per cent of the income came from woodlot products, most of which was cordwood. Only 7 per cent came from work done off the farm. There was an average increase in capital during the year of $218 per farm, which accounted for 21 per "cent of the total income. The value of farm products used on the farm amounted to $3329, or $370 per farm for the 9 operated farms (table 76) . TABLE 76. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 9 Farms, Bald Mountain Area, 1925 Commodity Unit Average sale price 9 operated farms Total area Quantity used Total value Value per farm Quantity used Total value Milk Butter Eggs Poultry Pork Beef Potatoes Total Quarts . . . Pounds . . . Dozens . . . Number . . Pounds. . . Pounds. . . Bushels. . . io.05 o.so 0.27 1 .20 0.18 0. 10 1.82 7.299 835 1 .559 1 85 577 300 352 $365 418 421 222 104 30 641 $41 46 47 25 12 3 71 9.799 1 ,025 1,599 225 777 300 352 $490 512 432 270 140 30 641 $2,201 1 .128 $245 125 $2,515 1. 318 Cords .... $3 .16 357 417 $3,329 $370 $3,833 The total farm expense of these 9 farms amounted to $8562, or an average of $951 per farm. The current operating expense constituted 88 per cent of the total expense, and livestock purchased amounted to 12 per cent (table 77). The current operating expense was $7525, or $836 per farm. Unpaid labor made up 42 per cent of this, feed 12 per cent, and taxes 9 per cent. An average of $53 per farm was spent for new machinery. All other expenses were small. Taxes and threshing were the only expenses paid by all the farmers. Eight of the nine farmers had some expense for feed and horseshoeing. An average of $30 per farm was spent on the buildings. Only one farmer used any fertilizer, while five used a total of 17 tons of lime. The average amount expended for livestock purchased was $113 per farm. More than half of this was for cattle and 43 per cent was for horses. On only 1 farm was there a decrease in capital during the year (table 77). The total value of livestock was $1958 greater at the end of the year than at the beginning, machinery was $155 higher, and real estate was $170 lower (table 78). The net increase in inventory, which was due primarily to an increase in cattle, was $1943, or $216 per farm. When all of the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, $86 per farm is left to pay for the use of the capital invested and for the operator's labor (table 79). The average capital per farm was $4089, and interest on this, at 5 per cent, amounts to $205. Although these operators had houses to live in and farm products to use, they not only received Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 57 TABLE 77. Detailed Farm Expenses on 9 Farms, Bald Mountain Area, 1925 Number of farms having expense Number of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Operating expenses: Labor: Year help Day help Board of hired labor . . . . . Unpaid labor (including board) Breeding fees Building repairs Hay purchased Feed purchased Grinding feed Fencing Fertilizer Lime Horseshoeing Insurance Machinery bought Machinery repairs Machinery hired Threshing Gasoline and oil Twine Automobile expense Dairy supplies Hauling milk Grass seed Other seeds Taxes Veterinary fees Miscellaneous Total . 2 . 5 tons 17 tons 49 91 259 20 273 I2S 908 41 25 82 102 244 45 473 36 69 199 58 30 110 28 142 165 87 668 22 21 $ 5-6 28.8 350.3 2 . 2 30.3 13-9 100.9 4.6 2.8 9-1 II. 3 27.1 SO 52.6 4.0 7-7 22 . 1 64 33 12.2 31 15-8 18.3 9-7 74-3 2.4 2.3 $7,525 1836.1 0.6 1 .2 3-4 41 -9 0.3 3.6 1.6 12. 1 o.S 0.3 1 . 1 1.4 32 0.6 6.3 05 0.9 2.6 0.8 0.4 1-5 0.4 1 .9 Livestock purchased: Cows (grade) Heifers (grade) Calves Horses Boars Other hogs Pigs Hens Total . 4 55 $235 270 10 436 18 24 $26. 30. I . 48. 2.7 $1,017 $113-0 23 • I 26.6 42.9 2.4 Decrease in capital. $20 $2.2 Grand total . $8,562 $951-3 nothing for their labor, but found that their farm income was $119 less than farm expenses and interest. If it had been necessary for these operators to pay all expenses in cash, they would have been unable to remain on their farms. The total indebted- ness of these farmers was $5397, or $600 per farm. Consequently, the cash outlay for interest was $30 per farm out of a total interest charge of $205. Unpaid labor was another expense not paid for in cash. On the other hand, there was an increase in capital of $2 16 per farm, included among the receipts for which no cash was received. When all these items are taken into consideration, an average of $2 19 in cash was available for family living expenses and for saving. The estimated average cash expense per family for food was $239, and for clothing $72. Apparently, the operators must have had other sources of income than from farming operations, or some of their expenses were not paid. 58 Bulletin 490 TABLE 78. Changes in Inventory during the Year on 9 Farms, Bald Mountain- Area, 1925 Number of livestock At beginning of year At end of year Increase Decrease Cattle: 39 17 4 1 22 2 1 6 2 478 22 16 8 49 31 4 2 23 5 2 3 492 30 19 3 10 14 1 1 3 I Hogs: 3 2 Poultry: 14 8 3 5 $6,826 $3,735 $25,265 $8,784 $3,890 $25,095 $1,958 $155 $170 TABLE 79. Labor Incomes on 9 Farms, Bald Mountain Area, 1925 Total Average per farm Receipts: Increase in machinery Increase in livestock Crops Livestock sold Livestock products Miscellaneous , Expenses: Decrease in real estate Livestock purchased Operating expenses , Income from capital and operator's labor Capital: Real estate Machinery Livestock Interest on average capital at 5 per cent . Labor income $ 155 1.958 2,013 800 2,862 1.604 $ 170 1 ,017 7.525 $25,180 3.813 7.805 $36,798 $9,482 8,712 $ 770 1 ,841 $ 17 218 224 89 3i8 $ 19 113 836 $2,798 424 867 $4,089 $1,054 968 86 -$119 Taxation The total assessed valuation of the area in 1926 was $60,650, or $10.64 per acre. The town, county, and state tax averaged 25 cents per acre. The average school tax paid for the school year 1926-27 was 12 cents per acre, making an average total tax of 37 cents per acre (table 80). This tax represented 3.5 per cent of the assessed valuation and 3 per cent of the farmers' valuations. On the average, the land in this area was assessed at 85 per cent of the farmers' estimated value (table 81). The occupied farms were assessed at an average of 73 per cent of the farmers' valuations, and the vacant farms at 98 per cent. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 59 TABLE 80. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Bald Mountain Area, 1926 Number of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valuation Taxes* Total Per acre Total Per acre ■ Town, county, and state tax: $30 . 50 $0 Candor 1 . S 2 S til, 100 $ 7 28 $ 399 22 4.177 49.550 II 86 22 . 00 1 ,090 26 5 . 702 C An Acn ■f> ■* 00 o d o Per cent of group o d M W N Tt « lO M o d o r- po m tJ- in ir o d o M 00 CI o a o d o o d o Number of working days o r~ 00 m o o o N O lOO t** lO M I/) oo « Ooo o « it ro 00 r> ro o\ d gr? vO W d H ro O CI CJ Number of persons to Foreign-born operators Per cent of total o ro in CO O o 6 01 d. 00 O d o Per cent of group o d 0\ m N o o o CI 00 in it t— CI o o CI 00 o » vO ro o o z o o o Number of working days ooC'Si I o o o o \r> o m io t*- m io m co r» m o to O I- lO if CI r~ CA O r~ t 00 OO OO O CI o\ CI N Oi lo w r- Tf 00 00 CI Number of persons m *t ro 00 (/ c +■ « u a c C 1 Unpaid labor: Wife c c ec Daughter i c 1 4- c £- Hired labor: Month 5 □ r C t- Grand total Outside labor 1 Labor in woods ~a C Number of working days spent on ) Grand total Bulletin 490 no cash expense for labor. On first coming to America, most of the foreign- born families settle in cities. Here the men learn a trade at which they work for several years. After moving to a farm, it is common practice for the man to return to his old occupation in the city during the winter and sometimes for a longer period. The money brought back to the farm in this way adds materially to the income from the sale of farm products. These foreign-born farmers are content to farm in this way until they realize that with the same effort expended they can do better on some other farm or at some other occupation. The boys and girls, educated in American schools, generally start this movement from the poor areas. It is accelerated by the fact that the parents of these boys and girls are unable to pay them wages. The absence of the boys makes it necessary for the father to remain on the farm the year round, and often necessitates the hiring of labor. This reduces the income from outside sources, and increases the cash expense, so that a point is soon reached where it becomes unprofitable to continue farming. When this point is reached, there are several shifts that may be made. Some of the owners are fortunate enough to be able to sell their farms, but as such farms are not readily salable many of the owners are forced to leave without selling. A large number of the farmers have reached such an age as to make it impracticable for them to start over again on another farm. By cutting down farm operations and ceasing to make improvements, these farmers can live for several years on the accumula- tions of the past. If their farms are so situated as to make it possible, they may discontinue farming operations entirely, and work out the year round, using the farm as a home. All of these shifts are now taking place in the poor areas of New York. A resettlement of these areas is simply repeating the process of aban- donment through which they have already gone. It constitutes a great social loss, as many men spend the better part of their lives trying to make these farms pay, and the money invested there would return much more if spent in some other way. SWALE AREA Location The Swale area, comprising nearly 12,000 acres, is located in the town- ships of Canisteo and Cameron, in Steuben County. It is the region lying south of the Canisteo River and the towns of Carson and Adrian, west of West Cameron, north of North Jasper, and east and north of South Canisteo. A map of the area is shown in figure 8. There is a macadam road in the valley along the west side and part of the way along the north. The nearest railroad stations are at Cameron, southeast of the area, and Canisteo, northwest of the area. From the point known as " The Swale," which is about in the center of the area, the distance to Cameron is about five miles, and to Canisteo nine miles, by the shortest route. Description The highest point within the area is 2325 feet above sea level, and the lowest point about 1400 feet. The valley on the north and east is about 9 2 Bulletin 490 1 1 00 feet in elevation, and the one on the west is from 1200 to 1400 feet above sea level. The road along the south ranges from 1600 feet to 1900 feet in elevation. The center of the area is a level plateau, about 2250 feet in elevation. From Cameron to this point, the rise is 1200 feet in five miles. There is only one road leading out of the area to the north. The drop from the hill to the valley by this road, which is seldom used, is 1200 feet in two and one-half miles. The approach by the roads from the south and west is more gradual. There are four roads which at one time led into this area but which were impassable in 1927. The average elevation of the 85 farmsteads in the area is 1950 feet. There were 26 miles of public roads within the area (table 135). None of these were considered good, although 17 miles, or two-thirds of the total, were in fair condition during the summer. There were 5 miles of road which were not used and were impassable for motor-driven vehicles. TABLE 135. Condition of Roads in Summer, Swale Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent Good 0.0 Fair 17 4 65-4 IS- 4 19.2 Unused 5 Total 26 100.0 Livestock There were only 3 farmers who had 10 cows or more, and about 12 farmers who kept 5 or more. On the average, there were 4.2 cows per farm (table 136). There were practically no sheep in the area. A few farmers raised hogs for home use. Only 3 farmers kept 100 or more hens, TABLE 136. Number and Value of Livestock on 34 Occupied Farms, Swale Area, 1926 Average Average Average Per cent Total number Total value value of number per value per per total farm head farm value Cattle: 132 30 $11,900 $ 90.2 $350.i 41-3 9 0.3 1 ,625 180.6 47-8 5.6 63 1.9 2,003 31.8 59-0 6.9 4 0.1 350 87. S 10.3 1.2 12 0.4 360 30.0 10.6 1.2 8 0.3 235 29.4 6.9 0.8 Horses: 91 2.7 9.77S 107.4 287.5 33.8 Colts 1 100 100.0 2.9 0.3 Sheep: 16 OS 160 10. 4-7 0.6 12 0.4 120 10. 35 0.4 Hogs: 7 0.2 285 40.7 8.4 1 .0 Other hogs 20 0.6 473 23.6 13 9 1.6 Pigs 6 0.2 56 93 1.6 0.2 Poultry: 1.504 44-2 1.472 1 .0 43-3 5-1 Total $28,916 $850.5 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 93 the average per farm for all farms being 44 liens. The total value of livestock was $28,916, or $850 per farm. About 57 per cent of this invest- ment was in cattle and 34 per cent was in horses. Machinery The total value of special equipment in this area was $2915 (table 137). It consisted of 7 tractors and 2 trucks. TABLE 137. Tractors and Trucks, Swale Area, 1927 Number Total Value per Make of tractor or truck value tractor or truck Tractors: 6 $1 ,900 $317 1 900 900 Trucks: Ford 2 "5 58 Total 9 $2,915 The total value of ordinary farm machinery was $24,075. The total value of all farm machinery was $26,990, or $794 per occupied farm. There were 21 automobiles in the area, 13 of which were Fords (table 138). The total value of all cars was $3780, or $180 per car. TABLE 138. Automobiles,* Swale Area, 1927 Manufacturer's year Make of car Total number Ford Chevrolet Dodge Durant Elcar 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 I 1 2 I 4 4 3 I 1916 1 1919 1 1923 1 2 2 1 • 2 2 1 1 1924 1925 $1,530 $118 5 $1 .450 $290 1 $300 $300 1 $300 $300 1 $200 $200 21 $3,780 $180 * Not included in farm machinery. Real estate The estimated total value of the 11,782 acres in this area was $175,265, or $14.90 per acre. There were about 5000 acres valued at $10 or less, and about 8000 acres with an average value of $10 (table 139). The value of land and buildings on the occupied farms was $103,700, or $3050 per farm. This makes the total farm capital per occupied farm $4694, of which 65 per cent was in land and buildings, 18 per cent was in livestock, and 17 per cent was in machinery. The prices which the present operators paid for their farms averaged $14.80 per acre (table 140). On the average, only a little more than 40 94 Bulletin 490 TABLE 139. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Swale Area, 1926 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value shown in column preceding 133 $ 2 $ 300 $ 2.3 133 90 3 300 2 . 7 223 4 1 .300 3.5 544 890 4.500 4-5 1 ,434 6 4,200 4-9 2 , 145 1,087 7 7 .450 S-6 3 . 232 8 5 .900 6.2 3.867 9 4,050 6.5 4.396 10 9,250 7.1 5 ,327 209 12 2 ,450 7.3 5 . 536 238 13 3 , 150 7 • 5 5 . 774 84s 14 1 1 , 950 8.4 6,619 503 15 7 , 600 8.8 7,122 211 16 3,415 9.1 7 , 333 17 4,000 9.3 7 , 566 SOS 18 9.2SO 9.9 8,071 497 19 9, 500 10.4 8,568 529 20 IO.SOO II .0 9,097 436 21 9 , 300 1 1 . 4 9 . 533 22 6 , 500 II .8 9,825 23 2 , 700 II .9 9.942 205 24 S.000 12. 1 10,147 519 25 13.000 12.8 10,666 135 26 3.500 12.9 10,801 90 28 2.S00 13. 1 10,891 115 29 3.300 13-2 1 1 , 006 30 3.000 13.4 11,106 6S 31 2 ,000 13-5 11 . 171 95 32 3,000 136 11 , 266 35 9,000 14. 1 11 ,526 36 4.000 14-3 11.638 64 44 2,800 14-5 11 ,702 80 75 6,000 14-9 11,782 * Including buildings. TABLE 140. Purchase Prices Paid by 22 of the Present Owners of Farms, Swale Area Purchase price per acre Num- ber of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Total purchase price Average price per acre Original indebtedness Total Per cent of purchase price 5 6 4 7 1 .066 797 771 612 213.2 132.8 192.8 87.4 $ 7.950 9. 700 I 2 , 600 17,800 S 7.5 12.2 16.3 29.1 $6,650 6,350 7.400 7.900 83.6 65.5 S8.7 44 4 $10 to $14 Sis to $19 $20 and more Total 22 3.246 $48,050 S2?,300 Average 147.5 $148 58.9 per cent of the purchase price was paid in cash. In 1927 the estimated average value of the occupied farms was Si 9. 50 per acre. Condition of buildings On about two-fifths of the 85 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on one-third the barns were gone or were not usable (table 141). About one-third of the usable houses and two-fifths of the usable barns were considered poor. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 95 TABLE 141. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Swale Area, 1927 Houses Barns Condition Number Per cent Number Per cent Good IS 17.6 2 2.4 21 24.7 32 37-6 17 20.0 23 27 . 1 9 10.6 7 8.2 23 27.1 21 24.7 Total 85 100.0 85 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Only 24 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn. About one-half of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, one-fourth had one or the other gone or not usable, and one- fourth had both house and barn gone or not usable (table 142). TABLE 142. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms, * Swale Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent House Barn Good Good 2 2.4 Good Fair 12 14.2 0.0 Fair Good Fair Fair 11 12.9 Good Poor 1 1 .2 Poor Good 0.0 Fair Poor 7 8.2 Poor Fair 5 5-9 Poor 7 8.2 45 530 Good 0.0 Good 0.0 Fair 1 1.2 Fair 2 2.4 Poor 2 2.4 3 3-5 Good O 0.0 Good 0.0 Fair 0.0 Fair 4 4-7 Poor 1 1 . 2 7 8.1 20 23-5 Not usable 2 2.4 6 7.0 2 2.4 10 11. 7 20 23-5 85 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Nearly two-fifths of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while one-half of them had no buildings that were usable (table 143). 96 Bulletin 490 TABLE 143. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Swale Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent 38.7 0.0 2 4-1 0.0 10.2 4-1 8.2 House not usable and barn usable S House not usable and barn gone 2 4 2 30.6 IS Total 49 100.0 * Based on survey records. The people At the time when this survey was made (July, 1927), 115 persons were living in the entire area of nearly 12,000 acres (table 144). TABLE 144. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Swale Area, 1927 Number Per cent 39 33 22 21 33-9 28.7 19. 1 18.3 "5 100.0 Only 5 boys in the area were 20 years old or over (table 145). The average age of the boys was 15.2 years and of the girls 10.8 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 2.2 (table 146). There were no children living at home on 14 of the 34 occupied farms. TABLE 145. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Swale Area, 1927 Age Boys Girls Total 6 10 16 4 7 11 7 2 9 5 2 7 22 21 43 15.2 10.8 130 There were 8 occupants 7 of the area under 40 years of age, and 8 who were 60 years old or over (table 147). The average age of all occupants was 50.3 years. Most of the occupants were natives of the region. Only 2 were born outside of New York State (table 148). 7 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 97 TABLE 146. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Chil- dren, Swale Area, 1927 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 8 5 5 1 1 8 10 15 % f::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 20 43 2.2 TABLE 147. Ages of 33 Occupants, Swale Area, 1927 Age Average age Under 40 years . . . 40 to 59 years 60 years and over . Total number Average age (years) . TABLE 148. Birthplaces of 33 Occupants and Their Parents, Swale Area Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers 25 13 10 4 2 4 2 12 12 2 2 3 Total 33 29 29 Most of the present occupants were already located in Steuben County previous to moving into this area (table 149). More than half of them had been farmers (table 150). TABLE 149. Previous Locations of 26 Occupants, Swale Area Previous location Canisteo or Cameron Township Other townships in Steuben County Other counties in New York Other States Occupants 19 4 2 I TABLE 150. Previous Employments of 21 Occupants, Swale Area Previous employments Occupants Previous employments Occupants 12 1 1 2 1 3 I Railroad worker Conden^ery worker 9 8 Bulletin 490 Of the 33 occupants, 9 had been in the area for less than five years, their average period of residence being less than one year (table 151). Only 6 had been there for thirty years or more. The average period of residence of all occupants was 16.8 years. TABLE 151. Years of Continuous Residence of 33 Occupants, Swale Area, 1927 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 9 0.9 5 6.2 8 136 21.8 49- S S 30 and more 6 33 Average years of residence 16.8 Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms were located in Steuben County (table 152). The majority of them were farmers (table 153). TABLE 152. Locations of 59 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Swale Area, 1927 Location In Canisteo or Cameron Township Other townships in Steuben County. . . . Other counties in New York Other States Total Owners of vacant farms Owners of parcels 28 16 TABLE 153. Occupations of 45 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Swale Area, 1927 Occupation Owners of vacant farms Farmer Retired Railroad worker . . Teamster Lawyer Doctor Lumberman Restaurant keeper Store clerk Day laborer Stenographer Real-estate dealer . Total 19 5 Only 22 of the 49 owners of the vacant farms had ever lived on them. The average period of residence in the area of these 22 owners was seven- teen years, and it had been eleven years, on the average, since they left. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 99 Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 109 pieces of property, of which 34 were occupied farms, 49 were vacant farms, and 26 were parcels and woodlots (table 154). More than half of the land area was in the vacant farms and the parcels. TABLE 154. Classification of Property, Swale Area, 1926 Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Occupied farms 34 49 26 5. 318 4,301 2,103 156.4 89.0 80.9 Total 109 1 1 ,782 Most of the owners purchased their farms, although a few of them were inherited (table 155). A few of the vacant farms were obtained as the result of mortgage foreclosures. TABLE 155. Methods by Which Ownership of Farms Was Obtained, Swale Area Occupied farms Vacant farms 21 34 10 4 3 Total 25 47 About 40 per cent of the area was in woods, a small part of which was z pastured (table 156). Nearly one-fourth was in crops, 15 per cent was j in pasture, and 19 per cent was in idle land. About half of the land available for crops and pasture on the vacant farms was idle, as compared - with about one-fourth on the occupied farms. TABLE 156. Utilization of the Land, Swale Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay Other crops Idle land Woods not pastured Woods pastured Farmstead 1 ,360 644.2s 997-5 790.5 1,058 365 102. 75 25. S 12. 1 18.8 14.9 19-9 I 6-9 J 1 .9 653 143-5 609 1,351-S 1,510 94 150 33 14.0 31 34-5 2.2 30 10 155 94 1,814 1.4 0.5 7-4 4-5 86.2 2,043 797-75 1,761.5 2,236 4.747 196.75 17.3 6.8 150 19.0 40.2 1.7 Total S.3I8 100.0 4.36i 100. 2, 103 100.0 11,782 100.0 in, Hay comprised about 72 per cent of the crop acreage (table 157). >n- Oats and buckwheat were next in importance, representing 13 and 8 per it. I cent, respectively. too Bulletin 490 TABLE 157. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Swale Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total area Per cent (Acres) 13 6.S *8 200.2S 22 291 .5 47. S 4-5 21 1 .360 (Acres) (Acres) 13 6.S 40 . S 233-25 308. 5 57-5 7.5 23 2.043 OS 0.2 1 . 6 S.2 IS 130 2.0 0.3 0.8 71.9 pot a toes 8 c 33 10 77 10 3 2 6S3 10 Hay 30 Total 2,004.2s 796. S 40 2 , 840 . 75 100.0 The yields of all crops were low (table 158). The average yield of potatoes, buckwheat, oats, and hay was 63.6 per cent of the state average. When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average was 53.9 per cent of the state average. TABLE 158. Yields of the Principal Crops, Swale Area, 1926 Average yield per acre Crop Number Number of farms of acres Swale area New York State (Bushels) (Bushels) 34 42. S 90.5 117 2S 211 .25 12.4 18.9 4 42 21 .7 Oats 30 321. S 20.6 34 IS 46.5 21 . 1 28.3 5 20 IS-I II. 8 Hay (Tons) (Tons) 61 1.995 0.67 1.32 More than one-fourth of the total area of crops was grown on the vacant farms. In 1926 some hay was cut on 31 of the vacant farms, and plowing was done on 20. On 17 of the vacant farms some stock was pastured. There was a total of 897 acres fenced and available for pasture in 24 different lots. The estimated feeding capacity of this pasture was 4.8 acres to 1 cow. The fences around 12 of these lots were reported to be good, around 6 they were fair, and around 6 they were poor. Abandonment began in this area forty years ago (table 159). Nearly half of the farms had been vacant for ten years or more. The average period of vacancy was about eleven years. Farm operations Of the 34 occupied farms, 33 were being operated, but 6 of these oper- ators had not been in the area long enough to give a complete year's record. Consequently, this discussion of farming operations is based on only 27 farms. The total receipts on the 27 operated farms were $32,976, or $1221 per farm (table 160). Receipts from crops represented about 19 per cent of Abandoned Farm Areas in New York ioi TABLE 159. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Swale Area Approximate number of Number of Number of Number of Number of years since farms last farms last farms last farms last Year operations occupied pastured plowed hayed were this year this year this year this year discontinued 1926 3 17 20 31 1925 1 3 2 2 4 1924 2 2 2 4 2 1923 3 1 2 3 1 4 6 7 4 4 S 3 2 2 I 1920 6 4 I 7 1 2 1918 8 2 I I 9 2 2 I 1 10 2 I 3 12 5 2 2 2 IS S 4 3 I 20 5 4 I 25 I I X 30 2 1 40 2 49 48 49 49 Average number of years since operation was dis- 10.9 6.0 45 2.3 the total, of which about half came from hay and one-third from potatoes. Livestock sold represented 17 per cent of the total receipts; nearly two- thirds of this came from cows, and 18 per cent from veal calves. Live- i stock products sold was the most important item, of which fluid milk made up more than one-third of the total. Outside labor brought in 12 per cent of the total income, and an increase in capital on n farms accounted for 9 per cent. The receipts from woodlot products were _ i small. These 27 families used products from the farm valued at $8436, or ac; $312 per family (table 161). The farm expenses on these 27 farms amounted to $24,051, or $891 per farm (table 162). The current operating expense made up 77 per ia 1 cent of the total expense, decrease in capital 19 per cent, and livestock purchased 4 per cent. Unpaid labor made up more than one-third, and all labor 43 per cent, * of the operating expense. The next most important expense was for new j machinery, $84 per farm. Taxes represented 8 per cent of the total • 1 operating expense. No other item amounted to more than 5 per cent :a s e of the total operating expense. The commonest expenses were taxes, insurance, horseshoeing, grass seed, and threshing. There was an increase in capital on 11 farms and a decrease on 13. The net decrease in capital on the 27 farms was $1541, or $57 per farm, per- The total value of machinery at the end of the year was $550 higher than ord. j at the beginning, while the value of real estate and of livestock was lower ; 2J (table 163). There was a decrease in the number of cows, and an increase ; in the number of heifers and of hens. When all of the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, it of 1 an average of $330 per farm is left to pay for the use of capital and for io2 Bulletin 490 TABLE 160. Detailed Receipts on 27 Farms, Swale Area, 1926 ber of farms having receipt Number 01 units Average price per unit Total value Average value per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: 13 3 3 I 11 1,687 bu. 652 bu. 232 bu. 8 bu. 247 tons f 1 .2 0.8 1.6 2.2 13. S $1,975 522 378 18 3.345 $ 73 • 1 19.3 14.0 0.7 1239 31.7 6.1 0.3 53.5 Total $6,238 $231 .0 100.0 18.9 Livestock: II 1 15 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 2 I 47 1 75 2 2 3 2 12 I 3 1 2 20 $ 76.I 50.0 14.0 45 57-5 126 . 7 6.0 11 .0 60.0 433 5 0.4 $3,578 50 1 ,048 90 115 380 12 132 60 130 60 8 $132.5 1.9 38 8 33 4-3 14. 1 0.4 49 2.2 4.8 2 . 2 0.3 63.2 0.9 18. 5 1 .6 2.0 6.7 0. 2 2-3 1 . I 2-3 I . I O.I Hulls (grade) ij .11 . - I . 1 Other hogs T„f„1 $5.66 3 $209-7 100.0 17.2 Livestock products: 6 5 13 1 19 2 , 480 cwt. 19, 290 lbs. 6 , 496 lbs. 90 lbs. S.I55 doz. $2.11 $5 . 240 2,310 3.033 25 1 .428 $194- I 85.6 112. 3 0.9 52.9 43-5 19.2 25.2 0.2 II. 9 0.47 0.28 0.28 Eggs Total $12,036 $445-8 100.0 36.6 Woodlot products: 1 2 $1 , 200 35 $44-4 1.3 97-2 2.8 Total $1,235 $45-7 100.0 3-7 Outside work: 7 I 3 945 days 200 days $3-3 2.6 $3.U0 525 355 $115-2 194 13 • I 77-9 13-2 8.9 Horse work Total $3 . 990 $147.7 100.0 12. 1 Miscellaneous: Maple sirup I 2 $100 703 $ 3-7 26.0 12.5 87.5 Insurance* Total $803 $297 100.0 2-4 Increase in capital 1 1 $3,011 $111.5 91 $32,976 $1,221.3 100.0 100.0 * Remuneration for loss by fire. the operator's labor (table 164). The average capital per farm was $5028. Interest at 5 per cent on this sum amounts to $251 per farm, which leaves $79 per farm as pay for the operator's labor, in addition to which he has a house to live in and products from the farm to use. The total indebtedness on these 27 farms was $14,460, which means that only $723 of the $6787 interest charge had to be paid in cash. Like- wise, the items for unpaid labor, and the net decrease in capital of $1541, did not represent cash expenditures. Consequently, the average amount of cash per family available for living expenses and for saving was $606. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 103 TABLE 161. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 27 Farms, Swale Area Commodity Quantity Average Total Value per used sale price value farm Milk 325 cwt. $2.11 $ 686 $25-4 Butter 3,340 lbs. 0.47 1.570 58.0 Eggs 5,231 doz. 0. 28 1 .465 54-3 283 1 .0* 283 10.5 867 bu. 1.3 1 , 040 38.5 1 bu. 1.6 2 0.1 118 bu. 1 .0* 118 4.4 Pork 5,485 lbs. 0.18 987 36.6 Beef 1 , 300 lbs. 0. n 143 5-3 Veal 730 lbs. ' 0. 14 102 3-8 Total $6,396 $236.9 680 cords $3 00 2,040 7S-6 $8,436 $312.5 * Estimated by the enumerator. TABLE 162. Detailed Farm Expenses on 27 Farms, Swale Area, 1926 Number of farms having expense Num- ber of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Operating expenses: Labor: Year help Month help Day help Board of hired labor. Unpaid labor (including board) Baling hay Egg cases Breeding fees New buildings Building repairs Hay purchased Feed purchased Grinding feed Fence repairs Fertilizer Lime Horseshoeing Insurance Sawing wood Machinery bought Machinery repairs Machinery hired Threshing Gasoline and oil Automobile expense Twine Hauling milk Grass seed Other seeds Telephone Taxes Veterinary fees Cow tester 3 14 1 1 9 4 2 22 26 4 9 14 I 18 14 9 1 1 6 20 8 4 27 3 $ 125 ISO 1 ,093 267 6.360 344 2 7 168 697 175 863 132 121 85 72 376 474 436 2,268 268 5 274 387 612 66 303 743 143 14 1 ,511 34 $ 4-6 5.6 40.5 9-9 235-6 12.7 O. I 0.3 6.2 25.8 6.5 32.0 4-9 4- 5 3-1 2.7 139 17.6 16. 1 84.0 99 0.2 10. 1 143 22.7 2.4 II .2 27. 5 5- 3 0.5 56.0 1-3 o. 1 0.7 0.8 5.9 1-4 34-2 I 9 0.9 3-8 0.9 4.6 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.4 2.0 2.6 2.3 12.2 1.4 1.5 2 . 1 3-3 0.4 1.6 4.0 0.8 0.1 8.1 0.2 Total. i.i Livestock purchased : Cows (grade) Heifers Bull calves Horses Brood sows Pigs Hens 19 50 $460 84 3 210 33 87 45 $I7.o 3-1 7-8 49.9 9-1 0.3 22.8 3- 6 9-4 4- 9 Total. $922 $34-1 ioo.o 3-8 Decrease in capital . $4,552 $168.6 18.9 irand total . $24,051 $890.8 104 Bulletin 490 TABLE 163. Changes in Inventory during the Year, Swale Area, 1926 Number of livestock At beginning of year At end of year T Increase Decrease Cattle: 133 9 45 3 3 3 77 I 18 13 3 22 I I , l6l 117 9 S6 A ** 9 8 77 1 16 12 7 20 6 1. 312 16 11 1 6 5 Heifers (purebred) Horses: Sheep: 2 z Hogs: 4 2 5 151 Poultry: 126,292 $21 ,850 $88,375 $25,676 $22 ,400 $86,900 $616 $550 $1,475 TABLE 164. Labor Incomes on 27 Farms, Swale Area, 1926 Total Average per farm Receipts: Increase in machinery Crops Livestock Livestock products Woodlot products Outside work Miscellaneous Expenses: Decrease in livestock Decrease in real estate Livestock purchased Operating expenses Income from capital and operator's labor Capital: Real estate Machinery , Livestock Interest on average capital at s per cent . Labor income 5 550 6,238 5.663 12 ,036 1 .235 3.990 803 f 616 1.475 922 18,577 $30,515 21,590 $ 20 231 210 445 46 148 30 $ 23 55 34 688 $1,130 800 $87,638 22 , 125 25,984 $135,747 $8,925 6,787 $330 $3,247 819 962 $5,028 $2,138 $79 The estimated average cash expenditure for food was $215 per family, and for clothing $106. This leaves an average of $285 per farm available for other things. Taxation The total assessed valuation of the area in 1926 was $108,750, or $9.30 per acre (table 165). The town, county, and state tax averaged 20 cents per acre. The average school tax paid for the school year 1926-27 was Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 165. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Swale Area, 1926 Number of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valuation Taxes* Total Per acre Total Per cent 2,850 8,844 $30,SS0 78,200 $10.7 8.8 $25,312 20. 157 ft nil 1.576 $0 . 27 18 Total n ,694 $108,750 •&2 , 349 $9.3 S^*Vi/"*nl tor' 628 87/1 2,925 452 2,371 840 1,776 26S s.800 30.300 14.S00 4,200 21,450 12,600 12,500 4,000 % C A S> 5*4 7.0 10.4 9.0 93 9.0 IS.O 7.0 IS-I $ 7 . 00 1 1 . 80 10.00 7 • So 1 1 .00 S-OO 5 00 ...,t ,...t $ 24 68 30 109 46 107 63 $0.04 0.08 0. 10 0.07 0.10 0.05 0.08 District 5 District o Cameron: Total I I , 694 $108,750 $9.3 9.653 f447 $0.05 $0.25 * Not including cost of collection. t Rate not obtained for these two districts. TABLE 166. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Swale Area, 1926 Num- ber Acres Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 34 S.318 $S7.7O0 $10.8 $103,700 $19.5 Vacant farms: Both buildings unusable Total 19 2 4 9 15 2.073 220 29s 678 1.095 $22,450 1 ,300 2,950 5,550 8.350 $10.8 5-9 10. 8.2 7.6 $35,600 1 ,500 3,350 6.850 10.850 $17.2 6.8 11. 4 10. 1 9-9 49 4.361 $40 , 600 $58,150 $9.3 $133 26 2,103 $10,450 $50 $I3,4IS $6.4 109 11 , 782 $108,750 $175,265 $9-2 $14-9 * Including buildings. 5 cents per acre, which makes a total tax of 25 cents per acre. This tax represents 2.7 per cent of the assessed valuation and 1.7 per cent of the farmers' valuations. On the average, the land in this area was assessed at 62 per cent of the farmers' estimated value (table 166). The occupied farms were assessed at 56 per cent of the farmers' valuations, and the vacant farms at 70 per cent. 106 Bulletin 490 Contribution of the agriculture of the area The value of the agricultural products which this area contributed for use on the farms and for sale amounted to $4.52 per acre of cleared land (table 167) . To obtain this, it was necessary to import supplies amounting to 97 cents per acre of cleared land. The difference, which represents the net contribution of the agriculture of this area, was $3.55 per acre of cleared land. TABLE 167. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Swale Area, 1926* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (6838 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops: Sold $ 6,238 1 , 160 5,663 I.SI5 12,036 3,721 550 $0.91 0.17 0.83 0. 22 1.77 0-54 0.08 Used on farm Livestock: Sold Livestock products: Sold Used on farm Total $30,883 $4.52 Products imported: Livestock: $ 922 616 2,268 268 1.038 886 157 455 $0.13 0.09 034 0.04 0.15 0.13 0.02 0.07 Machinery: Feed Total $6,610 $0.97 $24,273 $3-55 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from the vacant farms by persons living outside the area. The total number of working days on the 27 operated farms was 11,625 (table 168). More than two- thirds of this work was done by the operators, and nearly one-fourth by unpaid labor. Only 7 per cent of the labor was hired. The number of days spent on work done off the farm and in the woods was 2366. This leaves 9259 working days for the agriculture of the area, which is 1.4 days per acre of cleared land. The net amount of $3.55 is the pay for 1.4 days labor, interest on invest- ment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, baling hay, breeding fees, horse- shoeing, insurance, machinery hired, threshing, use of automobile, hauling milk, use of telephone, veterinary fees, and cow tester. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 107 TABLE 168. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Swale Area, 1926 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent of total 27 8, ioo 69 . 7 Unpaid labor: Wife 3 2 300 600 11 . 1 66 7 22 . 2 Other Total 2,700 100. 23 . 2 Hired labor: Year 1 180 90 555 21.8 67 3 • Day Total Hoe 100.0 7 ■ 1 Grand total 1 1 ,62s 100.0 Outside labor 1.035 1 ,33i 43-7 563 Labor in woods Total 2,366 100.0 20.4 Number of working days spent on agri- 9.259 IOO 79-6 II ,625 100.0 SUMMER HILL AREA Location The Summer Hill area, comprising more than 11,000 acres, is located in southern Cayuga County, in the townships of Moravia, Locke, Summer Hill, and Sempronius. A map of the area is shown in figure 9. The nearest shipping points are Moravia and Locke, which are located about five miles from the center of the area. Description The area is fairly level, the greater part of it lying between 1600 and 1700 feet in elevation. The approach to this level plateau from the north, the east, or the west is rather steep. The macadam road from Locke to Cortland runs along the southern edge of the area and is at practically the same level as the area. The soil survey of the Auburn section of Cayuga County shows the soil in this area to be practically 100 per cent Volusia loam. There is one small tract just north of Summer Hill which is labeled Miami stony loam. Dunkirk clay appears in four places, but all are insignificant. The area is dotted with small tracts of wet meadowland. This soil survey was one of the first made in New York State. If it were repeated, the general classification of Volusia loam would probably be subdivided into a number of types, making it more comparable with that shown on the soil map of Tompkins County. There were 39 miles of public road in this area (table 169). Only 13 miles were considered good, 20 miles fair, and 3 miles poor. There were 3 miles which were not used and had become impassable for motor vehicles. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 109 TABLE 169. Condition of Roads in Summer, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent 13 20 3 3 33-3 51-3 7-7 7.7 39 100.0 Livestock There were 7 farmers who kept 10 cows or more, and 21 farmers who kept 5 cows or more. The average number of cows per farm for all farms was 4.5 (table 170). Purebred cattle were kept on 4 farms. An average of 2.6 heifers per farm were being raised. Only 2 farmers kept sheep, and the total number of ewes in the area was 13. There were 8 farmers who had brood sows. About half of the farmers raised pigs for home use. Hens were kept on practically all of the farms, the largest flock numbering 440. There were 14 farmers keeping 100 or more hens, the average number of hens per farm being 83. The total value of all live- stock was $57,004, or an average of $1140 per farm. TABLE 170. Number and Value of Livestock on 50 Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Total number Average number per farm Total value Average value per head Average value per farm Per cent of total value Cattle: Dairy cows (grade) 189 3 8 $20,195 $106 85 $403 8 35 5 35 7 8.725 249 28 174 S IS 3 no 2 2 4.540 41 27 90 8 8 22 4 2,650 120 45 S3 4 6 16 3 225 14 06 4 5 4 s I 185 37 00 3 7 3 10 2 1.055 105 50 21 I 1 9 Horses: 136 2 7 12,630 92 87 252 6 22 2 Colts 3 1 no 36 67 2 2 2 Sheep: 13 3 168 12 92 3 4 3 I 10 10 00 2 Hogs: 19 4 675 35 53 13 S I .2 3 48 24 00 I .1 34 7 596 17 52 II 9 I O Pigs 7 1 53 7 57 I I .1 Poultry: 4,128 82 6 4.904 I 19 98 I 8 .6 7 1 8 I 14 2 18 I 5 17 4 72 IS 25 115 4 15 5 6 00 00 00 76 I 2 4 3 5 3 I 1 3 Total 2 $57,004 Jl,I40 I 100 Machinery The total investment in farm machinery was $23,085, or $462 per farm. There were 2 tractors and 4 trucks in the area. The automobiles owned by the people in the area were valued at $6800 (table 171). There were 30 cars, half of which were Fords. no Bulletin 490 TABLE 171. Automobiles,* Summer Hill Area, 1927 Manufacturer's year Make of car Total Ford Chevro- let Maxwell Overland Olds- mobile Hup- mobile Jordan 2 2 1 2 2 2 5 6 3 4 2 I 1018 I 1 1010 1 1 2 4 4 1 1 1923 1 I 1 3 I I 1 1 1925 1 1 1927 Total number 16 $r,94S $122 6 $2,205 $368 3 $1 ,000 $333 2 $350 Si75 1 $500 $500 1 $200 $200 1 $600 $600 30 $6, 800 $227 * Not included in farm machinery. Real estate The value of land and buildings on the occupied farms was $177,350, or $3547 per occupied farm. This makes an average total capital per occupied farm of $5149, of which 69 per cent was in real estate, 22 per cent was in livestock, and 9 per cent was in machinery. The farmers' estimates of the value of the land and buildings in the entire area totaled $261,300, or an average of $23.40 per acre. There were nearly 2000 acres with a value of $10 or less per acre, and about 3500 acres with an average value of $10 (table 172). The prices which the present owners paid for their farms averaged $24.20 per acre (table 173). The majority of the farms had sold for more than $20 per acre. Less than half of the total purchase price of the 37 farms was paid in cash. In 1927 the estimated average value of the occupied farms was $28.10 per acre. Condition of buildings On nearly half of the 154 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on about the same number the barns were gone or were not usable (table 174). About one-sixth of the usable houses, and nearly one-half of the usable barns, were considered poor. There were 44 farmsteads having both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn. Nearly half of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about 10 per cent had one or the other gone or not usable, and two-fifths had both house and barn gone or not usable (table 175). This area was very thickly settled. Many buildings had been erected on small lots which later became parts of larger farms. These buildings have been allowed to decay and a number have been removed. This condition accounts for the high proportion of farmsteads with both house and barn gone or not usable. Nearly three-fifths of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while about one-fourth had no buildings that were usable (table 176). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York hi TABLE 172. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Acres Value LJC1 avl C Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land ANU-IIlUcr Ul JLIL.i with flvcr&gs VciluG shown in column preceding $ 4 $ 800 $ 4 2 192 5 800 4 5 352 6 100 4 6 370 70 7 500 5 440 1.040 8 8,450 7 2 1.489 9 800 7 3 1 .577 237 10 2,300 7 6 1 .814 II 1 , 100 7 8 1,914 502 12 5,850 8 6 2,416 318 13 4, 100 9 1 2.734 424 14 5,90o 9 7 3.158 IS 9,250 10 6 3.780 "S 16 2 ,000 10 7 3.905 442 17 7 ,600 II 4 4.347 18 4.450 II 7 4.596 924 19 17.500 13 5.520 55 20 1 , 100 13 5.575 21 2,500 13 2 5.695 794 23 18,300 14 2 6,489 24 6,000 14 8 6,738 25 3,800 15 6,889 26 9,000 15 5 7.239 399 27 10,700 16 I 7.638 28 9, 100 16 6 7.963 337 30 10, 100 17 I 8,300 31 12,500 17 8 8,702 33 2,000 17 9 8,763 130 35 4.SOO 18 1 8,893 33 36 1 , 200 18 2 8,926 37 12,500 18 9 9,265 1 20 38 4, 500 19 I 9,385 175 40 7,000 19 5 9.560 41 7,000 19 9 9.730 42 12,500 20 5 10,027 291 43 12,500 21 2 10,318 I9S 44 8,600 21 6 10,513 90 47 4, 200 21 8 10,603 48 1 1 , 000 22 3 10,834 54 9,000 22 8 II ,001 70 57 4,000 23 II ,071 82 61 5,000 23 3 II. 153 IS 80 1 ,200 23 4 11,168 * Including buildings. TABLE 173. Purchase Prices Paid by 37 of the Present Owners of Farms, Summer Hill Area Purchase price per acre Num- ber of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Total purchase price Average price per acre Original indebtedness Total Per cent of purchase price 2 3 6 6 20 549 290 911 771 2,016 274-5 96.7 151. 8 128.5 100.8 $ 4,500 3.925 15 ,000 16.900 69,550 $ 8.2 13-5 16.5 21.9 34-5 $ 3.500 1. 125 6,400 9,900 39,150 77-8 28.7 42.7 58.6 56.3 $10 to $14 $15 to $19 $20 to $24 Total 37 4.537 $109,875 $60,075 122.6 $24.2 54-7 112 Bulletin 490 TABLE 174. Condition ok Buildings on All Farms,* Summer Hill Area, 1927 Condition Houses Barns Number Per cent Number Per cent Good 42 28 13 27 44 27.3 18.2 8.4 17-5 28.6 12 34 39 1 1 58 7.8 22.1 25-3 7-1 37.7 154 100.0 IS4 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 175. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Summer Hill Area, 1927 Farmsteads having House Barn Number Per cent Good. Good. Fair.. Fair.. Good. Poor. Fair.. Poor. Poor. Good. Fair . . Good. Fair. . Poor.. Good. Poor . . Fair . . Poor.. Total having both house and barn usable . 23 1 9 6 o 17 76 7.1 14.8 0.6 5.8 39 0.0 10.9 1.3 4-5 49-3 Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Good , Good , Fair , Fair Poor Poor Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . 16 0.0 13 0.0 0.6 1 -3 13 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 33 2.6 10.4 Not usable . Not usable. Gone Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Total having both house and barn gone or not usable . 4 18 S 35 62 2.6 II. 7 3-3 22.7 40.3 Grand total . * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 176. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Summer Hill Area, 1927 Farmsteads having House usable and barn usable , House usable and barn not usable House usable and barn gone House not usable and barn usable House not usable and barn not usable , House not usable and barn gone House gone and barn usable , House gone and barn not usable House gone and barn gone Total Per cent * Based on survey records. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 113 The people At the time when this survey was made (June, 1927), 182 persons were living in the entire area of more than 11,000 acres (table 177). TABLE 177. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Number Per cent 57 51 37 37 31.4 28.0 20.3 20.3 Total 182 100.0 There were 4 boys in the area 20 years old or over (table 178). The average age of all children was 8.7. The number living at home, per family having children, was 3.2 (table 179). There were no children living at home on 27 of the 50 occupied farms. TABLE 178. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Age Boys Girls Total 21 6 6 4 20 14 3 41 20 9 4 37 9.2 37 8.3 74 8.7 TABLE 179. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 5 6 4 2 4 I I 5 12 12 8 20 8 9 S 8 : 9 Total 23 74 3-2 There were 12 occupants 8 of the area under the age of 40, and 18 who were 60 years old or over (table 180). The average age of all occupants was 53.1 years. Only s out of a total of 50 occupants were born within the area; 7 were born in other States, and 5 in other countries (table 181). 8 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. ii4 Bulletin 490 TABLE 180. Ages of 50 Occupants, Summer Hill Auea, 1927 Age Number of occupants Average age 12 20 18 (Years) 32.9 SO. 6 69.4 so S3- 1 TABLE 181. Birthplaces of 50 Occupants and Their Parents, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers Within Summer Hill area S 14 7 12 7 5 1 5 4 17 8 6 7 4 16 8 6 Elsewhere in Locke, Moravia, Sempronius, or Summer Other countries 50 41 41 TABLE 182. Previous Locations of 44 Occupants, Summer Hill Area Previous location Occupants S S 16 6 8 4 TABLE 183. Previous Employments of 39 Occupants, Summer Hill Area Previous employment Occupants Previous employment Occupants No employment other than farming . . . 28 Actor 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 TABLE 184. Years of Continuous Residence of 50 Occupants, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 16 6 10 9 9 1-4 7.2 14.2 22.4 40.0 S to 9 SO IS- 4 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 115 Most of the occupants were formerly located in or near the area (table 182). There were 8 who came from other counties in New York, and 4 who came from outside the State. The majority of the occupants had been farmers (table 183). Only 9 of the occupants had been in the area for thirty years or more, while 16 had been there for less than five years (table 184). The average term of residence for all occupants was 15.4 years. Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms were located near the area. However, there were 11 living in other counties of the State, and 4 out- side the State (table 185). Half of them were farming (table 186). TABLE 185. Locations of 46 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Location Owners Within Summer Hill area Other parts of Moravia, Sempronius, Summer Hill, or Locke Township. Other townships in Cayuga County Other counties in New York Other States 25 5 11 4 TABLE 186. Occupations of 46 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Occupation Farmer Retired Contractor . Lawyer . Storekeeper Doctor Banker. . . . Truckman . Owners 23 5 Occupation Sawmill operator Seedsman Blacksmith Mail carrier. . . . Lumberman .... Painter Road supervisor. Day laborer .... Owners Only 18 of the owners of the vacant farms had ever lived on them. The average length of residence of these 18 was 15.4 years, and it had been about eight years, on the average, since they left (table 187). TABLE 187. Number of Years since the Owners* of the Vacant Farms Left, Summer Hill Area Approximate number of years since leaving Number of farms vacated each year 3 5 I I I I 2 3 I 3 Total 18' * These are the 18 owners who had at one time lived on these farms. n6 Bulletin 490 Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 50 occupied farms, 44 vacant farms, and 20 parcels and woodlots, comprising a total of 11,168 acres (table 188). TABLE 188. Classification of Property, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm So 44 20 6,319 4.479 370 126.4 101.8 18. S Total 114 11,168 Approximately 14 per cent of this area was in woods, 21 per cent was in hay, 12 per cent was in other crops, 19 per cent was in pasture, and 29 per cent was in idle land (table 189). TABLE 189. Utilization of the Land, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total Acres Per ' cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 1,729 954-23 1 .569.75 900.25 457-5 361 347-25 27. S 15. 1 24.8 14.2 7.2 \ 5-7/ 5-5 S7S 340 549 2,316 478 221 12. 8 7.6 12.3 Si. 7 10.7 4-9 25 6.8 2,336 1 ,287.25 2,118.75 3, 274 25 1.583.S 568.25 20.9 US 19.0 29.4 14. 1 5-1 Idle land ' Woods not pastured 58 287 IS. 7 77- 5 Total 6,319 100.0 4.479 100. 370 100.0 II.I68 100.0 About one-third of the cleared land in the area was idle. On the vacant farms the idle land represented about three-fifths of the cleared area available for crops and pasture, as compared with about one-fifth for the occupied farms. Hay constituted about 64 per cent of the crop acreage, oats, barley, and mixtures of these grains 14 per cent, buckwheat 12 per cent, and potatoes 3 per cent (table 190). The important crops on the vacant farms were hay and buckwheat. The yields in this area were better than in the other areas studied, but were below the state average (table 191). The yields of the four principal crops, hay, buckwheat, oats, and potatoes, averaged 85.8 per cent of the New York State yields for the same crops. When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, this average was 78.2 per cent of the state average. About one-fourth of the total area of crops was grown on the vacant farms. In 1926 hay was cut on 22 farms, a few crops were put in on 18 farms, and some stock was pastured on 15 farms (table 192). Abandon- ment began in this area about thirty-five years ago, but has been very slow until recently. About two-thirds of the farms that were vacant in 1927 had been vacated since 1920. There were 9 farms vacated in 1926. On the average, the vacant farms had been unoccupied for 7.1 years. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 117 TABLE 190. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total area Per cent Corn for grain . Corn for silage . Corn for fodder Potatoes Field beans Cabbage Buckwheat Oats and barley Oats Barley Hay Sweet corn Wheat Millet Turnips Grass seed Total (Acres) IPS 58 58.5 87. 5 7 IS-S 249-25 274 123 43-S .729 0.5 2,683.25 (Acres) IS 14 35 i-S 202.5 6 61 5 S7S (Acres) (Acres) 345 58 S8.5 101 .5 42 17 4SI -75 280 184 48.5 2,329 O.S 7 3-5 3.623.25 1.6 1.6 2.8 1 .2 0.5 12.5 7-7 S.i 1-3 64.2 0.2 TABLE 191. Yields of the Principal Crops, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Crop Number of farms Number of acres Average yield per acre Summer Hill New York State Corn for silage 6 42 8 17 18 13 5 48 45 86 13-5 120.25 228 107 30.5 1.737 8 . 9 tons 104. 1 bu. 6 tons 15 • 1 bu. 33-8 bu. 33. S bu. 27.5 bu. 1 ton 117 bu. Cabbage Buckwheat 18.9 bu. Oats .* 34 bu. 28.3 bu. 1 .32 tons Hay TABLE 192. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Summer Hill Area Year Approximate number of years since operations were discontinued Number of farms last occupied this year Number of farms last pastured this year Number of farms last plowed this year Number of farms last hayed this year 9 IS 18 • 22 1925 I 4 6 8 9 1924 2 6 6 5 6 1923 3 5 2 1 1 4 1 1 2 5 2 2 4 1920 6 1 1 I 1 7 1 1 I 8 1 I 10 1 1 12 2 1 1 1 15 2 20 2 2 1 I 2S 2 30 1 35 1 Average number of years since operation was 39 7-1 38 2.9 42 2.3 44 1.9 n8 Bulletin 490 The pastures were better in this area than in the others. On the vacant farms there were 29 lots fenced, making available for pasture about 851 acres. The estimated feeding capacity was 2.8 acres to 1 cow. Around 12 of these lots the fences were considered good, around 10 they were fair, and around 7 they were poor. On the occupied farms there were 42 lots fenced, making 1686 acres available for pasture. The estimated feeding capacity was 2.6 acres to 1 cow. Around 21 of these lots the fences were good, around 17 they were fair, and around 4 they were poor. Farm operations There were 50 occupied farms in the area, but three men were not operating their farms and five had not been in the area for a complete year. Consequently, this discussion of farm operations is based on records obtained from 42 farms. The total receipts on the 42 farms were $68,534, or $1632 per farm (table 193). About 39 per cent of the receipts came from livestock prod- ucts, consisting mostly of milk and eggs. Livestock sold brought 20 per cent of the total income, and crops sold brought 18 per cent. About half of the crop receipts were from potatoes, and one-third were from hay. Increase in capital on 22 farms accounted for 9 per cent of the total receipts. Only 7 per cent of the receipts came from work done off the farm, and another 7 per cent came from miscellaneous sources. In addition to the cash receipts, these 42 farms contributed, toward the farmers' living, farm products valued at $13,317, or $317 per farm (table 194). Wood was the most important item, while milk, butter, eggs, potatoes, and pork were the important food products. The total farm expense was $52,238, or $1244 per farm (table 195). About three-fourths of this was operating expense, 16 per cent was decrease in inventory, and 8 per cent was livestock purchased. Unpaid labor made up one-fourth of the operating expense, and feed purchased made up one-fourth. Hired labor represented 10 per cent, taxes 8 per cent, and building repairs 6 per cent. No other item amounted to more than 4 per cent of the total. There was an increase in inventory on 22 farms, and a decrease on 20 farms. The net decrease of $2104 was due principally to a decrease in the value of machinery. There was not much change in real estate or in livestock (table 196). When all of the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, an average of $388 per farm is left to pay for the use of the capital and for the operator's labor (table 197). The average capital per farm was $5284. Deducting interest on this amount at 5 per cent leaves these farmers an average of $124 each as pay for their year's labor, in addition to having a house to live in and products from the farm to use. The actual indebtedness on these farms was $34,350, which means that only $41 of the $264 interest charge had to be paid in cash. The charges for unpaid labor and for decrease in inventory were likewise expenses not paid for in cash. Consequently, the average amount of cash per family available for living expenses and for saving was $648. The average esti- mated cash expense per family for food was $235, and for clothing $108. This left $305 per farm available for other things. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 119 TABLE 193. Detailed Receipts on 42 Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Number of farms having receipt Number of units Average price per unit Total value Average value per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Crops: Potatoes Beans Cabbage Buckwheat Oats Barley Oats and barley . Hay Straw Turnips Wheat Total. Livestock: Cows (grade) Cows (purebred) . . Heifers (grade) .... Heifers (purebred ) . Veal calves Bob veal Bulls (grade) Bulls (purebred ) . . . Horses Lambs Goats Brood sows Boars Other hogs Pigs Hens Broilers Ducks Geese Turkeys Total . 26 27 4 5,131 bu. 11 .5 bu. 64 tons 321 bu. 50 bu. 40 bu. 200 bu. 320. s tons 10 tons 250 bu. 16 bu. 65 4 33 5 147 14 3 6 1 1 42 58 1 .SOI 75 60 6 1 $1.28 4.00 15.00 0.82 O.50 0.62 0.80 12.78 10.00 O.60 2.50 i 69.42 100.00 55.61 9.60 16.64 1.93 31 .67 68.33 62 . 27 12 .00 15 00 63-33 18 .00 25.98 5- 05 1 .04 0.60 0.73 5 00 20 . 00 $6,614 46 958 263 25 25 160 4 , 100 100 ISO 40 $157-4 I . I 22.8 6.3 o 0. 6 3 97-6 2.4 3.6 1 . o $12,481 $297. S>4. 512 400 1.835 48 2.447 27 95 410 685 24 15 190 18 1 ,091 293 1,566 45 44 30 20 $13,795 107 •4 32 8 9 5 2 9 43 7 13 3 I I 3 58 3 17 7 6 2 2 3 7 9 8 3 16 3 5 6 2 O 4 I 4 5 I 4 4 I 26 7 9 7 2 I 37 3 11 4 I I 3 I 3 O 7 2 S I S328.5 52.9 0.4 7.7 2 . I 0.2 0.2 13 32.9 0.8 I .2 0.3 Livestock products: Milk Cream Butter Wool Eggs Day-old chicks . . . Breeding fees Total . 35 3.997 cwt. 11 , 197 lbs. 100 lbs. 22,339 doz. 1 ,000 $2 68 $10,713 2,927 5.263 34 7.477 120 $255.1 69.7 125.3 0.8 178.0 2.9 40.4 11 .0 19.8 $26,536 $631.8 Outside labor: Man work .... Team work. . . Trucking Machine work . Total Miscellaneous: Cordwood Stock pastured Dealers' commissions . Maple sirup Sale of machinery Wintering stock Other Total . Increase in capital . 593 days 325 days 180 days $333 6.75 4. 00 $1 ,974 2,197 720 40 $47 52-3 17 1 .0 40.0 44-6 14.6 0.8 $4.93i $117-4 100. 147 cords 45S gals. $4.44 $ 653 52 300 910 1 ,900 870 45 $15.5 1.2 7-1 21.7 45-3 20.7 I . I 138 I . I 6.3 19.2 40.2 18.4 I .0 $4,730 $6,061 $112.6 $144-3 Grand total. $68,534 $1,631.8 120 Bulletin 490 TABLE 194. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 42 Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Commodity Quantity used Average sale price Total value Value per farm Milk 742 cwt. 4.130 lbs. 7.376 doz. 42S 1,277 bu. 1.5 bu. 346 bu. 7,963 lbs. 1,850 lbs. $2.68 0.47 0.33 1 .04 1.28 4 .00 0.75 0. 16 0.09 $1 ,989 1 .941 2,434 442 1,635 6 260 1 .237 163 J47 46 59 II ?° Poultry 6 29 4 Pork Beef Total $10. 107 3.210 $241 76 1. 100 cords $2.92 II3.3I7 $317 Taxation The assessed valuation of this area was $205,665, or $19.04 per acre (table 198). The town, county, and state tax per acre averaged 46 cents and the school tax per acre 16 cents, making a total tax of 62 cents per acre. This tax represents 3.2 per cent of the assessed valuation and 2.6 per cent of the farmers' valuations. On the average, the land in this area was assessed at 79 per cent of the farmers' estimated value (table 199). The occupied farms were assessed at 67 per cent of the farmers' estimates, while the vacant farms were assessed at more than their estimated value. Contribution of the agriculture of the area The value of the agricultural products which this area contributed for use on the farm and for sale amounted to $6.99 per acre of cleared land (table 200). To obtain this, it was necessary to import supplies amounting to $2.41 per acre of cleared land. The difference, which represents the net contribution of the agriculture of this area, was $4.58 per acre of cleared land. About 1 2 per cent of the labor on the farms in this area was hired, 2 1 per cent was unpaid labor, and 67 per cent was done by the operators (table 201). The total number of working days on the 42 operated farms was 18,728. The total number of days spent on work done off the farm and in the woods was 1894. This leaves 16,834 working days for the agriculture of the area, which is 1.9 days per acre of cleared land. The net amount of $4.58 is the pay for 1.9 days labor, interest on invest- ment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, baling hay, breeding fees, grinding feed, horseshoeing, insurance, machinery hired, filling silo, threshing, use of automobile, hauling milk, registration fees, use of telephone, and veterinary fees. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 121 TABLE 195. Detailed Farm Expenses on 42 Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Number of farms having expense Num- ber of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Operating expenses: Labor: Year help Month help Day help Board of hired labor. Unpaid labor (including board) . Baling hay Egg cases Breeding fees New buildings Building repairs Cash rent for crop land Cash rent for pasture Hay Feed. Grinding feed Fence repairs Fertilizer Lime Horseshoeing Insurance Sawing wood or lumber Machinery bought Machinery repairs Machinery hired Filling silo Threshing Oil, gasoline, and truck Twine Automobile expense Hauling milk Dairy supplies Registration fees Grass seed Other seeds Spray materials Telephone Taxes Veterinary fees Miscellaneous ■ Total . 3 4 22 22 26 2 6 S 3 21 2 5 4 38 IS 14 32 3 38 39 6 13 20 S 2 27 26 25 13 42 $1,180 825 1,820 80s 9,773 56 68 12 129 2,237 250 120 130 9,728 190 I8l 1,574 120 840 655 51 1.330 370 55 49 578 537 133 1.035 142 8 9 1, 160 380 5 171 3.259 73 26 f 28.1 19.6 433 19.2 232.7 1-3 1.6 0.3 3- 1 53-3 6.0 2.9 3.1 231 .6 4- 5 4-3 37.5 2.9 20.0 15.6 1.2 31.7 8.8 1.3 1.2 13-8 12.8 3.2 24.6 3- 4 0.2 0.2 27.6 9.0 O.I 4- 1 77-6 1.7 0.6 2.9 2.1 4- 5 2.0 24.6 O.I 0.2 0.3 5- 6 0.6 03 0.3 24.5 O.S O.S 3.9 0.3 $40 , 064 $953.9 1.6 3-3 0.9 0.1 O.I 1.4 1-3 0.3 2.6 0.4 2.9 0.9 0.4 8.1 Livestock purchased : Cows Heifers Calves Bulls Horses Goats Pigs Chickens Ducks Geese Total . 16 6 16 11 84 2 14 1 35 .054 3 Si .365 515 385 24 ,095 12 200 406 $32.4 12.3 9.2 0.6 26.1 0.3 4.8 9.7 34-1 12.8 9.6 0.6 27.4 0.3 5.0 10. 1 0.1 $4,009 $95-5 Decrease in capital . $8,165 $194-4 Grand total . 32,238 $1,243.8 122 Bulletin 490 TABLE 196. Changes in Inventory during the Year, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Cattle: Cows (grade) Cows (purebred) . . Heifers (grade) . . . Heifers (purebred) Calves Bulls (grade) Bulls (purebred) . . Horses and mules: Work horses Colts Mules Sheep: Ewes Bucks II",.,: Brood sows Boars Other hogs Pigs Poultry: Hens Ducks Geese Turkeys Bees (swarms) Goats Value of livestock . . Value of machinery . Value of real estate. Number of livestock At beginning of year S5I .347 $23,870 5147.750 At end of year 191 166 35 35 87 100 13 22 S 14 6 5 9 9 1 20 117 2 3 2 II 13 I 1 12 II 2 1 9 33 29 7 3.S68 3.003 10 7 21 15 2 I 4 5 6 17 JSI.538 $21 ,675 $147 ,650 Increase 13 9 9 24 35 S191 TABLE 197. Labor Incomes on 42 Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Receipts: Increase in livestock Crops Livestock sold Livestock products Miscellaneous Expenses: Decrease in machinery Decrease in real estate Livestock purchased Operating expense Income from capital and operator's labor Capital: Real estate Machinery Livestock Interest on average capital at 5 per cent . Labor income Total S 191 12 ,481 13.795 26.536 9,661 $62,664 * 2,195 100 4,009 40 , 064 46.368 $16,296 $147,700 22,772 5L443 $221 .915 11 ,097 $5. 199 Average per farm i 5 297 328 632 230 95 955 $3,517 542 1 .225 $0,284 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 123 TABLE 198. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Number of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valuation Taxes* Total Per acre Total Per acre Town, county, find state tax: $0 36 3,4I7 $63 960 $18 72 $19 14 $1 ,224 M OTaVia 923 23 300 25 24 31 04 723 78 Sempronius 1 ,488 23 190 15 58 21 46 498 33 Summer Hill 4,962 95 105 19 17) ""26 36 2,510 50 State land no 10 00 J Total 1 , 801 $205 665 ♦4.955 Average $19 04 $0 46 School tax: District 2 1 , 295 $25 500 $19 69 $ 7 00 $178 $0 14 District 4 80 2 OOO 25 00 14 00 28 35 District 5 661 13 900 21 02 7 00 97 IS 1.844 29 no 15 78 7 00 1 1 Summer Hill: 1 ,410 28 570 20 26 1 1 00 314 22 759 17 850 23 52 8 00 I 43 19 District 3 341 6 035 17 70 13 00 78 23 350 7 600 21 71 11 00 84 24 1,180 19 750 16 74 5 00 99 08 Moravia, District 5 458 9 010 19 67 10 00 90 20 Sempronius: 419 7 050 16 83 7 00 49 12 1,993 39 180 19 66 9 00 353 18 1 1 no 10 00 7 00 1 09 Total 10,801 $205 ,665 $1,718 $19 04 $0 16 $6,673 $0 62 * Not including cost of collection. TABLE 199. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1927 Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Number Acres Total Per acre Total Per acre Occupied farms 50 6.319 $n8,935 $18.8 $177,350 $28.1 Vacant farms: Both buildings usable 25 2,714 $56,550 $20.8 $58,200 $21.4 Only the house usable 4 320 4.330 13-5 8.300 25-9 Only the barn usable 3 387 5.600 14-5 5.400 14.0 Both buildings unusable 6 492 7 ,020 14-3 4.400 8.9 No buildings 6 566 8,030 14.2 4.075 7.2 Total 44 4.479 $81,530 $8o,375 $18.2 $17.9 Parcels 20 370 $5,200 $14.1 $3,575 $9-7 Grand total 114 11,168 $205 ,665 $261 ,300 $18.4 $23.4 1 * Including buildings. 124 Bulletin 490 TABLE 200. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Summer Hill Area, 1926* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (9016 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops : Sold $12,481 1 ,901 13,795 1 , 842 191 26,536 6,364 $1.38 0.21 1.53 0.20 0.02 2.94 0.71 Used on farm . Livestock: Sold Used on farm Increase in inventory Livestock products: Sold Used on farm $63 , 110 $6.99 * rotJucts imported! Livestock bought $4,009 1 ,330 370 2,195 9.858 1.540 1.694 777 $0.44 0.15 0.04 0.24 1 .09 0.17 0. 19 0.09 Machinery: Feed Total $21,773 $2.41 $41,337 $4.58 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from the vacant farms by persons living outside the area. TABLE 201. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Summer Hill Area, 1926 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent of total 42 12,600 67.3 Unpaid labor: Wife 14 8 6 1. 775 1.375 825 44.6 34-6 20.8 Other Total 3.975 100.0 21 .2 Hired labor: Year 3 4 900 575 678 41.8 26.7 31-5 Day Total 2,153 100.0 11. S 18,728 100.0 1 , 192 702 62.9 37 - 1 Total 1,894 100.0 10. 1 Number of working days spent on agri- 16,834 89.9 18,728 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York SUMMER HILL TURNPIKE Description Along the southern border of the Summer Hill area is a macadam road running from Locke to Cortland. A map of this road is shown in figure 9 (page 108). The elevation, topography, and soil conditions of the farms along this road are practically the same as for the farms in the Summer Hill area. The farms on this road have the advantage of a macadam road and are a little nearer the market. Records were obtained on 22 operated farms along this road. The purpose of this survey was to learn to what extent the operations on these 22 farms differed from the operations on the 42 farms in the Summer Hill area. Farm capital The livestock was valued at $47,288, or $2150 per farm (table 202). There were 15 farmers who kept 10 cows or more, but only 2 farmers had herds of more than 20. The average number of cows per farm was 1 1.8, most of which were grades. On the average, about 5 heifers were being raised per farm. Only one farmer had any sheep. There were 3 farmers keeping 100 hens or more, the average number of hens per farm for all farms being 58-3. TABLE 202. Number and Value of Livestock, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Total number Average number per farm Total value Average value per head Average value per farm Per cent of total value Cattle: 24S 11 I $28,965 $118 2 $1,316 6 61 I 16 7 2,300 143 8 104 5 4 9 107 4 9 4.87S 45 6 221 5 10 3 Heifers (purebred) 14 6 1 .030 73 6 46 8 2 2 3 1 25 8 3 1 1 I Bulls (grade) 7 3 265 37 8 12 2 6 Horses : Work horses 8 4 80s 100 6 36 5 I 7 63 2 9 6,810 108 1 309 5 14 4 Colts 3 I 250 83 3 11 4 6 Sheep: 20 9 300 IS 13 6 6 1 15 15 7 23 I 115 S 5 2 2 Hogs: 1 30 30 1 4 1 6 3 85 14 2 3 9 2 Pigs 6 3 32 5 3 I 5 1 Poultry: 1.283 58 3 1,386 1 I 63 2 9 Total $47 . 288 $2,149 5 100 The investment in farm machinery was $16,625, or $7 56 per farm. Included in this farm machinery were 1 Fordson tractor valued at $200, and 2 Ford trucks valued at $475. There were 19 automobiles on the 22 farms (table 203). More than half of them were Fords. The total value of the 19 cars was $5400, or an aver- age of $284 each. The total capital per farm was $7386, of which 61 per cent was in real estate, 29 per cent was in livestock, and 10 per cent was in machinery. i26 Bulletin 490 TABLE 203. Automohiles, * Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Manufacturer's year Make of car Ford Chevro- let Maxwell Oakland Essex Buick Stude- baker Total number 1 2 I 2 3 1 2 3 2 5 1 3 2 I 1 1924 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 $1,500 $136 3 $1 .450 $483 1 $400 $400 1 $150 $150 1 $800 $800 1 $700 $700 1 $400 $400 19 $3,400 $284 Not included in farm machinery. The farmers' estimate of the value of their farms ranged from $2 1 an acre to $76 an acre (table 204). The average valuation per acre was $39. The total capital invested in land and buildings was $98,550, or $4480 per farm. TABLE 204. Land Values per Acre, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Value per acre Number of farms Value per acre Number of farms $38 1 2 I 4 2 1 I I 42 23 45 26 47 31 49 32 52 33 53 76 37 The people There were 76 persons living on these 22 farms (table 205). Nearly one-third of this number were men, and about one-fourth were boys. There was only 1 boy 20 years old or over (table 206). The average number of children, per family having children, was about 2 (table 207). There were no children living at home on 7 of the 22 farms. There were 10 occupants' J of the area under the age of 40 years, and only 2 over 60 years old (table 208). The average age of the 22 occupants was 42.5 years. Only 2 of the occupants had been on their present farms for more than thirty years, while 5 had been on their farms for less than five years (table 209). The average length of residence for all occupants was 12.7 years. Most of the occupants were natives of the region and had always been farmers. A few came to these farms from outside the State. (Tables 210, 2ii, and 212.) ' The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 127 TABLE 205. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Number Per cent 24 21 18 13 31.6 27 .6 23-7 17. 1 76 100.0 TABLE 206. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Age Boys Girls Total 10 4 3 1 7 1 4 1 17 S 7 2 18 10.2 13 0-0 31 10. 1 TABLE 207. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Number of children in the family Number of. families Total number of children 5 5 4 1 5 10 12 4 3 4 Total IS 31 2.1 TABLE 208. Ages of 22 Occupants, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Age Number of occupants Average age 10 10 2 (Years) 330 47.2 67 .0 22 42. S TABLE 209. Years of Continuous Residence of 22 Occupants, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 5 5 7 3 2 30 7-4 12.4 22.7 36. 5 22 12.7 128 Bulletin 490 TABLE 210. Birthplaces of 22 Occupants and Their Parents, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers 2 12 4 5 2 I 3 2 10 7 4 4 4 3 3 22 22 22 TABLE an. Previous Locations of 18 Occupants, Summer Hill Turnpike Previous location Occupants a 8 I 4 3 TABLE 212. Previous Employments of 19 Occupants, Summer Hill Turnpike Previous employment Occupants No employment other than farming. Machinist Laborer on railroad Laborer in factory Utilization of the land Only 9 per cent of the land on these 22 farms was idle, and 15 per cent was in woods (table 213). Nearly half of the total area was in crops, and one-fourth was in pasture. TABLE 213. Utilization of the Land, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Acres Per cent Hay 766 555- 25 700.25 253-50 90 347 134 26.9 19-5 24.6 8.9 3.2 12.2 4-7 Total 2.846 100. Hay comprised 58 per cent of the crop acreage, oats, barley, and mixtures of these grains 15 per cent, buckwheat 11 per cent, and corn silage 10 per cent (table 214). The yields of potatoes, buckwheat, oats, and hay were 85.7 per cent of the New York State average (table 215). When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average was 89.3 per cent of the state average. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 129 TABLE 214. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Crop Total acres Average acres per farm Per cent 2 . 127. S II. 5 31-5 23.0 145-75 I2C .O 77-5 2.0 1-5 130 766.0 . 1 5.8 0.5 1.4 1 .0 6.6 55 35 0.1 . 1 0.6 34-8 . 2 9-6 0.9 2.4 1.7 II .0 91 5.9 0.2 0.1 I .0 57 9 Corn for silage Millet Hay Total 1,321.25 60.0 100.0 TABLE 215. Yields of the Principal Crops, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Crop > Number of farms Number of acres Average yield per acre Summer Hill Turnpike New York State 13 19 11 16 13 9 25 113. 5 30 19 100.75 120 75-5 766 9 . 1 tons 85.1 bu. 7 . 1 tons 14.8 bu. 34-3 bu. 34-3 bu. 1 . 2 tons 117 bu. Buckwheat 18.9 bu. Oats 34 bu. 1.32 tons Hay Farm operations The total receipts per farm were $2732 (table 216). More than two- thirds of this income came from livestock products, which consisted almost entirely of fluid milk. The remainder of the income came about equally from crops, livestock, outside labor, increase in capital, and miscellaneous items. The most important cash crops were potatoes and cabbage. The value of the farm products used on these 22 farms was $5513, or $25 1 per farm (table 217). Cordwood, milk, eggs, and potatoes were the most important items. The total farm expense averaged $1794 per farm, of which nearly 90 per cent was operating expense, 9 per cent was for livestock purchased, and 1 per cent was decrease in capital (table 218). Purchased feed was the largest item of the operating expense, amounting to 28 per cent. Hired labor made up 16 per cent of the total operating expense, unpaid labor 11 per cent, and taxes 7 per cent. No other item amounted to more than 5 per cent of the total operating expense. When all of the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, an average of $938 per farm is left to pay for the use of the capital and for the labor of the operator (table 219). The average capital per farm was $7290. Deducting interest on this amount at 5 per cent leaves the operator $574 as pay for his labor, in addition to which he has a house to live in and products from the farm to use. i3° Bulletin 490 TABLE 216. Detailed Receipts on 22 Farms, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Num- ber of farms having receipt Number l"if 1 1 Tl 1 tC Aver- age per unit Total value Average value per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: 13 8 I S I I ,245 bu. 88 tons 237 bu. 63 tons $ I. IS 16.07 0.88 11.35 $1,431 1 .407 208 715 3 $65.0 64.0 . 95 32.5 0.1 38.0 37-4 5-5 19-0 O.I Hay Total $3,764 $171.1 100.0 6.3 — — — ___ Livestock: Cows (grade) 10 3 3 I I 19 3 3 I g 4 I 2 & 5 10 4 161 6 4 2 261 8 16 44.37 18.50 18.00 2.79 45 00 75 00 100.00 I 16 34-37 8.68 355 1 24 185 72 449 270 300 200 303 275 139 #01 . y [6.1 5 -O 8.4 3-3 20.4 12.3 136 91 M B 1 J • 12.5 u . 3 40.4 7-9 2 8 41 1.6 10.0 6.0 6.7 4 • 5 6 8 6.1 3 • I Heifers (grade) Hogs Sheep , Total $4,472 $203.3 100.0 7.4 Livestock products: Milk IS I 16 i 13.705 cwt. 112 lbs. 6 1 290 cloz. $2. 64 0-33 28 $36,181 2 680 ' 38 1 768 18 $1 ,644.6 121 8 1-7 80 4 0^8 89.0 6 6 0.1 4-3 Butter Wool Eggs Total $40,685 $1,849.3 100.0 67 . 7 Outside labor: I I 2 2 258 days 100 days $5- 33 6.00 $1,376 600 470 1,810 $62.5 27.3 21.4 82.3 32.3 14. 1 42.5 Team work Total $4,256 $193-5 100.0 7.1 Miscellaneous: I i I 6 cords 757 gal. $5-00 2 .00 $ 30 1,514 720 $ 1-4 68 . 8 32.7 1-4 66.8 31.8 Horseshoeing Boarding 2 men (net) . . Total $2 , 264 $102 .9 100.0 3-8 15 $4,666 $212.0 100.0 7-7 $60, 107 $2,732.1 100.0 100.0 The actual total indebtedness on these 22 farms was $22,525, which means that only $51 of the $364 interest charge had to be paid in cash. The charge for unpaid labor is another expense for which no cash was needed. On the other hand, there was a net increase in capital of $188 included among the receipts, which does not represent ready money. Consequently, the average amount of cash per family available for living expenses and for saving was $926. The estimated average cash expendi- ture for food was $283 per family, and for clothing $100. This leaves $543 per farm available for other things. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 131 TABLE 217. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 22 Farms, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Commodity Quantity used Average sale price Total value Value per farm Milk 435 cwt. $2 64 $1 , 148 $52 I Butter 721 lbs. SO 360 16 4 Eggs 2,859 doz. 28 801 36 4 286 1 16 332 15 1 484 bu. 1 IS 557 25 3 200 bu. 75 154 7 Pork 2,320 lbs. 17 383 17 4 Beef 200 lbs. 15 30 I 4 Veal 450 lbs. 10 43 2 Total $3,808 $173 I Wood 451 cords *3 78 1 .70S 77 5 $5,513 $250 6 TABLE 218. Detailed Farm Expenses on 22 Farms, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Num- ber of farms having expense Num- ber of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Operating expenses: Labor: Year help Month help Day help Board of hired labor Unpaid labor (including board) . Breeding fees New buildings Building repairs Cash rent for pasture Hay Feed Grinding feed Fence repairs Fertilizer Lime Horseshoeing Insurance Sawing wood Machinery bought Machinery repairs Machinery hired Filling silo Thieshing Oil, gasoline, and truck Twine Automobile expense Hauling milk Dairy supplies Registration fees Grass seed Other seeds Telephone Taxes Veterinary fees Miscellaneous 14 16 9 3 3 9 6 5 22 13 17 21 9 18 7 16 3 II 20 13 19 14 12 6 1 21 18 7 $2,240 I , 100 I , 248 I ,000 3.997 64 331 1,687 132 231 9.901 242 373 1.497 351 330 440 1 1 952 356 146 282 471 1,282 155 1. 195 1. 357 70 40 886 371 84 2,311 57 55 $101 .8 50.0 56.7 45-5 181 .7 2.9 150 70.7 6.0 10.5 450.0 11 .0 170 68.0 16.0 150 20 .0 0.5 43-3 16.2 6.6 12.8 21 .4 58.3 7.0 54-3 61 .7 3-2 1.8 6.4 3-1 35 2.8 II. 4 0.2 0.9 4.8 0.4 0.7 28.2 0.7 I . I 4.2 I .0 0.9 I .2 40.3 I6.9 3-8 105 .0 2.6 2.5 6.6 0.2 a. 2 Total . $35. 245 $1,602.0 89.3 1 was Sisa loneyl livitij! leaves Livestock purchased: Cows (grade) Heifers (grade) . . . Calves Bulls (grade) Bulls (purebred) . . Horses Pigs Hens 7 17 80 $2,585 175 6 40 125 575 95 80 $117.6 79 0.3 1.8 5-7 26. 1 4-3 3-6 70.2 4-8 0. 2 1 . I 3-4 15-5 2.6 2.2 Total . $3,681 $167.3 1 00.0 9.3 Decrease in capital. S534 $24.3 1-4 irand total . $39.46o $1,793-6 13 2 Bulletin 490 TABLE 219. Labor Incomes on 22 Farms, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1927 Total Average per farm Receipts: Increase in real estate $ 90 4.467 3.764 4.472 40 , 685 6,520 $ 4 203 Increase in livestock 171 203 1 , 849 290 $59,998 12,726 Expenses: Decrease in machinery $ 425 3.681 $ 19 167 1 ,602 35.245 39,351 1,788 Income from capital and operator's labor $20,647 $938 Capital: $98,505 16,838 45050 $4,477 765 2 .048 Interest on average capital at 5 per cent $i6o,393 8,019 $7,200 364 $12,628 $574 Taxation The assessed valuation of these 22 farms was $61,030, or $27.42 per acre (table 220). The assessed value was 62 per cent of the farmers' estimated value. The town, county, and state tax per acre averaged 66 cents and the school tax per acre 28 cents, making a total tax of 94 cents per acre. This tax represents 3.4 per cent of the assessed valuation, and 2.1 per cent of the farmers' valuations. TABLE 220. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Num- ber of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valuation Taxes* Total Per acre Total Per acre Town, county, and state tax: Total 1 ,651 575 $43,330 17.700 $26.24 30.78 $26.36 19.14 $1 , 142 339 $0.69 059 2,226 $61,030 $1 ,481 $27.42 $0.66 School tax: Summer Hill: Locke: Total 20 662 546 423 143 432 $ 300 16,880 14.550 I I , 600 5,200 12,500 $15.00 25-50 26.65 27.42 3636 28.94 $11 .00 1300 12 .00 5.00 14.00 7 .00 $ 3 219 175 58 73 88 $0,151 0.33 o.3Sj 0.14 0.5J . 2C 2,226 $61,030 $616 $27.42 $0 . 2i $2,097 $0.9' Not including cost of collection. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York i33 Comparison of farm operations in Summer Hill area with those on Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 The operators of the farms on the Summer Hill Turnpike were, on the average, more than ten years younger than those in the Summer Hill area (table 221). The farms on the turnpike were a little the larger, and were valued at about $10 an acre more. The farmers along the turnpike also had more per farm invested in machinery and livestock. The amount of land in use per farm was practically the same for both groups. Less corn silage was grown in the area, and more hay. The crop yields for all crops were about the same, except for hay, which was considerably lower in the area than on the turnpike. TABLE 221. Comparison of 42 Operated Farms in Summer Hill Area, with 22 Operated Farms on Summer Hill Turnpike, 1926 Averages per farm 42 farms in Summer Hill area Age of operators (years) Number of operators under 40 years of age Per cent of land in: Hay Other crops Pasture Idle Woods Per cent of crop acreage in: Corn silage Potatoes Buckwheat Oats and barley Oats Hay Per cent that crop yields were of New York State average for Potatoes Buckwheat Oats Hay Weighted index for the 4 crops Capital invested in: Real estate Machinery Livestock Land values per acre Number of acres per farm Receipts from: Potatoes Cabbage Hay Livestock (net) Fluid milk Butter Eggs Outside labor Total receipts Expenses for: Hired labor Unpaid labor Peed Taxes Total expenses Labor income Cash available for living expenses and saving 28.8 15.8 25-9 10.3 13-3 75-8 78.2 $3,517 $4,477 $542 $765 $1 ,225 $20 $2,048 $39 120 129-4 $157 4 $ 65.0 22 8 64.O 97 6 32.5 233 36.0 255 1 I . 644 . 6 125 3 121 .8 178 80.4 117 4 193-5 $1,631.8 $110. 2 232.7 231 .6 77-6 $1,243.8 $124 $648 134 Bulletin 490 The average receipts per farm were a little lower for most items on the farms along the turnpike, except for fluid milk, which was more than five times greater. Expenses were a little higher on the farms along the turnpike, but the average return for the operator's labor was much better on these farms than in the area north of the turnpike. In the opinion of the writer, the better returns to the farmers on the Summer Hill Turnpike may be attributed largely to the macadam road, which opened up to them the advantages of a fluid-milk market. SOUTH BRADFORD AREA Location The South Bradford area is made up of four separate units located around the small settlement of South Bradford, in the townships of Brad- ford, Bath, and Campbell, in Steuben County, and the township of Orange, Schuyler County. It may be roughly outlined as the region lying south of Bradford, east of Sonora and Savona, north of Campbell, and west of Monterey. A map of the area is shown in figure 10. The nearest railroad stations are at Savona and Campbell. From South Bradford it is about five miles to Savona and seven miles to Campbell. A macadam road leads into South Bradford from the north, and the construction of improved roads to the east and the south from that point is proposed. Description South Bradford is 1850 feet above sea level. The highest point in the area is 1989 feet, and the lowest point about 1200 feet. The valleys surrounding the area are about 1100 feet in elevation. The average elevation of the 124 farmsteads is 15 10 feet. The four units composing this area are not separated by valleys, as might be expected, but by a level plateau ranging in elevation from 1850 to 1950 feet. The units outlined are the sections of rougher topography which separate this plateau from the surrounding valleys. Most of the farms on this plateau are occupied, although a number are vacant. A lay- out of the same sort in Tompkins County would undoubtedly be abandoned. The difference may be one of soil, or it may be due to the fact that many of these farms have been purchased recently by farmers from Poland, who brought considerable outside money into the area. Before the real facts are known, it will be necessary to take about fifty records along the main roads running from South Bradford to the surrounding valleys. There were 43 miles of public roads within the area, of which 10 miles were not used in 1927 and were impassable for motor vehicles (table 222). TABLE 222. Condition of Roads in Summer, South Bradford Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent Good 7 20 6 10 16.3 46. S 14.0 23.2 Fair Total 43 100.0 136 Bulletin 490 Farm capital The value of the livestock in this area was $25,516, or $593 per occupied farm (table 223). Only 1 farmer in the area kept 10 cows, the average number of cows per farm for all occupied farms being 2.7. Sheep were not important. A few of the farmers kept brood sows, and most of them raised a few pigs for their own use. There was an average of 31 hens per farm, the largest flock numbering 100. TABLE 223. Number and Value of Livestock on 43 Occupied Farms, South Bradford Area, 1927 Total number Average number per farm Total value Average value per head Average value per farm Per cent of total value Cattle: 117 2 7 $10, 84s $92 7 $252 I 42 4 23 5 1.035 45 24 I 4 I 20 7 473 16 3 11 1 9 Bulls 3 I 21s 7i 7 5 8 88 2 8.625 98 200 6 33 8 Sheep: 79 1 8 820 10 4 19 1 3 2 2 OS 22 it 5 1 70 1 6 Sli 7 3 II 9 2 Hogs: 12 3 458 38 2 10 7 I 8 2 OS 60 30 I 4 2 66 1 5 627 9 S 14 6 2 5 Pigs 40 9 248 6 2 S 8 I Poultry: 1,347 31 3 1 ,480 1 1 34 4 s 8 17 4 19 1 1 4 1 3 I 3 I I Total 21 S 75 3 6 I 7 3 $25,516 $593- 4 100 The total farm machinery, including trucks and tractors, was valued at $12,940, or $301 per farm. The land and buildings on the occupied farms were valued at $94,100, or $2188 per farm. The average total capital per occupied farm was $3082, of which 71 per cent was in real estate, 19 per cent was in livestock, and 10 per cent was in machinery. The estimated value of the land and buildings in this area was $154,025, or $12.30 per acre. There were nearly 7500 acres with a value of $10 or less per acre, and nearly 12,000 acres with an average value of $10 (table 224). Condition of buildings On nearly half of the 124 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on an equal number the barns were gone or were not usable (table 225). About half of the usable houses and two-thirds of the usable barns were considered poor. Only 16 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn. Nearly half of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about one-fifth had one or the other gone or not usable, and more than one-third had both house and barn gone or not usable (table 226). Approximately one-fourth of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while nearly two-thirds had no buildings that were usab'e (table 227). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York i37 TABLE 224. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, South Bradford Area, 1927 Acres Value per acre 'l'otal Value Average value per acre including all cheaper land M11 m Kpr r»f* a prp? \A,'it"H a vprQ fro ii 11 avci a^C value shown in column preceding 1 1 $ 50 $ 1 . 50 801 I ( 550 1 . o 851 3 I , 450 2 . 3 4 6 , 550 3 • 3 * 1 933 5 3 • 7 ? SRi > °°J 6 4.725 4 ■ I 4 » 677 819 7 A 6 5 » 496 g 1 ' 900 4 • 7 5 « 73° •7 ■> a 6 , 500 5 • 2 10 9 , 600 5 8 5 • 9 7 ■ 576 12 4 , 600 6.2 7 • 959 804 *3 10 , 500 6 1 8 8 7(Si *4 6,150 7 ■ 2 ' e I S S , 000 •7 A 9 • 549 16 / • / 9,812 8 , 300 8.1 1 , 297 66 1 8 I 200 8.2 10 1 363 19 I , 700 8^3 10, 453 3 , 200 21 8 10,754 105 22 2,300 8^7 10,859 127 24 3,000 8.9 10,986 25 6,500 93 II , 246 ISO 27 4,000 9-5 II .396 256 29 7.500 99 II ,652 150 30 4.500 10.2 II , 802 33 4,000 10.4 II ,922 70 36 2,500 10.6 II ,992 45 4,500 10.9 12 ,092 66 53 3,500 1 1 . 1 12,158 166 57 9,500 11 .7 12,324 67 63 4,200 12.0 12,391 85 65 5.500 12.3 12 ,476 * Including buildings. TABLE 225. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* South Bradford Area, 1927 Houses Barns Condition Number Per cent Number Per cent Good .' 13 10.5 3 2.4 Pair 23 18.5 19 15-3 Poor 33 26.6 43 34-7 10 8.1 4 3.2 45 30-3 55 44-4 Total 124 100.0 124 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. The people At the time when this survey was made (June, 1927), 148 persons were living in the entire area of more than 12,000 acres (table 228). There were 5 boys 20 years old or over in the area (table 229). The average age of all boys was ir.4 years, and of all girls 8.9 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 3.2 (table 230). There were no children on 21 of the 43 occupied farms. 138 Bulletin 490 TABLE 226. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* South Bradford Area, 1927 Farmsteads having House Barn Number Per cent Good. Good. Fair.. Fair . . Good. Poor. Fair . . Poor. Poor . Good. Fair . . Good . Fair . . Poor . . Good. Poor.. Fair. . Poor . . 7 S o 13 4 18 1.6 4.8 0.8 5.6 40 10.6 3-2 14.6 Total having both house and barn usable . 56 45-2 Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.8 4.8 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable. 177 Not usable . Not usable . Gone Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable. Gone 35 0.8 6.S 1.6 28.2 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable. 46 37.1 Grand total . 124 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 227. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* South Bradford Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent 18 26.8 House usable and barn not usable 2 30 1 i.S 1 1.5 4 6.0 6 9.0 3 4-5 4 6.0 28 41-7 Total 67 100.0 * Based on survey records. TABLE 228. Number of Persons Living on Farms, South Bradford Area, 1927 Number Per cent 44 33 37 34 29.7 22.3 Women 25.0 23.0 Girls Total 148 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 139 TABLE 229. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, South Bradford Area, 1927 Age Boys Girls Total 18 20 38 9 8 17 5 4 9 5 2 7 Total number 37 34 71 II. 4 8.9 10.2 TABLE 230. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, South Bradford Area, 1927 Number of Total Number of children in the family families number of children 7 7 1 2 3 4 12 4 5 20 5 2 10 6 2 12 8 8 I Tntal 22 71 3-2 There were 9 occupants 10 of the area under the age of 40 years, and 15 who were 60 years old or over (table 231). The average age of the occupants was 53.3 years. TABLE 231. Ages of 39 Occupants, South Bradford Area, 1927 Age Number of occupants Under 40 years 40 to so years 60 years and over . 9 IS Total number Average age (years) . 39 Most of the occupants were American-born, but there were 8 who had come from Poland and i from Switzerland, There were many Polish farmers on near-by farms. Only 4 of the occupants had always lived in the area (table 232). The majority came from other parts of Steuben County. Only 6 came from outside New York State. Most of the occupants had been farming elsewhere previous to moving into this area (table 233). There were 14 occupants who had been in the area for less than five years, while 7 had been there for thirty years or more (table 234). The average length of residence of all occupants was 15.1 years. 10 The term "occupants" refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. i4o Bulletin 490 TABLE 232. Previous Locations of 35 Occupants, South Bradford Area Previous location Occupants 4 21 t Other States TABLE 233. Previous Employments of 31 Occupants, South Bradford Area Previous employment Occupants Previous employment Occupants 21 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 TABLE 234. Years of Continuous Residence of 38 Occupants, South Bradford Area, 1927 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 14 9 7 1 7 2.6 6.7 12.6 24.0 521 38 15- 1 Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms and parcels were living near the area, and the majority of them were farming (tables 235 and 236). TABLE 235. Locations of 62 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, South Bradford Area, 1927 Location Owners of vacant farms Owners of parcels 35 12 13 1 I Total 49 13 Of 49 owners of the vacant farms, only 14 had ever lived on them. The average period of residence of these 14 was 18.4 years, and it had been an average of about six years since they left. Utilisation of the land Records were obtained on 130 pieces of property, of which 43 were occupied farms, 67 were vacant farms, and 20 were parcels and woodlots (table 237). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 141 TABLE 236. Occupations of 55 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, South Bradford Area, 1927 Occupation Owners of vacant farms Owners of parcels Farmer .... . 26 4 3 2 7 3 1 1 I Clerk Total 42 13 TABLE 237. Classification of Property, South Bradford Area, 1927 Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm 43 67 20 S.407 6,313 756 125.7 94-2 37-8 Total 130 12,476 Of 40 owners of occupied farms only 4 inherited them, the majority having purchased them (table 238). Less than two- thirds of the vacant farms were purchased, about one-fourth were inherited, and a few were obtained as the result of mortgage foreclosures. TABLE 238. Methods by Which Ownership of Farms Was Obtained, South Bradford Area Occupied farms Vacant farms 36 4 38 16 6 I Total 40 61 About one-third of this area was in woods, and a little more than one- third was in idle cleared land (table 239). Hay was grown on about 8 per cent of the total area, other crops on 7 per cent, and pasture on 1 1 per cent. More than half of the cleared land was idle. On the vacant farms the idle land represented more than two-thirds of the total cleared land, and on the occupied farms nearly half. 142 Bulletin 490 TABLE 239. Utilization of the Land, South Bradford Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels and woodlots Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay Woods Total 716. S 596.5 730 1 ,642 1 .547 175 133 11 .0 13.5 30.4 28.6 3-2 293 223. 5 632 2.997 2,040 127.5 4.6 35 10. 47.6 323 2.0 14 30.5 15 26.5 670 1 -9 40 2.0 3-5 88.6 1,023.5 850.5 1 .377 4.665.5 4.257 302. s 8.2 6.8 11 .0 37.5 34- 1 24 5.407 100.0 6,313 100.0 756 100 .0 12 ,476 100.0 More than half of the crop acreage was in hay (table 240). Oats, barley, and mixtures of these grains made up about 19 per cent of the crop acreage, buckwheat 14 per cent, and beans 5 per cent. TABLE 240. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, South Bradford Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total area Per cent Corn for grain (Acres) 13 23-25 45-25 94-5 131 41-5 186.5 (Acres) (Acres) (Acres) 13 30.25 62.75 100.5 0.7 7 1.6 17 6 o.S 3-3 5-4 Buckwheat 134-5 3 265.5 44-5 268. S 14.2 2.4 Oats 52 4 30 14 3 2.5 0.7 43 12.5 47 12. S Wheat Hay 716.5 5 293 14 1.023.5 5 54-5 0.3 I I O.I Total 1. 313 516.5 44-5 1,874 100.0 The yields for all crops were low. The average yield for buckwheat and for hay were both less than half the state average (table 241). The average yields of potatoes, buckwheat, oats, and hay were 60.1 per cent of the state average. When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average was 52.4 per cent of the state average. TABLE 241. Yields of the Principal Crops, South Bradford Area, 1926 Crop Number of farms Number of acres Average yield per acre South New York Bradford State (Bushels) (Bushels) 94-6 117 8.9 11. 8 9-1 18.9 21 .9 21 . 1 34 19 28.3 (Tons) (Tons) 0.65 1.32 Potatoes Beans Buckwheat. Oats and barley Oats Barley Hay 33 13 27 4 25 II 52.5 60 187 36 177 38.5 873-5 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York i43 About 28 per cent of the crop area was on the vacant farms. In 1926 hay was cut on 29 farms, other crops were grown on 19 farms, and some stock was pastured on 21 farms. Only 27 lots, containing 869 acres, were available for pasture on the vacant farms. The fences around 9 of these lots were considered good, around 7 they were fair, and around 11 they were poor. Abandonment in this area started about fifty years ago (table 242). More than half of the farms had been vacant for ten years or more. The average period of vacancy was 15.2 years. TABLE 242. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, South Bradford Area Approximate Number Number Number Number number of of farms of farms of farms of farms Year years since last last last last operations occupied pastured plowed hayed were dis- continued this year this year this year this year 3 21 19 29 1925 1 7 1 3 2 1924 2 2 3 3 5 1923 3 6 6 6 4 4 1 1 1 5 3 2 3 3 6 2 1 I 7 I 3 3 2 8 3 I 3 I ;iS>l7 9 I 10 2 3 7 3 12 2 I I IS 5 6 4 2 20 S 5 2 2 25 13 2 2 I 30 4 2 I I 35 3 40 2 SO I 65 58 58 58 Average number of years since operation was discontinued. . . IS- 2 7.2 6.1 4.2 Taxation The assessed valuation of this area was $85,820, or $6.90 per acre (table 243). The town, county, and state tax averaged 24 cents per acre and the school tax 7 cents per acre, making a total average tax of 31 cents per acre. This tax represents 4.5 per cent of the assessed value and 2.5 per cent of the farmers' estimated value. The average assessment of occupied farms was $8.40 per acre, of vacant farms with both house and barn usable $9.10 per acre, and of all vacant farms $5.90 per acre (table 244). The occupied farms were assessed at an average of 48 per cent of their estimated value, and the vacant farms at 66 per cent. The average assessed value of all property was $6.90, which was 56 per cent of the estimated value. 144 Bulletin 490 TABLE 243. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, South Bradford Area, 1926 Num- Assessed valuation Tax rate Taxes* ber of per J 1 000 acres 1 otai Per acre valuation 1 otal Per acre Town, county, and state tax: 1.370 #13 . 250 $9.6 $26,548 i 352 $0.26 1. 253 7 .995 6.4 30. 116 241 0. 19 5.079 45 .050 5.9 35-735 1,610 0.32 4.695 19.525 4.2 38.78 757 0.16 12,406 $2,960 J6.9 $0.24 School tax: Bath: 166 * I , 500 * 9-0 $ 8.00 * 12 *o . 07 140 900 6-4 10.00 9 . 06 1 ,422 12 , 270 8.6 10.00 123 0.09 534 5.550 10.4 10.60 59 on 1,076 6.725 6.2 500 34 0.03 Bradford : 482 5.850 12. 1 6 . 00 35 0.07 1,859 18, IOO 9-7 543 98 0.05 1.774 14, 200 8.0 II .50 163 0.09 Orange: District 1 : 2S8 I ,200 4-7 II .60 14 0.05 642 1.975 3-1 13 20 26 0.04 2 ,076 7.500 3 6 28.70 215 0. 10 993 4.550 4.6 1300 59 0.06 914 5.200 5-7 8. co 42 0.05 70 300 4-3 1500 4 0.06 Total 12,406 $85,820 $893 $6.9 $0.07 $3,853 $0.31 * Not including cost of collection. TABLE 244. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, South Bradford Area, 1926 Assessed Farmers' Number Acres valuation valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 43 5.407 $45,195 $8.4 $94, 100 $17-4 Vacant farms: 18 1 ,646 $14,950 $9.1 $26,425 $16.1 3 295 1.52s 5.2 4.500 15-3 4 698 4.700 6.7 7.000 10. Both buildings unusable 14 1. 1 70 6,165 5-3 6.325 5.4 28 2.504 9,660 39 12, 150 4.9 Total 67 6,313 $3 7 .000 $56,400 Average $5-9 $8.9 Parcels 20 7S6 $3,625 $4-8 $3,525 $4-7 Grand total I30 12,476 $85,820 $154,025 $6.9 $12.3 * Including buildings. I Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 145 si gar hill area Location The Sugar Hill area, comprising about 5000 acres, is located in the township of Orange, Schuyler County. It is the region lying north of Monterey, between Pine Creek and Townsend. A map of the area is shown in figure 10. There is a macadam road running along the southern border, between Monterey and Townsend. The rest of the near-by roads are dirt. The nearest railroad is the Pennsylvania Branch of the New York Central, the nearest station being Watkins, about six miles distant by a dirt road. The same railroad line could be reached at Beaver Dams, eight miles away, by following the valley to the southeast. If the macadam road to the southwest were followed, the nearest station would be on the Erie Railroad at Coopers Plains, about sixteen miles distant. Description The. highest point within the area is 2080 feet above sea level, and the lowest about 1500 feet. The valleys around the southern half of the area are about 1300 feet in elevation, and the roads leading from them into the area are steep. To the northwest the descent is less abrupt, ending in a valley about 1200 feet in elevation. To the northeast the land slopes off into a plateau from 1200 to 1600 feet in elevation. The average elevation of the 50 farmsteads in the area is 1750 feet above sea level. There were 21 miles of public roads within the area, but 6 miles were impassable (table 245). Only 4 miles were considered good. TABLE 245. Condition of Roads in Summer, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent Good 4 45 6.5 6 19.0 21.4 310 28.6 Fair Total 21 100.0 Farm capital Only 2 farmers in this area had more than 5 cows, the average number per occupied farm being 2.4 (table 246). There were about half as many young stock per farm as cows. The average munber of horses per farm was 2.2. Sheep were rather important. There were 8 farmers who kept them, and the average number per farm for these 8 was 38 ewes and 33 lambs. The average number per farm for all occupied farms was about 15 ewes and 13 lambs. Only 3 farmers kept brood sows. About half of the farmers in the area raised hogs for home use. The average number of hens per farm was 43.5. The total value of all livestock was $17,097, or an average of $855 per farm. The total value of farm machinery was $9105, or $455 per farm. The land and buildings on the occupied farms were valued at $38,600, or 146 Bulletin 490 TABLE 246. Number and Value of Livestock on 20 Occupied Farms, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Average Average Average Per cent Total number Total value value of number per value per per total farm head farm value Cattle: 47 2 4 $4 . 695 $99 9 $234 8 27 . 5 16 8 930 58 I 46 S 5 «4 10 5 240 24 O 12 1 ,4 43 2 2 4,290 99 8 214 5 25.2 Sheep: 307 IS 4 4.08s 13 3 204 2 24.0 1 OS 30 30 1 S 0.2 265 13 2 1 .340 S I 67 7-8 Goats 6 3 75 12 S 3 8 04 Hogs: 4 2 160 40 8 0.9 14 7 150 10 7 7 S 0.9 Pigs 4 2 25 6 2 I 2 O.I Poultry: 870 43 S 945 1 I 47 2 5-5 6 3 22 3 7 I 1 O.I 11 6 1 10 10 5 S . 0.6 Total II7.097 $854.8 100.0 $1930 per farm. This makes the average total capital per occupied farm $3240, of which 60 per cent was in real estate, 26 per cent was in livestock, and 14 per cent was in machinery. According to the farmers' estimates, the total value of the land and buildings in the entire area was $60,875, or an average of $12.20 per acre. There were about 2000 acres with a value of $10 or less per acre, and about 4000 acres with an average value of $10 (table 247). TABLE 247. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value shown in column preceding $ 2 $ 50 $ 2 5 20 3 300 2 9 120 402 4 2 150 4 I 612 250 5 1 250 4 4 862 433 6 2 475 4 8 1 295 135 7 1 000 5 I 1 430 8 1 400 5 4 1 600 125 9 1 100 5 6 1 72S 10 4 050 6 5 2 127 90 II 1 000 6 7 2 217 754 12 9 100 8 2 971 93 13 I 200 8 2 3 064 147 14 2 000 8 4 3 211 299 15 4 500 9 3 5io 785 16 12 500 10 3 4 295 17 2 000 10 4 4 415 156 19 3 000 10 7 4 571 20 2 000 10 9 4 671 136 22 3 000 11 2 4 807 26 31 800 11 4 4 833 175 34 6 000 12 2 5 008 * Including buildings. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York i47 Condition of buildings On one-fourth of the 50 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on nearly half the barns were gone or were not usable (table 248). About half of the usable houses and three-fourths of the usable barns were considered poor. TABLE 248. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Houses Barns Condition Number Per cent Number Per cent 7 14 1 2 13 26 6 12 16 32 20 40 3 6 6 12 II 22 17 34 Total SO 100 SO 100 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Only 7 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn. Half of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, one- fourth had one or the other gone or not usable, and one-fourth had both house and barn gone or not usable (table 249). TABLE 249. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Farmsteads having House Barn Number Good. Good. Fair . . Fair . . Good. Poor. Fair . . Poor. Poor. Good. Fair . . Good. Fair . . Poor. . Good. Poor . . Fair . . Poor . . Total having both house and barn usable . Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable . Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . Not usable. Not usable . Gone Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Total having both house and barn gone or not usable. 13 Grand total. * Based on a tally of all building sites. 148 Bulletin 490 Approximateiy one-fifth of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while nearly two-thirds had no usable buildings (table 250). TABLE 250. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Farmsteads having House usable and barn usable House usable and barn not usable House usable and barn gone House not usable and barn usable House not usable and barn not usable House not usable and barn gone House gone and barn usable House gone and barn not usable House gone and barn gone Total Per cent * Based on survey records. The people When this survey was made (July, 1927), 56 persons were living in the entire area of 5000 acres (table 251). ' TABLE 251. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Number Per cent 23 41. 1 19 33-9 9 16. 1 S 8.9 56 100.0 There were no children on 14 of the 20 occupied farms. One family had 8 children and one family had 2. The other 4 children belonged to four different families. The average age of the boys was 13.6 years and of the girls 8.4 years (table 252). Only 2 boys 20 years old or over were living in the area. Only 3 occupants 11 of the area were under the age of 40 years (table 253). The average age of all occupants was 53.4 years. Most of the present occupants were located elsewhere in Schuyler County before coming to these farms (table 254). A few came from other counties in New York, while only 1 came from another State. The majority of them had been farmers before coming to this area (table 255). Practically all of the farmers in this area had been there for some time. The average term of residence was nineteen years (table 256). Only 3 of the farmers had been there for less than five years. 11 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 149 TABLE 252. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Age Boys Girls Total 2 3 5 2 I 3 3 I 4 2 2 9 5 14 13.6 8.4 II. 7 TABLE 253. Ages of 20 Occupants, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Number Average age Under 40 years 40 to 59 years 60 years and over . Total number Average age (years) . (Years) 35-3 48.0 66.1 TABLE 254. Previous Locations of 20 Occupants, Sugar Hill Area Previous location Occupants In Schuyler County Other counties of New York Other States 13 6 TABLE 255. Previous Employments of 18 Occupants, Sugar Hill Area Previous employment Farmer Carriage maker Street-car conductor . . . Railroad station agent. Occupants Previous employment Day laborer Laborer in salt works American Telephone Company clerk Occupants TABLE 256. Years of Continuous Residence of 20 Occupants, Sugar Hill Area Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 3 3-3 S to 9 3 6.3 6 15-3 32-5 8 20 19.0 Bulletin 490 Absentee owners Of 25 owners of vacant farms, 12 had never lived on their farms. The average period of residence of those who had lived on them was about fourteen years. It had been about 11.5 years, on the average, since these owners left. About one-third of the owners of these vacant farms were located on other farms in Schuyler County (table 257). About two-thirds, who were not farming, were located in a number of different cities, most of which were in New York. TABLE 257. Locations of 24 Owners of Vacant Farms, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Location Owners Location Owners 1 8 1 5 3 1 TABLE 258. Occupations of 19 Owners of Vacant Farms, Sugar Hill Area 1927 Occupation Owners Occupation Owners 9 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 20 occupied farms, 25 vacant farms, and 6 parcels and woodlots (table 259). The average size of the occupied farms was 125 acres. TABLE 259. Classification of Property, Sugar Hill Area, 1927 Number Total Average of farms acres acres per farm Occupied farms 20 2,502 125. 1 25 2,437 97-5 6 69 II -5 Total 51 3.008 Practically all of the occupied farms were purchased by the present owners, only a few of them having been inherited (table 260). Of the vacant farms, 4 were obtained as the result of mortgage foreclosures. More than one- third of the total area was idle cleared land, nearly one-fourth was pastured, about one-fifth was in crops, and one-sixth was in woods (table 261). On the occupied farms about one-third of the total area was in crops, nearly one-fourth was in pasture, and one-fourth was Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 151 TABLE 260. Methods by Which Ownership of Farms Was Obtained, Sugar Hill Area Occupied farms Vacant farms and parcels 18 2 21 5 4 Total 20 30 TABLE 261. Utilization of the Land, Sugar Hill Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels and woodlots Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 448 379-75 579 603.5 393-5 98.25 17.9 15.2 23.1 24.2 15.7 39 116 80.5 575 1 ,206.5 372 87 4-8 33 23.6 49-4 15-3 3-6 564 460.25 1. 154 1 ,810 834.5 185.25 II. 3- 9.2 23.0 36.1 16.7 37 69 100. Total 2.502 100.0 2.437 100.0 69 100.0 5.008 100. idle. Half of the land on the vacant farms was idle. When only the cleared land was considered, nearly two- thirds of the land available for crops and pasture was not being used on the vacant farms, and about one-third on the occupied farms. Hay comprised a little more than half the acreage of all crops (table 262). Buckwheat was next in importance, comprising about 17 per cent of the total acreage. Potatoes, beans, oats, and oats and barley, were fairly important. TABLE 262. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Sugar Hill Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Total area Per cent (Acres) 2 24 4 28.75 46 128 81 47 19 (Acres) (Acres) 2 24 4 39.25 49 172 81 49 22 18 564 0.2 2.3 0.4 3-8 4.8 16.8 7.9 4.8 2.1 1.8 55-1 10.5 3 44 Oats 2 3 18 116 Rye Hay 448 Total 827.75 196. S I ,024.25 100.0 The average yields of all crops except potatoes were lower than the New York State average (table 263). The average yield of hay was only about half of the state average, while the average yield of potatoes was 18 bushels per acre more than the state average. The average yields of potatoes, buckwheat, oats, and hay were 78.3 per cent of the state average. 152 Bulletin 490 TABLE 263. Yields of the Principal Crops, Sugar Hill Area, 1926 Crop Potatoes Beans Buckwheat. . . . Oats and barley Oats Barley Hay Number Number Average yield per acre of OL farms acres Sugar Hill New York State (Bushels) (Busnels) 22 39-25 134-8 117 6 56 10. 1 11 .8 17 166 14.6 18.9 6 73 23.6 6 47 23.1 34 5 22 25.2 (Tons) 28.3 (Tons) 26 564 07 1.32 When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average yield was 61.8 per cent of the state average. Not much farming was being done on the vacant farms. Some stock was pastured on 10 of them, a few crops were put in on 7, and hay was cut on 9. There were 11 lots fenced and available for pasture on the vacant farms, comprising 379 acres. The fences around 4 of these lots were considered good, around 6 they were fair, and around 1 they were poor. Abandonment in this area had been going on gradually for some time. On the average, the vacant farms had been unoccupied for about ten years (table 264). TABLE 264. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Sugar Hill Area Approximate Number Number Number Number number of of farms of farms of farms of farms Year years since last last last last operations were occupied pastured plowed hayed discontinued this year this year this year this year 1926 3 10 7 9 1925 1 4 2 5 3 1924 2 3 1 I 1923 3 I I 1 4 O I I 5 I O 1 I 6 I 1 I 1919 7 I 1 8 I 1 2 1917 9 3 2 3 I 10 I 2 I 2 15 I 2 I 2 20 I I 25 2 I I 30 2 I 35 I 24 24 24 24 Average number of years since operation was 10. I 6.1 4-7 4.8 A comparison of the crops grown in 1926 and 1927 on 17 occupied farms shows a decrease in the acreage of buckwheat and in that of oats to be the only changes of any importance (table 265). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York i53 TABLE 265. Comparison of Crops Grown in 1926 and in 1927 on 17 Occupied Farms, Sugar Hill Area Crop Acres 1926 1927 Increase Decrease 2 23 24.25 46 120 64 47 19 376 2 8.5 14.5 25 S3 29 80 21 21 394 o.75 7 Field beans 91 16 26 2 18 Hay Total 721.25 637. S 43-75 127.5 Taxation The total assessed valuation of this area was $29,275, or an average of $5.90 per acre (table 266). The town, county, and state tax averaged 23 cents per acre and the school tax 5 cents per acre, making a total average tax of 28 cents per acre. This tax represents 4.8 per cent of the assessed value, and 2.3 per cent of the farmers' estimated value, of all farms. TABLE 266. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Sugar Hill Area, 1926 Number Assessed valuation Tax Taxes* rate per of acres $1000 Total Per acre valuation Total Per acre Town, county, and state tax: 4,968 $29,275 $5-9 $38.78 $1,135 $0.23 School tax: Orange: District 3 350 $ 1 ,600 $4-6 $ 6.00 $10 $0.03 896 5.675 6-3 6.00 34 0.04 i,i79 6,250 53 12 .00 75 0.06 100 600 6.0 15.80 9 0.09 District 16 709 4.450 6.3 15 00 67 0.09 1.734 10,700 6.2 730 78 0.04 Total 4.968 $29,275 $273 $5-9 $0.05 $1 ,408 $0.28 * Not including cost of collection. The average assessed value of occupied farms in this area was $6.50 per acre, and of vacant farms with both buildings usable $5.30 per acre (table 267). The average assessed value of all vacant farms was $5.20 per acre, and of the woodlots $4 per acre. On the average, the occupied farms were assessed at 42 per cent of their estimated value and the vacant farms at 58 per cent. The average assessed value of all property was 48 per cent of its estimated value. 154 Bulletin 490 TABLE 267. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Sugar Hill Area, 1926 Number Acres Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 20 2,502 $16, 27s $6.5 $38 ,600 $154 Vacant farms: Both buildings unusable Total 5 4 I 8 7 525 398 133 706 675 $2 , 800 2,350 600 3,27s 3,700 $5-3 5-9 4- 5 46 5- S $5,750 3.650 600 6,950 S.050 $11.0 9.2 45 9.8 7.5 25 2,437 112,725 $22,000 $52 $90 6 69 $275 $40 $275t $4-0t SI 5,008 $29,275 $60,875 $S.8t $12.2 * Including buildings. t As the acreage based on the farmers' estimates is a little higher than that taken from the assessment book, the assessed valuation per acre is reported here as $5.8 instead of $5.9 as shown in table 266. I Estimates were not obtained on these six woodlots, and therefore the assessed valuation was used. VIRGIL AREA Location The Virgil area, comprising more than 11,000 acres, is located in the townships of Cortlandville, Virgil, Harford, and Lapeer, in Cortland County. The area is not continuous, but is broken up into three separate units by intervening valleys. The upper unit, known as Tuller Hill and Snyder Hill and containing about 3500 acres, is located north of the road from Virgil to Messengerville and south of Blodgett Mills. The center unit, known as South Hill and containing about 5000 acres, is located south of the Virgil- Messengerville road, east of Franks Corners, and north- west of Lapeer and Hunts Corners. The lower unit, of about 2500 acres, is directly south of Franks Corners and north of Harford, and is separated from the center unit by a narrow valley. A map of the area is shown in figure 11. The railroad stations available would be the Lehigh Valley stations at Harford and Dryden, the Lehigh Valley and Delaware, Lacka- wanna and Western stations at Cortland, and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western stations at Blodgett Mills, Messengerville, and Marathon. None of these stations are very distant in actual mileage, but the difference in elevation is considerable. Description The highest point in the upper unit is 2130 feet above sea level, in the center unit 2133 feet, and in the lower unit 2028 feet. The valleys separat- ing the different units are between 1300 and 1400 feet in elevation. The main valleys at Harford, Cortland, and Marathon range from 1000 to 1200 feet above sea level. The average elevation of the farmsteads in the upper unit is 1680 feet, in the center unit i860 feet, and in the lower unit 1730 feet. The soil map of Cortland County, made in 1916, shows the predominant Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 15$ Figure ii. virgil area Bulletin 490 soils in this area to be Lordstown silt loam and Lordstown stony silt loam (table 268). If the topographic distinction had been made in the Cortland County soil survey, much of this Lordstown stony silt loam would undoubtedly have been classed as the steep phase. TABLE 268. Soil Types, Virgil Area Per cent Lordstown silt loam 44 Lordstown stony silt loam 39 Volusia silt loam 12 Volusia stony silt loam 4 Volusia silty clay loam 1 100 There were 39 miles of public roads in this area (table 269). None of these roads were considered good, and 5 miles were impassable. TABLE 269. Condition of Roads in Summer, Virgil Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent Good 18 16 5 0.0 40-3 40.9 12.8 Fair Total 39 100.0 Farm capital The total value of the livestock in this area was $32,364, or $875 per farm (table 270). There were 7 farmers who had 10 or more cows, while 13 farmers had none. Most of these 13 were in the upper unit, near Cortland. There were nearly as many young cattle in the area as there TABLE 270. Number and Value of Livestock on 37 Occupied Farms, Virgil Area, 1927 Average Average Average Per cent Total number Total value value of number per value per per total farm head farm value Cattle: 167 4-5 $15,855 $94-9 $428.5 49-1 84 2.3 3.850 45-8 104. 1 II- 9 S3 1-4 1 ,080 20.4 29.2 3 3 Bulls 15 0.4 710 47-3 19.2 2.2 96 2.6 8,195 85-4 221 .5 25-3 Hogs: 12 03 595 496 16. 1 1.8 2 80 40.0 2.2 0.2 24 0.6 473 19.7 12.8 1-5 Pigs 24 0.6 16S 6.9 45 0-5 Poultry: I ,412 38.1 1,317 0.9 35-6 4-1 II 0.3 13 I .2 0.4 14 0.4 31 2. 2 0.8 O.I Total $32,364 $874.7 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York i57 were cows. Only 5 farmers kept brood sows, but a number raised a few hogs for home use. There were 25 farmers who kept hens, but only 5 of them had flocks of 100 or more, the largest flock numbering 175. The average number of hens per farm was 38. The total value of farm machinery, including trucks and tractors, was $17,000, or $459 per farm. The land and buildings on the occupied farms were valued at $77,100, or an average of $2084 per occupied farm. This makes the total capital per occupied farm $3418, of which 61 per cent was in real estate, 26 per cent was in livestock, and 13 per cent was in machinery. According to the farmers' estimates, the total value of the land and buildings in the entire area was $146,735, or $13.10 per acre. There were about 6500 acres with a value of $10 or less per acre, and more than 9000 acres with an average value of $10 (table 271). TABLE 271. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Virgil Area, 1927 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value shown in column preceding 100 $ 3 $ 300 $ 3 100 190 4 675 3 4 290 258 5 1 ,265 4 1 548 500 6 3 025 S 1 ,048 I.I94 7 8 250 6 2 , 242 1.330 8 10 550 6 7 3.572 2,032 9 17 925 7 5 5 .604 844 10 8 495 7 8 6.448 252 II 2 850 8 6.700 621 12 400 8 3 7.321 13 3 600 8 5 7.591 454 14 6 400 8 8 8.045 155 15 2 300 8 9 8,200 16 3 300 9 I 8,410 447 17 7 500 9 5 8.857 143 18 2 600 9 6 9.00O 20 4 300' 9 8 9, 216 97 21 2 000 10 9,313 348 22 7 700 10 4 9,66l 188 24 4 500 10 7 9.849 158 25 4 000 10 9 10,007 284 27 7 700 11 3 10,291 542 30 16 600 12 3 10,833 182 38 7 000 12 7 II ,015 87 40 3 500 12 9 II , 102 72 42 3 000 13 I 11,174 * Including buildings. Condition of buildings On about two-fifths of the 99 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on nearly three-fifths the barns were gone or were not usable (table 272). Nearly two-thirds of the usable houses and practically all of the usable barns were considered poor. Only 4 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn. Nearly half of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, less than one-fifth had one or the other gone or not usable, and two-fifths had both house and barn gone or not usable (table 273). 158 Bulletin 496 TABLE 272. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Virgil Area, 1927 Condition Houses Barns Number Per cent Number Per cent Good 2 2.0 20.2 30-4 15-2 26.2 0.0 Pair 20 36 IS 26 6 6.0 Poor 39 13 41 39-4 13. 1 41.5 Total 99 100. 99 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 273. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Virgil Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent House Barn Good Good 4 2 14 2 22 44 0.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 14.2 2.0 22.2 444 Fair Fair Good Fair Fair Good Good Fair Fair Pnnr Total having both house and barn usable Good Not usable 2 4 8 I IS 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 8.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 I .0 0.0 15-2 Good Fair Not usable Fair Gone Good Good Fair Fair Poor Pnnr 4 10 5 21 40 4.0 IO. I 5-i 21 .2 40.4 Gone Not usable Gnne Total having both house and barn gone or not usable 99 100.0 Based on a tally of all building sites. Approximately one-fourth of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while nearly three-fifths had no buildings that were usable (table 274). The people When this survey was made (June, 1927), 143 persons were living in the entire area of more than 11,000 acres (table 275). There were 46 boys in the area, but only 2 were 20 years old or over (table 276). The average age of all boys was 9 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 3 (table 277). There were no children on 13 of the 37 occupied farms. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 159 TABLE 274. Buildings on Vacant Farms, Virgil Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent IS 4 2 1 8 4 1 4 IS 27.8 7 • 4 3.7 1-9 14-7 7-4 1-9 7-4 27.8 House usable and barn not usable House not usable and barn usable House not usable and barn gone House gone and barn usable House gone and barn gone Total S4 100.0 TABLE 275. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Virgil Area, 1927 Number Per cent Men 40 30 40 27 28.0 21 .0 32.1 18.9 Girls Total 143 100.0 TABLE 276. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Virgil Area, 1927 Age Boys Girls Total 27 10 7 2 14 6 6 1 41 16 13 3 15 to 19 years Total number 46 90 27 8.9 73 8.9 TABLE 277. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Virgil Area, 1927 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 7 6 3 2 2 2 1 1 7 12 9 8 10 12 7 8 3 4 5 6 8 Total 24 73 3-0 Only 7 occupants 12 of the area were under the age of 40 years (table 278). The occupants in the northern unit were considerably younger than those in the other units, as 5 of the 7 under 40 years of age were in this part, 12 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. 160 Bulletin 490 TABLE 278. Ages of 35 Occupants, Virgil Area, 1927 Age Number of occupants Avcrsj^c age 7 (Years) .321 47.1 68.3 18 10 35 50.2 and only 1 of the 10 who were 60 years old or over. The average age of all occupants was 50.2 years. A number of the present occupants came into the area from outside the State, but the majority were natives of the region (table 279). Most of them had farmed before (table 280). TABLE 279. Previous Locations of 36 Occupants, Virgil Area Previous location Occupants Within the area Other parts of Cortland County Other counties in New York Other States 9 5 10 TABLE 280. Previous Employments of 34 Occupants, Virgil Area Previous employment Occupants Previous employment Occupants 24 4 2 1 1 1 X Laborer in milk factory There were 12 occupants who had been in the area for less than five years, and 5 who had been there for thirty years or more (table 281). Practically all of the occupants in the upper unit had been there for less than ten years, while most of those in the other two units had been there for more than ten years. The average term of continuous residence of all occupants was fourteen years. TABLE 281. Years of Continuous Residence of 37 Occupants, Virgil Area, 1927 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 12 1.5 5 to o 7 7.6 6 14-7 22 .0 7 5 41.4 37 14.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 161 Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms were located on other farms in Cortland County (tables 282 and 283). TABLE 282. Locations of 55 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Virgil Area, 1927 Location Cortland Township Virgil Township Harford Township Lapeer Township Other townships in Cortland County , Other counties in New York Other States Owners TABLE 283. Occupations of 41 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Virgil Area, 1927 Occupation Farmer Garape worker .... Day laborer Real-estate dealer. Fireman Foreman in factory- Owners 25 4 3 Occupation Laborer in factory Furniture dealer. . Junk dealer Banker Sawmill operator . Retired Owners Of 45 owners of vacant farms, only 18 had ever lived on them. The average term of residence of these 18 owners was 14.5 years, and it had been ten years, on the average, since they left. Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 37 occupied farms, 54 vacant farms, and 62 parcels and woodlots (table 284). The smallest unit, just north of Har- ford, contained a large number of small woodlots. TABLE 284. Classification of Property, Virgil Area, 1927 Number Total Average acres of farms acres per farm Occupied farms 37 4.150 112. 2 54 5.143 95 2 Parcels and woodlots 62 1,881 30.3 Total 153 11 .174 Most of the farms were purchased (table 285) . A number were inherited, and a few of the vacant farms were obtained as the result of mortgage foreclosures. More than two-fifths of this area was in woods (table 286), owing to the large number of small woodlots owned by outsiders. The rest of the land was divided about equally between crops, pasture, and idle land. On the occupied farms nearly one-fourth of the land was in hay and 8 per cent 162 Bulletin 490 TABLE 285. Methods by Which Ownership of Farms Was Obtained, Virgil Area Occupied farms Vacant farms 26 5 2 32 10 6 1 Traded 33 49 TABLE 286. Utilization of the Land, Virgil Area, 1926 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total Acres Per cent Acres Percent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 943 352.25 904. S 988. s 844 "7-75 22.7 8.5 21 .8 239 20.3 2.8 615 124. s 1,087 1 . 269 1.936 III. 5 12.0 2.4 21 . 1 24-7 376 2.2 34 1.8 1.592 476.75 1 . 991 . 5 2,313 5 4. 571 229.25 14.2 4-3 17.8 20.7 40.9 2 . 1 Woods 56 1. 79i 30 95-2 Total 4.150 100.0 5. 143 100.0 1,881 100.0 11,174 100.0 was in other crops. About one-fourth of the land was idle on both the occupied and the vacant farms. When only the cleared land was considered, it was found that more than one-third of it was idle. On the vacant farms this idle land represented about two-fifths of the total cleared land, and on the occupied farms nearly one-third. More than three-fourths of the crop acreage was in hay (table 287).! Oats, oats and barley, buckwheat, and potatoes were important also. TABLE 287. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Virgil Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Total area Per cent (Acres) IS.25 23 61 . 25 15 77 58. 5 90.75 11. 5 943 (Acres) (Acres) 1525 23 7725 17 118. 5 635 150.75 11 -5 I.S58 0.7 1 . 1 3-8 0.8 5-8 3-1 7-4 0.6 76.7 16 2 41-5 5 60 Cabbage Oats Millet Hay 615 Total 1 .295-25 739-5 2.034-75 100.0 The yield of oats and barley and the yield of potatoes were relatively better than the yields of other crops (table 288). When compared with New York State averages, the yields of the four principal crops, potatoes buckwheat, oats, and hay, in this area, averaged 75.6 per cent. Wher these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average yield was 65.5 per cent of the state average. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 163 TABLE 288. Yields of the Principal Crops, Virgil Area, 1926 Crop Number of farms Number of acres Average yield per acre Virgil New York State Potatoes •. 30 18 6 16 50 70.25 97-5 63. S 122.25 1.337 (Bushels) 112. 6 13-4 37.8 24.7 (Tons) 0.83 (Bushels) 117 18.9 Buckwheat Oats and barley Bats 34 (Tons) 1.32 lay Most of the vacant farms were being used to some extent in 1926. _ Some stock was pastured on 21 of these farms, plowing was done on 19, 5 and hay was cut on 30. There were only 1470 acres fenced and available . for pasture on the vacant farms. The estimated carrying capacity was 3.5 acres to 1 cow. Of 52 pasture lots, there were 23 around which the fences were considered good, 20 where they were fair, and 9 where they were poor. T Abandonment started in this area forty years ago (table 289). The _ average period of vacancy for these farms was 12.1 years. Ill j TABLE 289. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Virgil Area a: - Year Approximate number of years since operations were discontinued Number of farms last occupied this year Number of farms last pastured this year Number of farms last plowed this year Number of farms last hayed this year 2 21 19 30 1925 1 5 2 2 3 1924 2 9 8 12 7 $1923 3 3 3 4 , 4 4 1 192 1 5 4 5 3 2 6 2 2 3 1919 7 I 1918 8 1 O I S917 9 1 I I 10 4 2 I 12 2 I 1 IS 3 O 20 8 5 2 1 25 5 I I 1 30 I O 35 2 I 1 40 2 O Total number of farms Average number of years since operation was S4 12 . 1 Si 4S 51 4.0 51 2.6 - A comparison of crops grown in 1926 and 1927 on 35 farms shows a decrease in cabbage, buckwheat, and hay, and an increase in all other It- crops (table 290). None of the changes were important. Taxation ha The total assessed valuation of this area was $103,755, or an average of a $9.30 per acre (table 291). The town, county, and state tax per acre averaged 32 cents and the school tax per acre 8 cents, making a total average 164 Bulletin 490 TABLE 290. Comparison of Crops Grown in 1926 and in 1927,* Virgil Area Crop Corn for grain . . Corn for fodder . Corn for silage . . Potatoes Cabbage Beans. Buckwheat Oats and barley Oats Barley Wheat Hay Total . 1926 3 16 17-25 7 55-5 14 27 309 538.75 Acres 1927 5 16 31-25 1-5 0.5 405 53-5 39 6 1-5 367-5 563-25 Increase 14 5 39 S 12 6 1 5 76. 5 Decrea 5-5 15 31.5 * Comparaole information was obtained only on the 15 occupied farms and the 20 vacant farms in the upper unit. TABLE 291. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Virgil Area, 1926 Num- Assessed valuation Tax rate Taxes* ber of per iiooo acres Total valuation Per 1 Per acre Total acre Town, county, and state tax: Cortland ville 178 $ i, 800 $10.1 $23.43 $ 42 $0.24 Virgil 4.987 49,755 10. 38.25 1 .903 0.38 2.243 22,675 10. 1 28.68 650 0.29 3.798 29.525 7-8 33-20 980 0.26 Total 11 , 206 $103,755 $3.S75 Average S9.3 $0.32 School tax: Cortlandville, District I 178 $ 1,800 $10. 1 $ 8.50 $ IS 5oo8 Virgil: _ 167 1 ,700 10.2 14-19 24 0.14 j District 3 2,10s 20, 105 9-6 5- 00 101 0.05 1,181 IS. 075 12.8 10.00 151 0.13 ' District 5 45 500 11 . 1 10.00 5 O.II 1 2, 169 19,800 9-1 5 00 99 0.05 District 12 272 3.550 13-0 13-50 48 0.18 258 2,850 II .0 15 -00 43 0.17 « Lapeer, District 3 1. 471 II.72S 8.0 10.00 117 0.08 Harford: District 1 288 2,050 7-1 10.00 20 0.07 1 348 2,575 7-4 7 .00 18 o.cs 1 1.325 1 1 , 200 8-5 8.00 90 0.07 District 7 1,399 10.825 7-7 20.00 2l6 0.15 Total II ,206 $103,755 $947 Average $9 3 $0.08 $4,522 $0.40 * Not including cost of collection. tax of 40 cents per acre. This tax represents 4.4 per cent of the assessed value and 3.1 per cent of the farmers' estimated value. The occupied farms in this area were assessed at an average of 60 per cent of their estimated value, the vacant farms at 79 per cent, and all property at 71 per cent (table 292). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 165 TABLE 292. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Virgil Area, 1926 Num- A Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per 37 4.150 $45,975 $11 . 1 $77.ioo S18.6 Vacant farms; Only the house usable Total IS 6 2 16 15 1.552 580 104 1,721 1. 186 $14,275 4.375 775 14.075 8,980 $9-2 7.5 7-S 8.2 7.6 $22,500 5,070 1 ,000 17,07s 8,015 $14-5 8.7 9.6 99 6.8 54 5. 143 $42,480 $53.66o $8.3 $10.4 { Sot 657 1 . 224 $4,775 $10,525 $7-3 $8.6 $5,450 $10,525 $8.3 $8.6 153 11,174 $103,755 $146. 73S $93 $131 * Including buildings. t All figures are based on assessed valuation for these 50 woodlots. SMYRNA AREA Location The Smyrna area, comprising nearly 10,000 acres, is located in the town- ships of Otselic and Smyrna, Chenango County. It is the region lying south of Otselic and Bonney, west of Upperville and Smyrna, north of Beaver Meadows, and east of Otselic Center. A map of the area is shown in figure 12. There is a macadam road around all but the southeastern part of the area. The New York, Ontario and Western Railroad has a station at Smyrna, about five miles from the center of the area, and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad has one at Sherburne, about nine miles distant. Description The highest point within the area is 1970 feet above sea level, and the lowest is about 1500 feet. The macadam roads outside the area range in elevation from about 1350 feet to 1700 feet. Much of the farming along these roads is not greatly different from that within the area outlined, because of this high elevation and the narrowness of the valleys. The entrance into this area is not so difficult as are the entrances into many of the other areas, because the change in elevation from valley to hilltop is not so great nor so abrupt. The average elevation of the 86 farmsteads is 1700 feet. The soil map of Chenango County, made in 1018, shows the predominant soils in this area to be Lordstown silt loam and Wooster silt loam (table 293). There were 33 miles of public roads in this area (table 294). While none of the roads were considered good, practically all of them were fair. About 3 miles were impassable. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 167 TABLE 293. Soil Types, Smyrna Area Per cent Lordstown silt loam 57 Wooster silt loam 27 Volusia stony silt loam 6 Lordstown stony silt loam 5 Meadow. 2 Volusia silt loam 1 Wooster stony silt loam I Wooster gravelly silt loam 1 100 TABLE 294. Condition of Roads in Summer, Smyrna Area, 1927 Condition Miles Per cent Good Pair 25 S 75-7 15-2 9-1 3 Total 33 100.0 Farm capital The total value of the livestock in this area was $42,800, or $1189 per farm (table 295). There were 10 farmers who had 10 cows or more, the average number of cows per farm for all occupied farms being 6.1. There was an average of 4 head of young stock per farm. About one-third of the farmers had bulls. The cattle represented 68 per cent of the value of all livestock. There was 1 farmer who had 80 ewes, and 3 other farmers had about 30 ewes each. The average number of sheep per farm for all farms was about 5 ewes and 4 lambs. A few hogs were raised for home use. Only 6 farmers had brood sows. There were 9 farmers who had 100 or TABLE 295. Number and Value of Livestock on 36 Occupied Farms, Smyrna Area, 1927 Total number Average number per farm Total value Average value per head Average value per farm Per cent of total value Cattle: 218 6 1 $22 280 $102 2 $618 9 52 1 102 8 5 560 54 5 154 4 13 Calves 45 1 2 640 14 2 17 8 1 5 Bulls 12 3 570 47 3 15 8 1 3 Horses Sheep: Ewes 83 2 3 8 305 100 1 230 7 19 4 188 5 2 2 145 1 1 4 59 6 5 Bucks 5 I 70 13 8 I 9 2 Lambs 145 4 MS 10 4 3 Hogs: Brood sows 10 3 380 38 10 6 9 Other hogs 11 3 210 19 1 5 8 5 Pigs 16 4 115 7 2 3 2 3 Poultry: 2 , 241 62 2 2 240 I 62 2 5 2 36 1 40 I 1 1 1 1 Turkeys 10 3 100 10 2 8 2 Total $42 , 800 $1,18 i-9 100 i68 Bulletin 490 more hens. The largest flock numbered 300, the average for all farms being 62.2 hens. The total value of all farm machinery was $13,980, or $388 per farm. The land and buildings on the occupied farms were valued at $69,250, or $1924 per farm. This makes the average total capital per occupied farm $3501, of which 55 per cent was in real estate, 34 per cent was in livestock, and 11 per cent was in machinery. The farmers' estimated value of the land and buildings in this area was $107,700, or $11.30 per acre. There were about 5500 acres with a value of $10 or less per acre, and about 9000 acres with an average value of $10 (table 296). TABLE 296. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Smyrna Area, 1927 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value show n in column preceding 42S $ 1 I 42S } 1 .0 425 »4S 2 275 1 . 2 570 46s 4 1 .7do 2.4 1 .035 1.273 5 6.525 39 2,308 663 6 3.900 4-3 2,971 7 3.000 4-7 3.399 8 I .925 4-9 3.626 988 9 8.900 5-8 4.614 843 10 8.340 6.4 5.457 II 6.950 6.9 6,086 71s 12 8,500 7-4 6,801 139 13 1 ,800 75 6,940 14 3.750 7-8 7.209 no IS 1 .650 79 7.319 17 4.500 8.2 7.583 18 5.000 8-5 7.863 80 19 1 . 500 8.6 7.943 524 20 1 , 400 9.2 8.467 361 21 7.500 9.8 8,828 93 22 2.000 9-9 8.921 80 25 2 ,000 10. 1 9.001 27 7 ,000 10.5 9.261 SO 28 1 .400 10.6 9. 3" 70 29 2,000 10.8 9.381 108 37 4.000 11 .1 9.489 SI 39 2,000 II .2 9.540 16 44 700 II. 3 9.556 * Including buildings. Condition of buildings On more than one-fourth of the 86 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on about the same number the barns were gone or were not usable (table 297). Nearly half of the usable houses and more than three-fourths of the usable barns were considered poor. Only 1 2 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn. About two-thirds of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about one-sixth had one or the other gone or not usable, and one- fifth had both house and barn gone or not usable (table 298). Nearly half of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while about one-third had no usable buildings (table 299). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 169 TABLE 297. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Smyrna Area, 1927 Houses Barns Condition Number Per cent Number Per cent 10 II. 6 3 35 Fair 23 26.7 II 12.8 28 32.6 48 55-7 6 7.0 4 4-7 19 22 . 1 20 23 3 86 100.0 86 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 298. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Smyrna Area, 1927 Farmsteads having House Barn Number Per cent Good. Good. Fair. . Fair. . Good. Poor. Fair. . Poor. Poor. Good. Fair. . Good. Fair . . Poor . . Good . Poor . . Fair. . Poor.. 17 2.3 4.6 1 . 2 5-8 4.6 0.0 10-8 2.3 23.2 Total having both house and barn usable . S5 64.0 Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable. Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor 0.0 23 5-8 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable. IS- 1 Not usable. Not usable . Gone Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable. Gone 13 1 . 2 3-5 I . 2 IS- 1 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable. 18 20.9 Grand total . 86 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 299. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Smyrna Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Per cent House usable and barn usable House usable and barn not usable House usable and barn gone House not usable and barn usable. . . . House not usable and barn not usable House not usable and barn gone House gone and barn usable House gone and barn not usable House gone and barn gone Total *Based on survey records. Bulletin 490 The people When this survey was made (June, 1927), only 116 persons were living in the entire area of nearly 10,000 acres (table 300). TABLE 300. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Smyrna Area, 1927 Number Per cent 39 30 24 23 33-6 25-9 20.7 19.8 Girls 116 IOO .0 Only 3 boys were 20 years old or over (table 301). Half of the children were under 10 years of age, the average age of all children being 9.8 years. The average number of children per family was 2 .9 for those families hav- ing children living at home (table 302). There were no children on 20 of the 36 occupied farms. TABLE 301. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Smyrna Area, 1927 Boys Girls Total 12 6 3 3 12 7 4 24 13 7 3 24 10.6 23 8.9 47 9-8 TABLE 302. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Smyrna Area, 1927 Number of children in family Number of families Total number of children 6 1 3 3 I I I 6 2 9 12 5 6 7 3 4 5 6 7 Total 16 47 2.9 One-third of the occupants 13 of the area were under the age of 40 years (table 303). The average age of all occupants was 49.4 years. A few farmers in the area were foreign-born, but most of them were native-born Americans. Only 2 had always lived in their present loca- tion (table 304). About half of the occupants came from outside the county and the State. About two-thirds of them had been fanning previous to coming to this area (table 305). 15 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 303. Ages of 28 Occupants, Smyrna Area, 1927 171 Age Number of occupants Average age Under 40 years . . . 40 to 59 years 60 years and over . Total number Average age (years) . 28 (Years) 30.9 40-3 6s .0 49.4 TABLE 304. Previous Locations of 31 Occupants, Smyrna Area Previous location Occupants No location other than present one Other parts of Chenango County . . Other counties in New York Other States 14 9 6 TABLE 305. Previous Employments of 33 Occupants, Smyrna Area Previous employment Farmer Mason Factory worker Day laborer Street-car motorman Occupants Previous employment Truckman Lumberman Sawmill operator Miner Mechanic Occupants More than one-third of the occupants had been in the area for less than five years (table 306). About one-fourth had been there for more than thirty years. The average years of continuous residence in the area, for 34 occupants, was 15.6 years. TABLE 306. Years of Continuous Residence of 34 Occupants, Smyrna Area, 1927 Years Number Average years of residence Less than 5 . . 5 to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 and more . Total number Average years of residence. 1.2 7.2 12.7 20.0 41.7 IS- 6 Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms were living near the area, although a few were located in other States (table 307). The majority of them were farming (table 308). Of 28 owners of vacant farms, only 10 had ever lived on them. The average term of residence of these 10 owners was 15.6 years, and it had been ten years, on the average, since they left. i7 2 Bulletin 490 TABLE 307. Locations of 25 Owners of Vacant Farms, Smyrna Area, 1927 Location Owners 12 6 S 2 Other counties in New York TABLE 308. Occupations of 18 Owners of Vacant Farms, Smyrna Area, 1927 Occupation Owners Occupation Owners 11 2 2 1 1 1 Janitor Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 36 occupied farms, 39 vacant farms, and 7 parcels and woodlots (table 309). There were 15 farms, formerly vacant, which had been annexed to occupied farms and were included in the occupied-farm records. Some of the vacant farms had been combined. There had undoubtedly been at least 106 separate farmsteads in this area at some time. TABLE 309. Classification of Property, Smyrna Area, 1927 Number Total acres Average of farms acres per farm 36 4,661 129.5 39 4.77S 122 .4 7 120 17. 1 Total 82 9.S56 Most of the present owners of the farms in this area purchased them (table 310). A few of the farms were inherited, and about the same number were obtained as the result of mortgage foreclosures. TABLE 310. Methods by Which Ownership of Farms Was Obtained, Smyrna Area Occupied farms Vacant farms 27 6 2 1 20 2 7 Traded Total 36 29 About one-fifth of the total area was in woods (table 311). Nearly one- fourth was in pasture, about one-fifth was in crops, and about one-third was idle. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 173 TABLE 311. Utilization of the Land, Smyrna Area, 1926 Occupied farms. Vacant farms Parcels Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 976 248 1. 437-5 1 ,009 800.75 I89-75 20.9 5-3 30.9 21 .6 17.2 4-1 499 43-5 734 2,318 1 ,043 137-5 10.4 0.9 15-4 48.6 21.8 2.9 1 .475 291-5 2,171.5 3.357 1 .933-75 327-25 IS- 4 30 22.8 3S.2 20.2 3-4 Other crops Idle land 30 90 250 75-0 Total 4,661 100.0 4.775 100.0 120 100.0 9.556 100.0 When only the cleared land was considered, it was found that nearly half of it was idle. On the vacant farms the idle land represented nearly two-thirds of the total cleared land, and on the occupied farms about one-fourth. More than four-fifths of the crop land was in hay (table 312). Buck- wheat and oats occupied most of the remainder. TABLE 312. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Smyrna Area, 1926 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Total area Per cent (Acres) 1 • 25 20.75 2 2 2.5 2425 o-7S 0.5 0.5 79-5 10.0 25.5 74-5 4 976 (Acres) (Acres) 1.25 20.75 2 2 2.5 28.75 0-75 0.5 o.S 99-5 10. 2S-S 93 - S 4 1.475 0.1 1.2 0. 1 0.1 0. 1 1.6 Spelt Millet 4-S 20.0 S.6 0.6 1 .4 5-3 0.2 83.7 19.0 Hay 499 Total 1 , 224 542.5 1 ,766.5 100.0 The yields of all crops except potatoes were lower than the state average (table 313). The average yields of the four principal crops, potatoes, TABLE 313. Yields of the Principal Crops, Smyrna Area, 1926 Crop • Number of farms Number of acres Average yield per acre Smyrna New York State 22 17 3 13 44 26.75 75-5 22.5 63. S 1.450 (Bushels) 117 16.2 26.9 28.5 (Tons) 0.86 (Bushels) 117 18.9 Oats ("Tons) 1.32 Hay 174 Bulletin 490 buckwheat, oats, and hay, were 83.7 per cent of the state average. When these yields were weighted by the acreage grown, the average yield was 68 per cent of the state average. Most of the vacant farms were being used to some extent for crops or pasture in 1926. There were 19 of these farms on which some stock was pastured, 1 1 on which plowing was done, and 23 on which hay was cut. There were 23 lots fenced and available for pasture, covering 141 7 acres. The estimated carrying capacity was 4 acres to 1 cow. About one-third of the fences were considered good, one-third were fair, and one-third were poor. Abandonment in this area started about twenty-five years ago (table 314), but more than two-thirds of the farms had been vacated in the past five years. Four farms were vacated during 1926. The average period of vacancy for all vacant farms was 5.4 years. TABLE 314. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Smyrna Area Year Approximate number of years since operations were discontinued Number of farms last occupied this year Number of farms last pastured this year Number of farms last plowed this year 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1010 1917 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 Total number of farms Average number of years since operation was discontinued 38 5-4 19 5 5 3 4 o o 38 37 4-1 A comparison of the crops grown in 1926 and in 1927 shows practically no change in total acreage (table 315). A reduction of 45 acres in hay was offset by a slight increase in other crops. Taxation The total assessed valuation of this area was $86,920, or an average of $9.21 per acre (table 316). The average town, county, and state tax per acre was 34 cents and the school tax per acre 10 cents, making a total average tax of 44 cents per acre. This total tax represents 4.8 per cent of the assessed value and 3.9 per cent of the farmers' estimated value. There was considerable variation in the tax rate for 1926 for the different townships and school districts. The average tax for farms located in Smyrna School District 5 in Smyrna Township would be 68 cents per acre, while the average tax for farms in Otselic School District 1 in Otselic Township would be 28 cents per acre. ■ Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 175 TABLE 315. Comparison of Crops Grown in 1926 and in 1927,* Smyrna Area Crops Corn for grain Corn for fodder Corn for silage Spelt Millet Potatoes Beans Cabbage Buckwheat Buckwheat and barley Oats and barley Oats and peas Oats Barley Wheat Hay Total 1026 I -25 20.75 24.75 o.7S 85 12. s 0.0 835 0.0 0.0 , 069 . o 1 .3145 Acres 1927 i-5 1 .024.0 1 ,3140 Increase 5-5 4.0 8.75 0.5 25 56.75 * Comparable information was obtained on only 31 occupied farms and n vacant farms. TABLE 316. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Smyrna Area, 1926 Number Assessed valuation Tax rate Taxes* of acres per $1000 Total Per acre valuation Total Per acre Town, county, and state tax: 3.797 $32,370 $8.53 $27.00 $ 874 $0.23 Smyrna 5.641 54.550 967 42.50 2.318 0.41 Total 9.438 $86,920 $3,192 Average $921 $0.34 School tax: Otselic: 2.519 $22 ,010 $ 8.74 $ 6.00 $132 $0.05 806 6,450 8.00 7-50 48 0.06 139 1 , 100 7.91 15 00 16 0.12 Smyrna: District 4 276 2.350 8.51 10.00 24 O.08 District 5 1 .423 17 ,650 12.40 21 43 378 0.27 District 6 338 3 . 100 9.17 10.00 31 0.09 District 8 991 7.56o 7 .63 10.00 76 0.08 2 ,070 18,500 8.94 6.00 1 1 1 0.05 259 2.450 9 -46 15 00 37 0. 14 617 5.750 932 23.00 132 0.21 Total 9.438 $86,920 $985 Average $921 $0.10 $4,177 $0.44 * Not including cost of collection. The average assessed value of the property in this area was about 81 per cent of its estimated value (table 317). On the average, the occupied farms were assessed at about two-thirds of their estimated value, while the vacant farms were assessed at 10 per cent more than their estimated value. 176 Bulletin 490 TABLE 317. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Smyrna Area, 1926 Number Acres Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 36 4,661 $44,680 $9. 59 $69,250 $14.86 Vacant farms; Both buildings usable Only the house usable Only the barn usable Total 3 S 6 6 7 zR '1 / 3° 340 475 758 444 $26,200 2,850 4,000 5,650 2 , 770 $9.50 8.38 8.42 7-45 6.24 $24,325 3.000 3.075 4.900 2 ,160 $8.82 8.82 6.47 6.46 4.86 39 4.77S $41 ,470 $37,460 $8.69 $7.84 7 120 $770 $6.42 $990 $8.25 82 9,556 $86,920 $107,700 $9.09t $11 .27 * Including buildings. t As the acreage based on the farmers' estimates is a little higher than that taken from the assessment books, the assessed valuation per acre is reported here as S9.09 instead of $9.21 as shown in table 316. BERNE AREA Location The Berne Area, containing more than 8000 acres, is located in the southwestern corner of the township of Berne in Albany County. It is the northern part of a much larger section of abandoned farms. This part was selected as representative of the entire section, which contains about 50,000 acres. A map of the area is shown in figure 13. Description The highest point within the area is 2098 feet above sea level, and the lowest is about 1400 feet. The valley to the north and east is about 1000 feet in elevation. The country to the south and west is similar to that within the area. Much of the land is fairly level or gently rolling. The approach to the area is rather abrupt and there are several steep hills within the area. The roads are in very poor condition. Many of the hills have been washed out to such an extent as to make the roads practically impassable with an automobile. Livestock There were no farmers in the area who had more than 10 cows, but 18 of the 41 farmers kept 5 or more. On the average, there were 4 cows per occupied farm (table 318). There were 7 farmers who kept sheep, but the flocks were small. The majority of the farmers raised hogs for home use, but only 5 kept brood sows. None of the farmers had more than 100 hens, the average number of hens per farm for all occupied farms being 34.4. The total value of livestock was $33,162, or $809 per farm. About 61 per cent of this investment was in cattle and 24 per cent was in horses. Machinery The total value of special equipment in this area was $850. It consisted of 5 Ford trucks. There were no tractors in the area. The total value Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 177 Vs. "Vi 178 Bulletin -490 TABLE 318. Number and Value of Livestock on 41 Occupied Farms, Berne Area, 1928 Average Average Average Per cent Total number Total value value of number per value per per total farm head farm value Cattle: Cows 163 4.0 $17,870 $110 $436 .0 53 • 7 33 0.8 1 , 601 49 39 ■ 4.8 Calves 26 0.6 499 19 1 2 . 1 1 .4 Bulls 7 60 10.2 I . 2 84 2.0 7,868 94 192.0 23 . 7 Sheep: 177 4-3 1,430 8 . 1 34-9 4-3 4 55 I.jj O.I 45 1.1 356 7-9 8.7 1.7 Hogs: Brood sows II 03 461 42 .0 II .2 1-3 2 100 50.0 2-4 0.3 43 1 .0 613 14.0 15 1.8 Pigs 31 0.8 221 7-1 5.4 0.7 Poultry: 1 ,411 34-4 1 ,560 1 . 1 38.0 4 7 7 0.2 9 13 0.2 6 O.I 24 4.0 0.6 O.I Turkeys 10 0.2 75 75 1.8 0.2 Total $33,102 $808.8 100.0 of ordinary farm machinery was $12,885, making the total value of all farm machinery $13,735, or $335 per occupied farm. There were 8 automobiles in the area, 4 of which were Fords (table 319). The total value of all cars was $1330, or $166 per car. TABLE 319. Automobiles,* Berne Area, 1928 Manufacturer's year Make of car Total number Ford Chevrolet Star Mitchell 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1922 1 1923 1926 1 1927 1 Total number Average value „ 4 S230 $58 2 $350 $175 1 $600 $600 1 $150 $150 8 $1,330 $166 * Not included in farm machinery. Real estate The estimated total valuation placed on the land and buildings in this area by the farmers in the region was $88,500 for the 8299 acres, or an average of $10.70 per acre. There were about 5000 acres with a value of $10 or less per acre, and about 8000 acres with an average value of $10 per acre (table 320). The estimated value of land and buildings for the occupied farms was $69,450, or $1694 per farm. This makes the total farm capital per occu- pied farm $2838, of which 60 per cent was in land and buildings, 28 per cent was in livestock, and 12 per cent was in machinery. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 179 TABLE 320. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Berne Area, 1928 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value shown column preceding go $ 1 $ 50 $ 0.6 80 280 2 700 2 . 1 360 164 500 2 . 4 524 4 1,850 3 • 2 974 597 5 3 > 050 3.9 1 . 571 468 6 2 , 800 4.4 2 ,039 7 2 , 900 4.9 2 , 442 1. 133 8 8,800 5-8 3.575 9 9, 800 6.5 4.667 300 10 3.000 6.7 4.967 283 II 3.100 7-0 5. 250 8-8 12 10, 850 7-7 6,128 77 13 1 ,000 7-8 6,205 443 14 6,300 8.2 6,648 328 15 4,900 8.5 6,976 3IO 16 5 .000 8.9 7,286 172 17 3.000 9-1 7.458 512 18 9.400 9.7 7.970 123 28 3.500 99 8,093 59 34 2,000 10. 1 8,152 147 41 6,000 10.7 8.299 * Including buildings. The prices which 23 of the present owners paid for their farms averaged $10.90 per acre (table 321). On the average, about 70 per cent of the pur- chase price was paid in cash. In 1928 the estimated average value of the occupied farms was $12.20 per acre. TABLE 321. Purchase Prices Paid by 23 of the Present Owners of Farms, Berne Area Purchase price per acre Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Total purchase price Average price per acre Original indebted- ness Total Per cent of purchase price Less than $io 8 10 5 1.459 1 . 267 449 182 .4 126.7 898 $ 9,425 15.650 9.600 $ 6.5 12 .4 21 .4 13.075 3.750 3.7O0 32.6 24.0 38. 5 iio to $14 I15 and more Total 23 3. 175 J34.675 $10,525 138.0 $10.9 30.4 Condition of buildings On about one-third of the 73 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on more than two-fifths the barns were gone or were not usable (table 322). More than one-third of the usable houses and about three-fifths of the usable barns were considered poor. Only 1 7 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn (table 323). Nearly three-fifths of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about 11 per cent had one or the other gone or not usable, and nearly one- third had both house and barn gone or not usable. 180 Bulletin 490 TABLE 322. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Berne Area, 1928 CsOTlultlOn Houses Barns Number Per cent Number Per cent Good 14 17 18 11 13 19. 2 23-3 24.6 IS-I 17.8 6 1 1 26 12 18 8.2 15. 1 35-6 16.4 24.7 Fair Total 73 100.0 73 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 323. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Berne Area, 1928 Farmsteads having House Number Per cent Gool . Gool. Fair.. Fair. . Good . Poor. Fair.. Poor. Poor. Good. Fair. . Good. Fair. . Poor. . Good. Poor.. Fair . . Poor . . 8.2 6.8 4-i Total having both house and barn usabie. 57. S Gool Gooi Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable. Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Gooi Good Fair Fair Poor Poor i-4 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . 11 .0 Not usable. Not usable . Gone Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone 5-5 8.2 4-1 13 -7 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable. 23 31 5 Grand total. 73 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Approximately one-fifth of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while nearly three-fifths of them had no buildings that were usable (table 324). The people At the time when this survey was made (July, 1928), there were 129 persons living in the entire area of more than 8000 acres (table 325). There was only 1 boy in the area 20 years old or more (table 326). The average age of the boys was 10.5 years and of the girls 13.2 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 2.4 (table 327). There were no children living at home on 21 of the 41 occupied farms. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 181 TABLE 324. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Berne Area, 1928 Farmsteads having Number Per cent 5 21.7 4 17.4 0.0 0.0 5 21 .7 4 17-4 1 4-4 1 4.4 3 13-0 23 IOO. * Based on survey records. TABLE 325. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Berne Area, 1928 Number Per cent 43 39 26 33-4 30.2 20.1 Girls 21 16.3 Total . . 129 100.0 TABLE 326. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Berne Area, 1928 Age Boys Girls Total 11 9 20 6 6 12 15 to 19 years 8 2 10 S 20 years and over I 4 26 21 47 11. 7 Average age (years) 10. s 13.2 TABLE 327. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Berne Area, 1928 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 1 7 7 7 14 6 3 2 4 20 Total 20 47 2.4 Average per family There were 7 occupants 14 in the area under 40 years of age, and 9 who were 60 years old and over (table 328). The average age of all occupants was 50.1 years. 14 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. 182 Bulletin 490 TABLE 328. Ages of 35 Occupants, Berne Area, 1928 Age Number of occupants Average age 7 19 9 (Years) 31.3 47- S 70. 2 35 SO. I Nearly half of the occupants were foreign-born or had parents born in foreign countries (table 329). They came from European countries, chiefly Germany and Poland. Most of the remaining occupants were natives of the region. TABLE 329. Birthplaces of 33 Occupants and Their Parents, Berne Area Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers Within Berne area 3 10 S 4 2 3 7 8 1 14 16 16 33 28 28 Only 1 of the foreign-born occupants came to this area directly from his native country (table 330). The others worked in cities, chiefly New York, previous to coming on the farms in this area. Of 28 occupants, 5 came from other States. TABLE 330. Previous Locations of 28 Occupants, Berne Area Previous location Occupants No location other than present one Other farms in Berne area. Other parts of Berne Township Other townships in Albany County Other counties in New York Other States Other countries Practically all of the occupants, outside of the foreign-born, had always been farmers. The foreign-born occupants had been engaged in a variety of occupations ( table 331). TABLE 331. Previous Employments of 31 Occupants, Berne Area Previous employment Farmer Factory laborer Upholsterer Street-car conductor Carpenter Trader Plumber Occupants 17 3 Previous employment Fur cutter Sailor Cabinet worker Restaurant keeper Electrician Cook Occupants Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 183 There were 16 occupants who had been in the area for less than five years (table 332). Only 6 out of 37 had been there for twenty years or more. The average period of residence of all occupants was 12.4 years. TABLE 332. Years of Continuous Residence of 37 Occupants, Berne Area, 1928 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 16 9 6 6 1.4 71 15-7 46 -5 37 12.4 Absentee owners Practically all of the owners of vacant farms were located near the area. The majority of them were farmers. (Tables 333 and 334.) TABLE 333. Locations of 14 Owners of Vacant Farms, Berne Area, 1928 Location Within Berne area Elsewhere in Berne Township Elsewhere in Albany or Schoharie County Other counties in New York Owners TABLE 334. Occupations of 14 Owners of Vacant Farms and Parcels, Berne Area, 1928 Occupation Owners Farmer Retired Day laborer Railway foreman . Trader Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 72 pieces of property, of which 41 were occu- pied farms, 23 were vacant farms, and 8 were parcels and woodlots (table 335). About two-thirds of the land area was on the occupied farms. TABLE 335. Classification of Property, Berne Area, 1928 Number Total Average acres of farms acres per farm Occupied farms: 32 4.636 1449 795 1136 2 242 121 .0 23 2,378 103 4 Parcels and woodlots 8 248 3t.o Total 72 8, 299 Bulletin 490 About one-third of the total area was in cleared land which was idle, and 16.9 per cent was in woods (table 336). One-fourth of the total was in pasture, 15.8 per cent was in hay, and 6.8 per cent was in other crops. Nearly three-fifths of the land available for crops and pasture on the vacant farms was idle, as compared with about one-third on the occupied farms. TABLE 336. Utilization of the Land, Berne Area, 1927 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels and woodlots Total Acres Percent Acres Percent Acres | Percent Acres Per cent Hay Pasture Woods Total 981 512-75 1.576 1.487.5 993 122.75 17-3 9.0 27.8 26.2 17-5 2.2 310 43-5 499 1. 152. 5 350 23 130 1.9 21 .0 48.5 14-7 09 16 9 160 63 6.S 3-6 0.0 645 254 0.0 1.307 565.25 2.075 2 , 800 1 ,406 145-75 IS- 8 6.8 2S .0 33-7 16.9 1.8 5.673 100.0 2,378 100.0 248 100.0 8.299 100.0 About 70 per cent of the crop acreage was in hay (table 337). Oats and buckwheat were next in importance, comprising 14 and 12.5 per cent, respectively. TABLE 337. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Berne Area, 1927 Crop Corn for fodder Corn for grain Potatoes Beans Buckwheat Oats Oats and barley Hay Apples (bearing) .... Apples (not bearing) . Total Occupied farms Acres Per cent 22.5 3-0 18.75 0.75 2195 243 25 981 .0 30 I .493-75 IS o . 2 1-3 O. I 14.6 16.3 65-7 Vacant farms and parcels Acres 0.5 14.0 20.0 18.0 326.0 378.5 Per cent 1 3 7 S 3 4 7 86 2 Total area Acres 22.5 3-0 19-25 0-75 233-5 263.25 18.0 1, 307.0 3-0 2.0 1,872.25 Per cent 1 .0 12.5 14.0 0.9 69.8 0.2 0.1 100.0 The yields of all crops were very low (table 338). The average yield of potatoes in this area was 74 per cent of the New York State average, buckwheat was 63 per cent, oats were 64 per cent, and hay was only 47 per cent. The average yields of these four crops in this area were 62 TABLE 338. Yields of the Principal Crops, Berne Area, 1927 Number Number Average yield per acre of of farms acres Berne New York area State (Bushels) (Bushels) ■ 24 1725 78.3 106 21 194-5 13.2 21 Oats 25 216.75 22.5 35 (Tons) (Tons) Hay 26 674 07 1.5 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 185 per cent of the average yields for the State ; when weighted by the acreage grown, this average was 52 per cent. Only about one-fifth of the total area of crops was grown on the vacant farms. In 1927 some hay was cut on 14 of the vacant farms, stock was pastured on 9, and plowing was done on 3. Abandonment began in this area about thirty years ago (table 339). More than half of the vacant farms have been vacant for ten years or more. The average period of vacancy was about eleven years. TABLE 339. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Berne Area Approximate Number number of Number Number Number Year years since of farms last of farms last of farms last of farms last operations occupied pastured plowed hayed were this year this year this year this year discontinued 9 3 14 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1924 3 1 I 4 4 3 2 5 1 2 6 2 1 10 4 1 2 12 2 IS 2 1 20 I 25 3 1 2 1 30 I 23 IS 14 19 Average number of years since operation was II .1 3 9 6.7 2.3 Farm operations Of the 41 occupants in this area, 7 used their farms as homes and worked out by the day, while 2 occupied their farms in the summer only. There were 32 who operated their farms, but 6 of these operators had not been in the area long enough to give a complete year's record. Consequently, this discussion of farming operations is based on only 26 farms. The total receipts on the 26 operated farms were $24,090, or $926 per farm (table 340). Livestock products sold, principally milk, brought about half of the total income, and livestock sold brought one-fourth. Receipts from crops represented only 3 per cent of the total. Outside labor brought 15 per cent of the total income, and an increase in capital on 8 farms made up 5 per cent. These 26 families used products from the farm valued at $8818, or $339 per family (table 341). The most important food products were milk, butter, eggs, potatoes, and pork. The cordwood used represented an average value of $77 per farm. The farm expenses on these 26 farms amounted to $17,320, or $666 per farm (table 342). The current operating expense made up 83 per cent of the total expense, decrease in capital 13 per cent, and livestock purchased 4 per cent. Unpaid labor made up about 9 per cent, and all labor about 17 per cent, of the total operating expense. About $114 per farm was spent on pur- chased feed, including hay. Building repairs, truck expense, taxes, and c86 Bulletin 490 TABLE .^40. Detailed Receipts on 26 Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Num- ber of farms having receipt Number of units Average price per unit Total value Average value per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: 4 1 3 2 222 bu. 2 bu. 355 bu. 170 bu. $1.2 6.0 0.6 0.8 $264 12 230 141 $10.2 0.5 8.8 5-4 40.8 1.9 355 21.8 Beans Oats Total $647 $24 -9 100.0 2.7 Livestock: IS I 20 2 I 6 7 5 12 2 2 36 2 92 2 1 96 21 26 522 105 22 $73-8 32.5 136 45-0 450 7.8 18.7 4-9 1 .0 0.7 6.3 $2 , 657 65 1 , 250 90 4S 748 393 128 544 78 138 $102 . 2 2-5 48. 1 3.5 1.7 28.8 IS- 1 4- 9 20.9 30 5- 3 43 3 I . I 20.4 15 0.8 12.2 6.4 2 . I 8.8 I -3 2 . 1 Bulls Lambs Hogs Pigs Turkeys Total $6,136 $236.0 100 .0 25 .4 Livestock products: Milk 15 3 7 6 23 2 3, 177 cwt. 2 , 963 lbs. 3,924 lbs. 894 lbs. 5,640 do?. 2 $2.32 O.38 O.42 0.39 033 4 SO $7,375 1. 130 1 .655 352 1,866 9 $283 .6 43-5 63 -7 13. S 71.8 0.3 59-5 9.1 133 2.9 IS. I O.I Cream Wool Eggs Total $12,387 $476 . 4 100.0 SI -5 Woodlot products: Cord wood 5 $124 $48 100.0 0.5 Outside work: 5 2 I I I 160 days 199 days $53 7 -9 S 845 1 .580 360 675 100 $32.5 60.8 13-9 25 9 38 23 -7 44-5 10. I 18.9 2.8 Team work Trucking Threshing Total $3.56o $136.9 100.0 14.8 ^ 1 1 3( 'ellaneous I I $24 25 $0.9 1 .0 49.0 51.0 Commission on han- dling sheep and wool Total $49 $1.9 100.0 0.2 Increase in capital 8 $1,187 $45 6 100.0 4-9 Grand total $24,090 $926.5 100.0 100.0 fertilizer were the only other expenses representing more than 5 per cent of the total operating expense. The commonest expenses were taxes, horseshoeing, feed, insurance, and grass seed. There was an increase in capital on 8 farms and a decrease on 17. The net decrease in capital on the 26 farms was $1060, or an average of $41 per farm. The total value of real estate at the end of the year was $550 more than at the beginning, while the value of livestock was $1460 less and that of machinery was $150 less. There was a decided decrease in the number of cows and hens. (Table 343.) When all the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, an average of $260 per farm is left to pay for the use of capital and for the Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 187 TABLE 341. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 26 Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Farmers' Commodity Quantity used estimated Total Value value value per farm per unit Milk 22 . 320 qts. So. 05 J1.116 $42.9 Butter 3,144 lbs. 053 1 ,666 64.0 Eggs 4. 189 doz. 0.31 1 ,299 SO Poultry 424 1 .00 424 16.3 Pork 9.435 lbs. 0. 1 1 1,038 39-9 Beef 1 ,370 lbs. 0. 11 ISI 5-8 Potatoes 7S7 bu. 1-43 1 .083 41-7 3 bu. 6.00 18 0.7 Apples 12 bu. I .00 12 0-5 Total $6,807 $261.8 565 cords 356 2,011 773 Grand total $8,818 $339- I TABLE 342. Detailed Farm Expenses on 26 Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Number of farms having expense Number of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Operating expenses: Labor: Month help Day help Board of hired labor Unpaid labor (including board) Egg cases Buildings (new) Building repairs Rent of crop land Rent of pasture Hay purchased Feed purchased Grinding feed Fence repairs Fertilizer Horseshoeing Insurance Sawing wood New equipment Machinery repairs Threshing Gasoline, oil, etc Truck Twine Use of automobile Hauling milk Dairy supplies Grass seed Other seeds Telephone Taxes Miscellaneous Total . Livestock purchased: Cows Heifers Horses Brood sows Other hogs Pigs Hens Total . 4 13 24 26 22 4 7 19 18 3 5 9 14 21 14 19 26 3 24 SO 5 132 761 292 1,285 4 ISO 1,571 10 107 654 2,319 201 225 806 426 242 87 717 414 328 96 I.045 3 240 37S 102 538 1 25 91 1 ,026 31 $ S.I 29.3 II .2 49.4 0.2 5-8 60.4 0.4 4 1 25 .2 89.2 77 8.7 31.0 16.4 93 33 27.6 15.9 12.6 3.7 40.3 .0.1 9-2 14.4 3.9 20.7 4.8 3,5 394 1 . 2 $14. 403 $544 o $281 140 35 36 10 118 SO $10.8 5-4 1-3 1-4 0.4 4-5 2.0 $670 $25.8 0.9 5-3 2.0 8.9 1 .0 1 1 .0 . 1 0.7 4-5 16.2 14 I .6 5.6 3 1-7 0.6 5 0.7 73 1-7 2.6 0.7 3-7 9 07 7.1 41 .9 20.9 5-2 5.4 1-5 17.6 75 100.0 83.2 Decrease in capital . $2,247 $86.4 Grand total . $17,320 $666.2 i88 Bulletin 490 TABLE 343. Changes in Inventory during the Year on 26 Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Number of livestock At beginning of year At end of year Increase Decrease Cattle: Cows Heifers Calves Bulls Horses Sheep: Ewes Bucks Lambs Hogs: Brood sows Boars Other hogs Pigs Poultry: Hens Ducks Geese Turkeys Value of livestock . . Value of machinery Value of real estate 171 19 4 3 71 162 4 30 8 40 19 1,768 6 3 17 $30,265 $13,525 $49. 150 143 30 17 6 70 173 4 45 42 19 .311 3 6 $28,805 $13,375 $49,700 13 3 II IS $550 457 3 $1 .460 $150 operator's labor (table 344). The average capital per farm was $3554. Interest at 5 per cent on this sum amounts to Si 78, which leaves an average of $83 per farm as pay for the operator's labor, in addition to which he has a house to live in and products from the farm to use. TABLE 344. Labor Incomes on 26 Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Total Average per farm Receipts: Increase in real estate. Crops Livestock sold Livestock products . . . Wood lot products .... Outside work Miscellaneous Expenses: Decrease in machinery . Decrease in livestock . . Livestock purchased . . . Operating expenses Income from capital and operator's labor. Capital: Real estate Machinery Livestock Interest on average capital at 5 per cent. Labor income 550 647 6,136 12.387 124 3.560 49 I 150 1 ,460 670 14.403 $23,453 16,683 $ 21.2 24.9 236.0 476.5 4.8 136.9 1.8 $ 5-8 56.2 25.8 553-9 $49,425 ■ 13.450 29.535 $92,410 $6,770 4.620 $2,150 $ I , 90 I . o 517.3 1,135 9 $3,554-2 $902 . I 641.7 $260.4 The total indebtedness on these 26 farms was $4600, which means that only $230 of the $4620 interest charge had to be paid in cash. Likewise, the items for unpaid labor and the net decrease in capital of $1060 did not Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 189 represent cash expenditures. Consequently, the average amount of cash per family available for living expenses and for saving was $342. The estimated average cash expenditure for food was $343 per family, and for clothing $143. Apparently the operators must have had other sources of income than from their farming operations, or some of their expenses were not paid. Taxation The total assessed valuation of the area in 1927 was $71,250, or $8.71 per acre (table 345). The land alone was assessed at an average of $4.31 per acre. The town, county, and state tax averaged 18 cents per acre. The average school tax paid for the school year 1927-28 was 6 cents per acre, which makes a total tax of 24 cents per acre. This tax in 1927 represented 2.8 per cent of the assessed valuation and 2.2 per cent of the farmers' valuations. TABLE 345. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Berne Area, 1927 Number of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valua- tion Taxes* Total Per acre Total Per acre Land Land and buildings Land Land and buildings Town, county, and state tax: 8,181 S35. 230 $71,250 $4-31 $8.71 $20. 19 $i,439 $0.18 School tax: Berne: District 16 District 20 Total 1 ,649 1,661 90 992 1 ,321 2,468 $ 6,900 6,600 500 4.850 4. 550 II ,850 $14,400 14.350 1.500 9.150 9.40c 22,450 $4.18 3-97 5.56 4.89 3-44 4.80 $ 8.73 8.64 16.67 9.22 7.12 9. 10 $ 1-97 5.00 10.00 10.00 5 00 10 .00 $ 28 72 15 92 47 225 $0.02 0.04 0.02 0.09 0.04 0.09 8,181 $35,250 $71 ,250 $479 Average $4-31 $8.71 $0.06 $1 ,918 $0.24 * Not including cost of collection. On the average, the land in this area was assessed at 81 per cent of the farmers' estimated value (table 346). The occupied farms were assessed at 76 per cent of the farmers' valuations, and the vacant farms at practi- cally full value. Contribution of the agriculture of the area The value of the agricultural products which this area contributed for use on the farm and for sale amounted to $3.85 per acre of cleared land (table 347). To obtain this it was necessary to import supplies amount- ing to $1.19 per acre of cleared land. The difference, which represents the net contribution of the agriculture of this area, was $2.66 per acre of cleared land. The total number of working days on the 26 operated farms was 9125 (table 348). More than four-fifths of this work was done by the operators, 8 per cent by unpaid labor, and 6.5 per cent by hired labor. The number of days spent on work done off the farm and in the woods was 11 78. This Bulletin 490 TABLE 346. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and on Vacant Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Number Acres Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 41 5,673 $53 • IOO $69,450 $12.2 \ nit farms: Both buildings usable Total 5 4 1 10 3 442 130 1 ,027 240 $4,850 3.S0O 1 ,000 6,700 900 $9.0 7.9 7-7 6.5 3-8 $5,500 3.600 1 ,000 7,150 650 $10.2 8.1 7.7 7.0 2.7 23 2,378 $16,950 $17,900 $7-1 $7-5 s 248 $1 , 200 $48 $l,l5ot $46 72 8,299 $71,250 $88,500 $8.6 $10.7 * Including buildings. t Most of the parcels were valued on the basis of assessed value. TABLE 347. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Berne Area, 1927* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (6747 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops: Sold Used on larm Livestock: Sold Used on farm Livestock products: Sold Used on farm I 647 I.II3 6,136 1 , 1 89 12,387 4.505 Total . $25,977 $0.09 . 16 0.91 0.18 1 .84 0.67 $3.85 Products imported: Livestock: Bought Decrease in inventory . Machinery: Bought Repairs Decrease in inventory . Feed Seed Fertilizer Other supplies $ 670 1 .460 717 414 150 2,973 663 806 205 Total . $8,058 $0.10 o. 22 0.11 0.06 0.02 0.44 0.09 0.12 0.03 $1 . 19 Net contribution . $17,919 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from the vacant farms by persons living outside the area. leaves 7947 working days for the agriculture of the area, which is 1.4 days per acre of cleared land. The net amount of $2.66 is the pay for 1.4 days labor, interest on invest- ment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, grinding feed, horseshoeing, insur- ance, sawing wood, threshing, use of automobile and truck, hauling milk, and use of telephone. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 191 TABLE 348. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Berne Area, 1927 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent of total 20 7 . 800 °5-5 Unpaid labor: Wife 7 4 520 208 71 .4 28 6 Total 728 IOO. 8.0 Hired labor: IS" 441 73 • 9 Day Total S97 100 . 6.5 9.125 100 .0 573 605 48.6 51-4 Total 1,178 IOO.O 12.9 Number of working days spent on agriculture. . . 7.947 87.1 9.125 100.0 DECATUR AREA Location The Decatur area is located in the townships of Decatur and Roseboom, Otsego County, and the townships of Seward and Richmond ville, Scho- harie County. It contains nearly 9000 acres, and may be roughly outlined as the region lying north of Decatur, West Richmondville, and Richmond- ville, south of South Valley, Weber Corners, and Hyndsville, and west of Warnerville. A map of the area is shown in figure 14. There are railroad stations at Worcester, East Worcester, Richmondville, Hyndsville, and Seward. The distance to any one of these stations from the center of the area is not more than five miles. Description The area is a long, narrow ridge lying between two valleys running east and west. The highest point in the area is 2240 feet above sea level. The valley on the north is about 1500 feet in elevation, that on the south is about 1400 feet, and that on the east is about 1100 feet. There is very little level land in the area. The soil map of Schoharie County, made in 191 5, shows the predominating soil in the Schoharie County part of the area to be Lordstown stony silt loam. Livestock About half of the farmers in the area were keeping 10 cows or more. The average number of cows per occupied farm was 10.7 (table 349). There were no sheep in the area, and no brood sows. Of the 20 farmers, 6 were keeping 100 or more hens each, the average number of hens per occupied farm being 62.3. The total value of livestock was $31,150, or $1558 per farm. About four-fifths of this investment was in cattle. 192 Bulletin 490 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 193 TABLE 349. Number and Value of Livestock on 20 Occupied Farms, Decatur Area, 1928 Average Average Total TiiiTTi n(>f 11 u 1 1 1 UCJ Total of number per value per per total farm head farm value Cattle: $97-9 67.2 214 10.7 $20,940 $1 ,047 .0 84 4.2 3.341 39.8 167.0 10.7 2 O.I IS 7-5 .8 Bulls 7 0.4 330 47-1 16. S 1 . 1 SS 2.8 4.66s 84.8 233-3 150 18 0.9 244 13.6 12.2 0.8 Poultry: I ,S6s 78.2 1,246 62.3 1-3 5.0 Turkeys 7 0.4 SO 7-1 2.5 0.2 Total $31. 1 SO $1,557-5 100.0 Machinery The total value of special equipment in this area was $2000. It consisted of 2 tractors and 3 trucks. The total value of ordinary farm machinery was $11,025, making the total value of all machinery $13,025, or $651 per occupied farm. There were 11 automobiles in the area, of which 3 were Fords and 5 were Chevrolets (table 350). The total value of all cars was $2175, or $198 per car. TABLE 350. Automobiles,* Decatur Area, 1928 Manufacturer's year Make of car Total number Ford Chevrolet Dodge Essex Oldsmobile IOI7 1 1 1 I 1 2 3 1 I 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 3 , s 1 1 1 II ll7S $500 $100 $600 $800 $2.I7S $S8 $100 $100 $600 S800 $198 * Not included in farm machinery. Real estate The farmers' estimates of the value of land and buildings for the 8826 acres in this area totaled $114,080, or $12.90 per acre. There were about 4000 acres valued at $10 or less per acre, and about 6500 acres with an average value of $10 (table 351). The estimated value of land and buildings on the occupied farms was $57,300, or $2865 per farm. This makes the total farm capital per occu- pied farm $5074, of which 56 per cent was in land and buildings, 31 per cent was in livestock, and 13 per cent was in machinery. The prices which 16 of the present owners paid for their farms averaged $15.60 per acre (table 352). On an average, only about one-third of the purchase price was paid in cash. In 1928 the estimated average value of the occupied farms was $16.90 per acre. 194 Bulletin 490 TABLE 351. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Decatur Area, 1928 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of acres with average value shown in column preceding 80 $ 2 9 200 1 2 5 80 60 3 200 2 9 140 5 I 090 4 368 130 6 80O 4 6 498 382 7 2 600 5 6 880 I.3S7 8 IO 600 6 9 2,237 9 8 800 7 6 3 . 199 978 10 9 730 8 1 4. 177 474 II 5 300 8 S 4.651 481 12 5 7O0 8 8 5 . 132 60 13 800 8 8 5 . 192 158 14 2 200 8 9 5 . 350 667 15 10 100 9 7 6,017 930 16 15 000 10 5 6,956 17 9 000 1 1 7.495 18 5 700 1 1 2 7.816 78 19 I 500 II 3 7.894 20 2 500 II 4 8,020 24 500 II 5 8,041 25 5 OOO II 8 8,241 335 27 9 OOO 12 4 8,576 24 28 660 12 4 8,600 70 29 2 000 12 5 8,670 65 31 2 000 12 7 8,735 75 33 2 500 12 9 8,810 16 38 600 12 9 8,826 Including buildings. TABLE 352. Purchase Prices Paid by 16 of the Present Owners of Farms, Decatur Area Purchase price per acre Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Total purchase price Average price per acre Original indebted- ness Total Per cent of purchase price Less than $10 3 2 5 6 534 850 468 982 178.0 4250 93 6 163.7 S 3.000 9. 100 7,700 24.350 $ 56 10.7 16.5 24.8 S 950 3.3O0 3.300 19.900 31-7 36.3 42.9 81.7 $10 to S14 $15 to $19 S20 and more Total 16 2.834 $44. 150 $27,450 Average I77.I $15-6 62 . 2 Condition of buildings On more than one-third of the 83 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on about two-fifths the barns were gone or were not usable (table 353). About two-thirds of the usable houses and practically all of the usable barns were considered poor. Only 4 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn (table 354). About three-fifths of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about 5 per cent had one or the other gone or not usable, and more than one-third had both house and barn gone or not usable. Approximately one-third of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while more than two-fifths of them had no buildings that were usable (table 355). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 195 TABLE 353. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Decatur Area, 1928 Houses Condition Number Per cent Number Per cent Good 7 8.4 1 1 .2 Fair 11 13-3 3 3.6 35 42.1 47 S6-7 Not usable IS 18. 1 10 12.0 IS 18. 1 22 26. s Total 83 100. 83 100.0 Barns * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 354. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Decatur Area, 1928 Farmsteads having House Barn Number Per cent Good. Good. Fair. . Fair . . Good. Poor . Fair . . Poor . Poor . Good . Fair . . Good. Fair.. Poor . . Good. Poor . . Fair . . Poor. . 0.0 2.4 I . 2 I . 2 6.0 0.0 9.6 0.0 39-8 Total having both house and barn usable . 60.3 Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor 0.0 0.0 1 .2 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1 . 2 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . 4.8 Not usable . Not usable . Gone Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone 4.8 13-3 3.6 13-3 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable. 34-9 Grand total. 83 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 355. Buildings on the Vacant Farms, Decatur Area, 1927 Farmsteads having Number Per cent House usable and barn usable House usable and barn not usable House usable and barn gone House not usable and barn usable House not usable and barn not usable House not usable and barn gone House gone and barn usable House gone and barn not usable House gone and barn gone Total 19 6 35. 8 11 .3 3-8 0.0 9-4 17-0 5-7 0.0 17.0 S3 100.0 196 Bulletin 490 The people At the time when this survey was made (August, 1928), there were 83 persons living in the entire area of nearly 9000 acres (table 356). TABLE 356. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Decatur Area, 1928 Number Per cent 21 19 23 20 253 22 .9 27.8 24.0 Girls Total 83 100.0 Of 23 boys living in this area, there were 5 who were 20 years old or over (table 357). The average age of all boys was 12.1 years and of the girls 9.8 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 3.6 (table 358). There were no children living at home on 8 of the 20 occupied farms. TABLE 357. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Decatur Area, 1928 Age Boys Girls Total 11 10 21 4 6 10 3 3 6 S 1 6 23 20 43 12. 1 9.8 II .0 TABLE 358. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Decatur Area, 1928 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 1 1 4 8 1 3 4 1 4 S 4 20 7 I 7 Total 12 43 3-6 There were 7 occupants 15 in the area under 40 years of age, and 3 who were 60 years old or over (table 359). The average age of all occupants was 48.5 years. Many of the occupants were natives of New York State, although nearly one- third were born outside of the United States (table 360). Most of the occupants came to this area from other farms in the vicinity (table 361). About one-fourth came from outside the State. The majority had always been farmers (table 362). 15 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 359. Ages of 19 Occupants, Decatur Area, 1928 197 Age Number of occupants Average age 7 9 3 19 (Years) 35-7 52.2 67 .0 Total 48. 5 TABLE 360. Birthplaces of 18 Occupants and Their Parents, Decatur Area Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers S 8 5 n 6 11 6 Total 18 17 17 TABLE 361. Previous Locations of 15 Occupants, Decatur Area Previous location Occupants In Otsego or Schoharie County . Other counties in New York Other States TABLE 362. Previous Employments of 17 Occupants, Decatur Area Previous employment Occupants Farmer Carpenter Sawmill operator. Chef I Porter Factory worker . . . Coal miner Only 2 occupants had been in the area for less than five years, and only 1 for twenty years or more (table 363). The majority had been there between five and ten years. The average period of residence for all occupants was 9.3 years. TABLE 363. Years of Continuous Residence of 18 Occupants, Decatur Area, 1928 Years Number of occupants Average years of residence 2 10 5 1 l-S 6.7 14.8 23.0 18 93 Bulletin 490 Absentee owners The majority of the owners of the vacant farms are living near the area. Only 5 out of 36 live outside of New York State (table 364). Most of the owners of the vacant farms are farmers (table 365). TABLE 364. Locations of 36 Owners of Vacant Farms, Decatur Area, 1928 Location Owners Other farms in Decatur area 1 27 3 5 Elsewhere in Otsego or Schoharie County Other States TABLE 365. Occupations of 33 Owners of Vacant Farms, Decatur Area, 1928 Occupation Owners Occupation Owners Farmer 24 2 1 1 1 Railroad-station operator 1 1 1 1 Mill hand Garage mechanic Railroad laborer I tilization of the land Records were obtained on 78 pieces of property, of which 20 were occupied farms, 53 were vacant farms, and 5 were parcels and woodlots (table 366). Nearly two-thirds of the land area was on the vacant farms and parcels. TABLE 366. Classification of Property, Decatur Area, 1928 Number Total Average acres of farms acres per farm Occupied farms: Operated 18 3.314 184 I Non-operated 2 71 35 5 S3 5. 3io IOO 2 5 1 (i 26 2 Total 78 s B26 All of the occupied farms, and a majority of the vacant farms, were purchased by their present owners (table 367). Several of the vacant farms were inherited, and a few were obtained as the result of mortgage foreclosures. About one-fourth of the total area was in woods, one-fourth was in pasture, and one-fourth was idle (table 368). One-fifth was in hay, nearly 5 per cent was in other crops, and 1.5 per cent was in farmsteads. Nearly two-fifths of the land available for crops and pasture on the vacant farms was idle, as compared with only 6.5 per cent on the occupied farms. Hay made up about four-fifths of the total crop acreage (table 369). Oats and buckwheat were next in importance, representing about 6 per cent each. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 199 TABLE 367. Methods by Which Ownership of Farms Was Obtained, Decatur Area Occupied farms Vacant farms 20 25 7 2 20 34 TABLE 368. Utilization of the Land, Decatur Area, 1927 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels and woodlots Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 907 336.5 1 .084 221 773 635 26.9 9-9 32.0 6.5 22.8 1.9 911 98 973 2 .077 1 ,183 ' 68 17. 1 19 18.3 39.1 22 .3 1.3 1,818 434 S 2.057 2 , 298 2 ,087 I3I-S 20.6 4-9 23 -3 26. 1 23.6 1-5 131 100.0 Total 3.385 100.0 5.3io 100.0 131 100.0 8,826 100.0 TABLE 369. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Decatur Area, 1927 Crop Occupied farms Vacant farms Total area Per cent Corn for fodder (Acres) 10 39 20 42.5 3 90 110 19 907 3 (Acres) (Acres) 10 39 20 67.5 3 137 136 19 1,818 3 0.4 1-7 0.9 3-0 , . 1 6.1 6.1 O.g 80.8 0. 1 Millet • 25 47 26 Hay 911 I . 243 • 5 1 ,009 2,252.5 100.0 The yields of all the principal crops were low (table 370). The average yield for potatoes in this area was 66 per cent of the average for the State, buckwheat was 64 per cent, oats were 77 per cent, and hay was 55 per cent. The yields of these four crops were 65 per cent of the state average; when weighted by the acreage grown, this average was 57 per cent. TABLE 370. Yields of the Principal Crops, Decatur Area, 1927 2orn for silage . Potatoes Buckwheat .... Hay". ...... Number of farms Number of acres 39 44 98 93 822 Average yield per acre Decatur area New York State 8 . 3 tons 69.7 bu. 13-4 bu. 26.9 bu. o . 82 ton 1 nil bu. 21 bu . 35 bu. 1 . 5 tons 200 Bulletin 490 Nearly half of the total area of crops was on the vacant farms. In 1927 hay was cut on 35 vacant farms, stock was pastured on 25, and some plowing was done on 12. Abandonment began in this area fifty years ago (table 371). About half of the vacant farms had been vacant for ten years or more. The average period of vacancy for all vacant farms was about twelve years. TABLE 371. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Decatur Area Approximate number of Number of T Number of Number of Number of Year years since farms last farms last farms last farms last operations occupied pastured plowed hayed were this year this year this year this year discontinued 1927 2 25 12 35 1 1 5 192s 2 5 S 7 2 1924 3 2 1 I 1923 4 3 2 2 5 8 2 7 4 6 S 2 5 O 7 1 8 I 10 3 I I 12 5 2 I I 15 4 2 2 2 20 5 2 I 25 I O 30 5 1 O SO I O 50 43 43 49 Average number of years since operation was 11. 6 3-7 3-8 19 Farm operations Of the 20 occupied farms, 18 were being operated. Of the 18 operators, 2 had not been in the area long enough to give a complete year's record. There were 2 occupants who used their farms as homes and worked out by the day. Consequently this discussion on farming operations is based on only 16 farms. The total receipts on the 16 operated farms were $35,156, or $2197 per farm (table 372). More than three-fourths of the total income came from livestock products, which consisted principally of milk. Only 6.3 per cent of the total income came from crops, and about an equal amount from livestock sold. An increase in capital on 8 farms made up 7.1 per cent of the receipts. These 16 families used products from the farm valued at $4603, or $288 per family (table 373). The most important food products were milk, eggs, potatoes, and pork. The cord wood used represented an average value of $81 per farm. The farm expenses on these 16 farms amounted to $29,892, or $1868 per farm (table 374). The current operating expense made up 92 per cent of the total expense, decrease in capital was 5 per cent, and livestock purchased was 3 per cent. Purchased feed made up more than two-fifths of the operating expense, unpaid labor nearly one-fifth, and all labor nearly one-third. Feed and labor were the only individual expenses representing more than 5 per cent Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 201 TABLE 372. Detailed Receipts on 16 Farms, Decatur Area, 1927 Num- ber of farms having receipt IN urn oer of units Average per unit Total value Average per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: Potatoes 12 2 1 1 1 ,364 bu. $1.2 $1,605 240 320 18 $100.3 15.0 20.0 73-5 II .0 14-7 0.8 Green peas Buckwheat 400 bu. 15 bu. 0.8 1.2 TV1+-1I * A o u • 4 6 1 Livestock: S 2 IO 3 I I 9 12 2 1 29 3 2 2 508 $62.8 33-5 6 6 43 .3 22 . S 25.O 0.8 $745 67 047 130 45 50 397 $46.7 4.2 52.9 8.1 2 . 8 3-1 24.8 32.7 2.9 37 • I S-7 2.2 17.4 Bulls $2,281 $142.6 100.0 6.5 Livestock products: 12 2 12 9,675 cwt. 770 lbs. 7.563 doz. $2.6 O.S 0.3 $24,697 3°5 2,510 $1,543-5 24 • I 156.9 89.5 1 -4 9.1 $27,592 $1,724-5 100.0 78.3 woooiot products: I 18 cords $4.0 $72 $4-5 100. 0.3 Outside work: I I I I7S days $2.0 $350 25 90 $21.9 1.6 5.6 75.3 5.5 19.2 Cutting hay on shares. . Total $465 $29.1 100. 1-3 Miscellaneous: I $50 $3.1 100. 0.2 8 $2,513 $157-1 100.0 7-1 Grand total $35,156 $2,197-3 100.0 TABLE 373. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 16 Farms, Decatur Area, 1927 Commodity Quantity used Average sale price Total value Value per farm Milk 18,405 qts. 500 lbs. 2,217 doz. 276 3,191 lbs. 210 lbs. 530 bu. 10 bu. $0.05 0.50 0.31 1. 05 0. 16 0.17 1. 13 1 .20 $920 250 687 290 511 36 599 12 $57-6 IS- 6 43-0 18. 1 31 9 2.2 37-4 0.8 Pork Veal $3,305 1,298 $206.6 81. 1 515 cords $2.52 $4 , 603 $287.7 of the total operating expense. The commonest expenses were taxes, feed, horseshoeing, insurance, machinery repairs, and grass seed. There was an increase in capital on 8 farms and a decrease on 8. The net increase on the 16 farms was $1089, or $68 per farm. The total value 202 Bulletin 490 TABLE 374. Detailed Farm Expenses on 16 Farms, Decatur Area, 1927 Number of farms having expense Num- ber of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Operating expenses: Labor: Year help Day help Board of hired labor Unpaid labor (including board) . Egg cases Buildings (new) Building repairs Rent of crop land Rent of pasture Hay purchased Feed purchased Grinding feed Fence repairs Fertilizer I Lime. • Horseshoeing Insurance Sawing wood New equipment Machinery repairs Threshing Filling silo Dairy supplies Grass seed Other seeds Telephone . . . . , Taxes Veterinary fees Use of automobile Miscellaneous 6 16 1 10 10 6 IS 14 3 9 14 7 3 6 15 1 1 7 16 4 6 4 2.540 598 215 5.045 5 100 980 145 3 38s 12,052 5 170 522 142 210 143 91 566 304 115 52 79 513 245 43 1 , 21 1 17 740 273 $158.8 37-4 13-4 315-3 0.3 6.2 61 . 2 91 0.2 24 753 I 3 3 10.6 32.6 8.9 13. 1 8.9 5-7 35-4 190 7.2 3- 2 4- 9 32.1 0.8 18.3 0.4 36 05 1.4 43-6 ' 0.6 2.0 o.S 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.4 46. 17- 44 0.1 2.7 Total . $27,509 Jl, 719-3 91 . 8 Livestock purchased: Cows Calves Horses Pigs 5 24 4 M $540 74 270 75 $33-7 4.6 16.9 4-7 573 7-7 28.2 7.8 T..tal $959 $599 100 . o 32 Decrease in capital. $1 .424 $890 Grand total . $29,892 $1 .868.2 TABLE 375. Changes in Inventory during the Year on 16 Farms, Area, 1927 Decatur Number of livestock At beginning of year At end of year Increase Decrease Cattle: Cows 215 51 4 6 213 84 1 2 Heifers 33 3 Bulls 7 I 52 18 49 18 3 Hogs Poultry: 1 .250 7 1 ,242 7 8 $29,357 $12,500 $48,750 $30,671 $12,425 $1 .314 Value of machinery $75 $150 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 203 of livestock was $1314 higher at the end of the year than at the beginning, while the value of machinery and that of real estate were lower (table 375). The increase in livestock inventory was due primarily to an increase in the number of heifers. When all the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, an average of $329 per farm is left as pay for the use of capital and for the operator's labor (table 376). The average capital per farm was $5697. Interest at 5 per cent on this sum amounts to $285 per farm, which leaves $44 per farm as pay for the operator's labor, in addition to which he has a house to live in and products from the farm to use. TABLE 376. Labor Incomes on 16 Farms, Decatur Area, 1927 Total Average per farm Receipts: Increase in livestock Crops , Livestock sold Livestock products Woodlot products Outside work Miscellaneous Expenses: Decrease in machinery Decrease in real estate Livestock purchased Operating expenses Income from capital and operator's labor Capital: Real estate Machinery Livestock Interest on average capital at 5 per cent . Labor income t 1. 314 2, 183 2,281 27,592 72 46s 50 — $33. 957 82.1 136.4 142 .6 .724-5 4-5 29. 1 3 1 * 75 150 959 27.509 28.693 5 4-7 9-4 59-9 I. 719. 3 $48,675 1 2 , 462 30,014 $91 ,151 $5,264 4.558 $3 , 042 . 2 778.9 1.875.8 $5,696.9 $706 $2, 122.3 I .793-3 $329 284.0 $44 - 1 The total indebtedness on these 16 farms was $8100, which means that only $405 of the $4558 interest charge had to be paid in cash. Likewise, the item of $5045 for unpaid labor was not a cash expense. On the other hand, neither was the $1089 increase in capital a cash receipt. Conse- quently, when all these items are considered, the average amount of cash per family available for living expenses and for saving was $551. The estimated average cash expenditure for food was $394 per family, and for clothing $125. This leaves an average of $32 per farm available for other things. Taxation The total assessed valuation of the area in 1927 was $99,390, or $11.70 per acre (table 377). The town, county, and state tax averaged 29 cents per acre. The average school tax paid for the school year 1927-28 was 9 cents per acre, which makes a total tax of 38 cents per acre. On the average, the land in this area was assessed at 87 per cent of the farmers' estimated value (table 378). The occupied farms were assessed at 67 per cent of the farmers' valuations, while the vacant farms were assessed for more than their estimated value. 204 Bulletin 490 TABLE 377. Assessed Valuations, Town, County, and State Taxes by Town- ships, and School Taxes by Districts, Decatur Area, 1927 Number of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valuation Taxes* Total Per acre Total Per acre Town, county, and state tax: Total 3.910 1 . 109 2,662 788 $47,050 10,850 32,900 8,590 $12.0 9.8 12.4 10.9 $21.10 24.00 29.63 23.20 $993 260 975 199 $0.25 0.23 037 0.25 8,469 $99,390 $2,427 $11.7 $0.29 School tax: Decatur: District 6 Seward: Richmondville: District n Total 600 1,110 2,038 1 , 271 1. S84 1.327 358 181 $10,050 12,550 23.350 11.950 18,250 17.800 3.250 2,190 $16.8 11 .2 II. 5 9-4 II. 5 134 91 12. 1 $ 10 . 00 8 . 64 IO.OO 6.50 6.00 5.00 5 00 5 .00 $100 108 234 78 110 89 16 II $0.17 0. 10 Oil 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.04 0.06 8,469 $99,390 $746 $11.7 $0.09 $3,173 $0.38 * Not including cost of collection. TABLE 378. Comparison of Land Values* on Occupied and Vacant Farms, Decatur Area, 1928 Number Acres Assessed valuation Farmers' valuations Total Per acre Total Per acre 20 3.385 $38,440 $11.4 $57,300 $16.9 Vacant farms: Only the house usable Only the barn usable Both buildings unusable Total 19 8 3 14 9 2,262 777 222 1. 331 718 $28,180 9,250 3,200 11,650 6,770 $12.5 II. 9 14.4 8.8 9-4 $26,300 8, 100 3,100 11 ,900 5.450 $11.6 10.4 14.0 8.9 7-6 S3 5.310 $59,050 $54,850 $11.1 $10.3 5 131 $1 ,900 $14-5 $1 ,930 $14-7 8,826 $99,390 $114,080 $11.3 $12.9 Including buildings. Contribution of the agriculture of the area The value of the agricultural products which this area contributed for use on the farm and for sale amounted to $5.55 per acre of cleared land (table 379). To obtain this it was necessary to import supplies amounting to $2.40 per acre of cleared land. The difference, which represents the net contribution of the agriculture of this area, was $3.15 per acre of cleared land. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 205 TABLE 379. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Decatur Area, 1927* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (6608 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops: Sold $ 2,183 611 2,281 837 1. 314 27.592 1.857 $«'-33 0.09 0.35 0.13 0.20 4-17 0.28 T 1 17£»Cf"fM'*U' " 1j I V C3 I'JLri . Sold Used on farm Increase in inventory Livestock products! Sold Used 011 farm Total $36,675 $5-55 Products imported: $ 959 S66 304 75 12,437 758 664 89 $0.15 O.09 o.os O.OI 1.88 O.II O.IO O.OI Machinery: Feed Total $15,852 $2.40 $20,823 $3.15 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from the vacant farms by persons living outside the area. The total number of working days on the 16 operated farms was 8215 (table 380). Nearly one-fourth of this work was done by unpaid labor, and about one-fifth by hired labor. The number of days spent on work done off the farm and in the woods was 772. This leaves 7443 working days for the agriculture of the area, which is 1.1 days per acre of cleared land. TABLE 380. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Decatur Area, 1927 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent of total 16 4,800 S8.4 Unpaid labor: Wife 6 4 1,110 780 58.7 41 -3 Total 1 , 890 100.0 23.0 Hired labor: Year 4 1 , 200 325 78.7 21.3 1.525 100.0 18.6 8,215 100.0 221 551 28.6 71.4 Total 772 100.0 94 Number of working days spent on agriculture 7.443 90.6 8,215 100 . 2 06 Bulletin 490 The net amount of $3 . 1 5 is the pay for 1 . 1 days labor, interest on invest- ment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, grinding feed, horseshoeing, insur- ance, sawing wood, threshing, filling silo, use of automobile, use of tele- phone, and veterinary fees. PARISH AREA Location The Parish area, containing more than 10,000 acres, is located in the townships of Parish, Albion, Williamstown, and Amboy in Oswego County. It is the region lying south of Dugway, Howardville, South Albion, and Kasoag, west of Williamstown, north of Wrightson and West Amboy, and northeast of Parish. A map of the area is shown in figure 15. The nearest railroad stations are at Parish on the west and at Kasoag and Williamstown on the east. From the center of the area, Kasoag is about five miles distant, Williamstown six miles, and Parish seven miles. Description Unlike all of the areas studied in southern New York, this area is not located at a high elevation. The highest point is 703 feet above sea level, and the lowest is 544 feet. The topography is fairly level, the greater part of the area lying at an elevation of 600 feet. The soil is sandy, and a considerable part of the area is swampy. Much of this swampy land was never cleared. The soil map of Oswego County, made in 191 7, shows the predominant soil in this area to be Worth stony fine sandy loam. It is interspersed with some Worth stony loam. The swampy parts are designated as muck. Livestock There were 3 farmers in the area who kept more than 10 cows each, and 16 farmers who had less than 5 cows each. On the average, there were 4.6 cows per occupied farm (table 381). None of the farmers kept sheep. There were 4 farmers who kept brood sows, and the majority raised a few pigs for home use. Only 1 farmer kept more than 100 hens, the average number of hens per farm for all occupied farms being 25.8. The total value of livestock was $21,412, or $691 per occupied farm. About 71 per cent of this investment was in cattle and 22 per cent was in horses. TABLE 381. Number and Value of Livestock on 31 Occupied Farms, Parish Area, 1928 Total Average Total Average Average Per cent number number value value value of total per farm per head per farm value - ". Cattle: Cows 143 4.6 $r2,6so J88.5 J408.1 ' 59 1 Heifers 47 1. 5 2.295 489 74-0 1 10.7 Bulls •. . 4 0.1 267 66.8 8.6 1 jjt - Horses S3 1-7 4.60s 86.9 148.6 ,21.5 Hogs: Brood sows 5 0. 2 IS5 310 SO 0.7 " 34 1 . 1 506 14.9 16.3 Pigs , 2 0. 1 8 4.0 6.3 Poultry: 799 258 849 1.06 ..: ■ •. 17 .4/. ..: 4-9... . Turkeys II 0.4 77 7.0 2-5 r , 0.4. Total J21 ,412 $690.8 ~ 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 207 2 08 Bulletin 490 Machinery The total value of special equipment in this area was $300. It consisted of 1 Fordson tractor. The value of ordinary farm machinery was $7000, making the total value of all farm machinery $7300, or $235 per occupied farm. There were 9 automobiles in the area, all but 1 of which were Fords (table 382). The total value of all cars was $1225, or $136 per car. TABLE 382. Automobiles,* Parish Area, 1928 Manufacturer's year Make of car Total number Ford Chevrolet 1 3 3 I 1 3 3 1 1 1928 1 8 I725 $91 1 $500 $500 9 $1 .225 J136 Not included in farm machinery. Real estate The farmers' estimated total valuation of the 10,597 acres in this area was $117,145, or $11.10 per acre. There were about 6500 acres valued at $10 per acre or less, and about 10,000 acres with an average value of $10 per acre (table 383). The estimated value of land and buildings on the occupied farms was $62,300, or $2010 per farm. This makes the total farm capital per occupied farm $2936, of which 68 per cent was in land and buildings, 24 per cent was in livestock, and 8 per cent was in machinery. The prices which 19 of the present owners paid for their farms averaged $14.30 per acre (table 384). On the average, about half of the purchase price was paid in cash. In 1928 the estimated average value of the occupied farms was $19.62 per acre. Condition of buildings On about one-third of the 92 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on about two-fifths the barns were gone or were not usable (table 385). Nearly half of the usable houses, and three-fourths of the usable barns, were considered poor. Only 13 farmsteads had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn (table 386). More than half of the farmsteads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about one-fifth had one or the other gone or not usable, and more than one-fourth had both house and barn gone or not usable. Nearly three-fifths of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while one-fourth of them had no buildings that were usable (table 387). Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 209 TABLE 383. Estimates of Land Values,* Average Land Values, and Acres on Which Values and Average Values Apply, Parish Area, 1928 Acres Value per acre Total value Average value per acre including all cheaper land Number of ticrcs witli sver&Re vslue shown in column preceding * 2 5° $ 1 219 2 • 1 8 1 . 343 3 2 , 795 2 3 2,214 4 1 , 680 2 6 2 , 052 5 2 , 000 2 9 3 « 056 2 6,550 3 7 4 • 198 7 1 ,200 3 8 ,1 in ft 4 '37° 9, 550 4 7 5 > S63 9 2 , 500 4 9 5 > 844 7 , 750 5 5 « ' 5?! XI 7 ,300 6 7 » 2/7 12 4,600 6 3 I 13 3 ■ 000 6 5 7 » 930 IS 3 , 700 6 8 ft 1*7 1 » 173 16 3 > 000 7 O ft ?cft p .550 17 6,000 7 4 8 • 704 18 3 , 000 7 6 8, 871 19 7 8 8 , 976 2*800 7 9 9 • 1 17 21 250 8 9,129 8 4 9 , 422 124 23 2,900 8 6 9.546 25 6,500 9 9,807 27 4,000 9 3 9.955 29 5,500 9 7 10,144 30 1,200 9 7 IO, 184 31 2.500 9 9 10,264 32 1 ,600 10 10,314 35 800 10 I 10.337 70 43 3,000 10 3 10,407 87 46 4,000 10 6 10,494 58 2,600 10 8 10,539 58 60 3.500 II 1 10,597 * Including buildings. TABLE 384. Purchase Prices Paid by 19 of the Present Owners of Farms, Parish Area Purchase price per acre Num- ber of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Total purchase price Average price per acre Original indebtedness Total Per cent of pur- chase price 2 8 6 3 US 866 366 189 72.5 108.3 61 .0 63.0 $1 ,000 9,725 5,875 5,800 $ 6.9 11 .2 16. 1 30.7 $ 600 6,150 2.850 400 60.0 63.2 48. 5 6.9 $15 to $19 Total 19 1.566 $22,400 $10,000 82.4 14-3 44-6 TABLE 385. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Parish Area, 1928 Condition Houses Barns Number Per cent Number Per cent Good 11 21 27 11 22 12.0 22.8 29.3 12.0 23.9 '' 4 ' 10 42 [*%}*> 31 4- 3 10.9 45-7 5- 4 33-7 Fair Poor Total 92 100.0 92 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. 2io Bulletin 490 TABLE 386. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Parish Area, 1928 Farmsteads having Number Per cent House Barn Good 1 5 3 4 4 9 23 49 I.I 5-4 33 43 4-3 0.0 9-8 0.0 25 .0 53.2 Good Fair Fair Good Fair Fair Good Poor Good Fair Fair Pnnr . . . Good. 1 I 4 I 3 3 3 17 0. 1 . 1 4 3 1 . I 33 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.3 3-3 18.5 Good Fair Fair Poor Good Fair Fair Pnnr ... 2 6 1 17 26 2.2 6.5 I . I 18. 5 28.3 Gone . Total having both house and barn gone or not usable 92 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites. TABLE 387. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Parish Area, 1928 Farmsteads having Number Per cent 23 57- S 2 50 House usable and barn gone 3 7-5 House not usable and barn usable I 2.5 3 7-5 2 5-0 House gone and barn usable T 2.5 0.0 5 12.5 Total 40 100.0 * Based on survey records. The people At the time when this survey was made (September, 1928), there were 106 persons living in the entire area of more than 10,000 acres (table 388). There were no boys in the area who were 20 years old or more, and only 2 who were over 15 (table 389). The average age of the boys was 9 years and of the girls 7.1 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 3.4 (table 390). There were no children living at home on 16 of the 31 farms. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 388. Number of Persons Living on Farms, Parish Area, 1928 21 1 Number Per cent Men 33 22 25 26 311 20.8 23.6 24-5 Total 106 100.0 TABLE 389. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Parish Area, 1928 Age Boys Girls Total 13 10 2 20 4 2 33 14 4 IS to 19 years Total number 25 90 26 7-1 SI 8.0 TABLE 390. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Children, Parish Area, 1928 Number of children in the family Number of families Total number of children 4 2 2 1 4 I I 4 4 6 4 20 6 7 3 4 6 7 Total IS SI 3-4 Only 5 occupants 16 in the area were under 40 years of age, while 15 were 60 years old or over (table 391). The average age of all occupants was 54.4 years. TABLE 391. Ages of 31 Occupants, Parish Area, 1928 Age Number of occupants Average age Under 40 years . . . 40 to 59 years 60 years and over . S II 15 (Years) 32.6 45-4 68.3 Total number Average age (years) . 54 -4 Most of the occupants were natives of New York State (table 392). A few were born in European countries. 16 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. 2i2 Bulletin 490 TABLE 392. Birthplaces of 29 Occupants and Their Parents, Parish Area Birthplace Occupants Fathers Mothers 17 1 1 6 19 17 1 3 4 5 6 7 Total ' 29 29 29 Only 6 out of 29 occupants had been in the area for less than ten years, while 17 had been there for twenty years or more (table 393). The average period of residence of all occupants was 28.5 years. A number of the occupants had always lived in the area. TABLE 393. Years of Continuous Residence of 29 Occupants, Parish Area, 1928 Number of occupants Years Less than 5 . . S to 9 10 to 19 20 to 29 30 and more. Total number Average years of residence . Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms live in Oswego County (table 394). Only 1 out of 33 was located outside the State. TABLE 394. Locations of 33 Owners of Vacant Farms, Parish Area, 1928 Location Owners 23 9 I Total 33 About one-third of these owners of vacant farms were farmers (table 395). The remainder were engaged in a wide variety of occupations. TABLE 395. Occupations of 33 Owners of Vacant Farms, Parish Area, 1928 Occupation Farmer Factory laborer Feed-mill operator . . . Plumber Bond salesman Automobile salesman Preacher Storekeeper Actress Owners Occupation Dentist Lawyer Dealer Butcher Teacher Day laborer Real-estate dealer Conductor Doctor Owners Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 213 Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 104 pieces of property, of which 31 were occupied farms, 40 were vacant farms, and 33 were parcels and woodlots (table 396). About 70 per cent of the land area was on the vacant farms and the parcels. TABLE 396. Classification of Property, Parish Area, 1928 Number Total acres Average of farms acres per farm Occupied farms: 25 2,788 III .5 6 388 64.7 40 4,044 101 . 1 33 3,377 102.3 Total 104 10,597 Most of the property was obtained by purchase (table 397). A few of the farms and parcels were inherited, and 6 of the vacant farms were obtained as the result of trades for other property. TABLE 397. Methods by Which Ownership of Property Was Obtained, Parish Area Occupied Vacant Parcels farms farms 22 20 11 4 7 4 1 Traded 6 Total 26 34 IS More than half of this area was in woods and about one-fourth was in idle cleared land (table 398). Of the total area, 10.2 per cent was in pasture, 9.4 per cent was in hay, and only 1.6 per cent was in crops other than hay. Nearly four-fifths of the land available for crops and pasture on the vacant farms was idle, as compared with about 6 per cent on the occupied farms. TABLE 398. Utilization of the Land, Parish Area, 1927 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Acres Per cent Hay 709 145 -75 988.5 US 1,151.75 66 22.3 4-6 31. 1 3-6 36.3 2.1 263.5 23. 5 70 2,354 1,380 53 6.6 0.6 1.7 55-3 34-S 1.3 24 1 23 74 3.2S5 0.7 996.5 170.25 1,081 .5 2,443 5. 786. 75 119 9-4 1.6 10.2 23.1 54-6 I.I Idle land 0.7 2.2 96.4 3.176 100.0 4.044 100.0 3.377 100.0 10,597 100.0 Hay made up about 86 per cent of the crop acreage (table 399). No other crop represented as much as 3 per cent of the total crop acreage. 2i4 Bulletin 490 TABLE 399. Acreages of the Different Crops Grown, Parish Area, 1927 Occupied farms Vacant farms Parcels Total area Per cent (Acres) 10 13 17 21 25 iS-5 32-5 32 709 4 O.S (Acres) 1325 (Acres) 1 (Acres) 245 13 17 255 21. S 32.5 32 996. s 4 O.S 2.1 1 . 1 r.s 2.2 1.8 2.8 2.7 8s-s 03 Corn for grain 4 -25 6 Oats Hay 263.5 24 854.75 287 25 1 , 166.75 • 100 .0 The yields of all crops were low, especially buckwheat and hay (table 400). The average yield of potatoes in this area was 72 per cent of the average for the State, buckwheat was 39 per cent, oats were 80 per cent, and hay was 49 per cent. The average yields of these four crops were 60 per cent of the state average; when weighted by the acreage grown, this average was 50 per cent. TABLE 400. Yields of the Principal Crops, Parish Area, 1927 Number of farms f Number of acres Average yield per acre Parish area New York State 4 6 3 27 8 7 36 10 13 17 21 .25 135 33 S 781.5 4.5 tons 25.9 bu. 7 . 5 tons 76 . bu. 8.2 bu. 28.1 bu. 0.73 ton 106 bu. 21 bu. 35 bu. 1 . 5 tons Oats Hay More than one-third of the total area of crops was grown on the vacant farms. In 1927 hay was cut on 17 of the vacant farms, stock was pastured on 4, and some plowing was done on 2. Abandonment began in this area about thirty years ago (table 401), but it was very slight until the more recent years. Three-fourths of the vacant farms have been vacated since 1920. The average period of vacancy for all vacant farms was about six years. Farm operations Of the 3 1 occupied farms, 6 were not being operated. These 6 occupants used their farms as homes, and worked out by the day. Consequently, this discussion of farming operations is based on only 2 5 farms. The total receipts on the 25 operated farms were $26,554, or $1062 per farm (table 402). Livestock sold and livestock products sold each made up about two-fifths of the total income. Outside labor and increase in capital each constituted about 7 per cent of the total. Receipts from crops amounted to less than 2 per cent. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 215 TABLE 401. Stages in the Abandonment of Vacant Farms, Parish Area Approxima te N umber Number Number Number number of of felt" ins of farms of farms of farms Y years since last last last last operations were occupied pastured plowed ha y ed discontinued this yea.r this year t h 1 c wpa t* this year 1 927 6 4 2 1 7 1 2 3 2 I92S 2 5 3 5 2 1924 3 4 1 2 2 1923 ■> 4 2 I 2 5 4 2 4 1 6 2 2 4 7 8 O 1 1 10 2 2 3 1 12 3 3 3 3 IS I 2 2 1 20 I 30 I 1 1 1 Total number of farms 33 24 30 37 Average number of years since operation was dis- continued 5-6 6.6 6-7 4.2 TABLE 402. Detailed Receipts on 25 Farms, Parish Area, 1927 Num ber of farms having receipt Number of units Average price per unit Total value Average value per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Crops: , Hay . . 3 7 1 1 284 bu. 1 ton 250 qts. $ 1.5 10. 0.1 $416 10 2S $16.6 0.4 1 .0 92.3 2 . 2 5-5 Strawberries Total $451 $18.0 100.0 1.7 Livestock: Cows . . . . II 4 14 3 2 3 4 7 I 98 14 76 3 2 7 40 460 2 S87.8 19.8 7-9 43-3 30.0 21 .9 2.9 0.92 4-5 $8,605 277 598 130 60 153 117 423 9 $344-2 II . I 239 5.2 2.4 6.1 4-7 16.9 0.4 82.8 2.7 5-8 1-3 0.6 1-5 1 .1 4-1 0.1 Heifers Calves Bulls Horses Hogs Pigs. . Total $10,372 S414.9 100.0 39.1 Livestock products: Milk 16 . 5 17 3 , 707 cwt. 1 , 040 lbs*. 8,360 doz. $2 .07 0.50 O.36 $7,741 520 2,970 $309 . 7 20.8 II90 68.9 4.6 26.5 Eggs Total : Sn .237 $449-5 100.0 42.3 Woodlot products: Cord wood I $449 $18.0 100.0 17 Outside work: Man work 5 675 days $2.97 $2 , 006 $80.2 100.0 7-5 Miscellaneous: Commission on buying and selling cows I $200 $8.0 100.0 0.8 Increase in capital 9 $1,839 $73-6 100.0 6.9 $26,554 $1 ,062.2 100. 2 l6 Bulletin 490 These 25 families used products from the farm valued at $5628, or $225 per family (table 403). The most important food products were milk, eggs, potatoes, and pork. The cordwood used represented an average value of $60 per farm. TABLE 403. Amount and Value of Farm Products Used on 25 Farms, Parish Area, 1927 Commodity Quantity used Average sale price Total value Value per farm Milk 19, 790 qts. 900 lbs. 2 , 200 doz. ISI 5,250 lbs. 755 bu. Jo. 05 0.50 0.31 o.95 0.15 i-43 J 991 450 073 143 786 I.080 $39.6 18.0 26.9 S-7 31.4 43-3 Pork Total $4,123 1.505 $164.9 60.2 710 cords J2.12 $S.628 $225.1 TABLE 404. Detailed Farm Expenses on 25 Farms, Parish Area, 1927 Number of farms having expense XT Number of units Total expense Average expense per farm (all farms) Per cent of group Per cent of total Operating expenses: Labor: 3 7 7 7 I 2 6 II 24 I 7 13 2 15 18 3 2 16 I 7 10 I 2 19 13 I 25 $ 768 336 312 1,680 40 350 283 358 5.680 6 90 379 106 191 147 46 113 218 15 71 877 45 22 268 ISI 12 1.384 $ 30.7 13- 4 12.5 67.2 1.6 14.0 11. 3 14- 3 227.4 0.2 3- 6 15- 2 4.2 7-6 5-9 1.8 4- 5 8.7 0.6 2.8 3S.I 1.8 0.9 10.7 6.0 0.5 55-4 5-S 2.4 2.2 12.0 0.3 2.5 2.0 2.6 40.7 Unpaid labor (including board) 0.6 2.7 0.8 1.4 1 . 1 03 0.8 1.6 0.1 0.5 6.4 0.3 0.2 1-9 1.1 0.1 9.9 Total $13,948 $557-9 100.0 60.4 Livestock purchased: 5 2 I 6 SI 5 I 23 $4 . 400 15 25 75 $176.0 0.6 1.0 3.0 97- 5 0.3 0.5 1.7 Pigs Total $4,515 $180.6 100. 19.6 14 $4,622 $184.9 100.0 20.0 $23,085 $923.4 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 217 The farm expenses on these 25 farms amounted to $23,085, or $923 per farm (table 404). The current operating expense made up three- fifths of the total expense, livestock purchased was one-fifth, and decrease in capital was one-fifth. Feed represented about two-fifths of the operating expense, unpaid labor 12 per cent, hired labor 10 per cent, taxes 9.9 per cent, and use of automobile 6.4 per cent. No other expense amounted to as much as 5 per cent of the total. The commonest expenses were taxes, feed, grass seed, insurance, machinery repairs, and horseshoeing. There was an increase in capital on 9 farms and a decrease on 14. The net decrease in capital on the 25 farms was $2783, or $111 per farm. The total value of livestock at the end of the year was $2483 lower than at the beginning, that of real estate was $250 lower, and that of machinery was $50 lower. There was a marked decrease in practically all forms of livestock. (Table 405.) TABLE 405. Changes in Inventory during the Year on 25 Farms, Parish Area, 1927 Number of livestock At beginning of year At end of year Increase Decrease Cattle: 167 61 142 47 4 25 14 1 Bulls 5 SO 6 48 5 2 Hogs: 1 26 8 34 2 8 Pigs 6 Poultry: 1 , 050 4 799 II 251 7 $23,445 $6 , 930 $54,450 $20,962 $6,880 $54,200 $2,483 $50 $250 Value of machinery When all the farm expenses are deducted from the total receipts, an average of $139 per farm is left as pay for the use of capital and for the operator's labor (table 406). The average capital per farm was $3337. Interest at 5 per cent on this sum amounts to $167. Consequently, these operators not only did not receive anything for their labor other than a house to live in and products from the farm to use, but lacked $28, on the average, of having enough money to meet farm expenses and interest on their investment. The total indebtedness on these 25 farms was $7700, which means that only $385 of the $4169 interest charge had to be paid in cash. Likewise, the items for unpaid labor and the net decrease in inventory did not repre- sent cash expenditures. Consequently, when these figures are taken into consideration, the average amount of cash per family available for living expenses and for saving was $302. The estimated average cash expenditure for food was $282 per family, and for clothing $110. Apparently the operators must have had other sources of income than from their farming operations, or some of their expenses were not paid. 218 Bulletin 490 TABLE 406. Labor Incomes on 25 Farms, Parish Area, 1927 Total Average per farm Receipts: $ 451 10,372 11.237 449 2 , 006 200 $ 18.0 414.9 449-5 18.0 80 . 2 8:0 Woodlot products Expenses: $24,715 $ 2,483 50 250 4,515 13.948 $988.6 $ 99 3 2.0 10. 1 80. 6 557-9 Livestock purchased Income from capital and operator's labor 21 , 246 849.8 $3,409 $54,325 6,905 22 , 204 $138.8 $2,173.0 276.2 888.2 Capit.l: $83,434 4.169 $3,337-4 166.8 -$700 -$28.0 Taxation The assessed valuation was not obtained for all the property in this area. For about 8000 acres the assessed valuation per acre was $4.40 for the land and $7.10 for land and buildings (table 407). The town, county, and state tax averaged 26 cents per acre. The average school tax paid for the school year 1927-28 was 10 cents per acre, which makes a total tax of 36 cents per acre. This tax represented 5.1 per cent of the assessed valuation and 3.2 per cent of the farmers' valuations. Contribution of the agriculture of the area The value of the agricultural products which this area contributed for use on the farm and for sale amounted to $5.58 per acre of cleared land (table 408). To obtain this it was necessary to import supplies amount- ing to $3.06 per acre of cleared land. The difference, which represents the net contribution of the agriculture of this area, was $2.52 per acre of cleared land. The total number of working days on the 25 operated farms was 8863 (table 409). More than four-fifths of this work was done by the operators, 9.7 per cent by unpaid labor, and 5.7 per cent by hired labor. The number of days spent on work done off the farm and in the woods was 1590. This leaves 7273 working days for the agriculture of the area, which is 1.5 days per acre of cleared land. The net amount of $2.52 is the pay for 1.5 days labor, interest on invest- ment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, grinding feed, horseshoeing, insur- ance, sawing wood, filling silo, threshing, use of automobile, hauling milk, and use of telephone. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 2IQ TABLE 407. Assessed Valuations,* Town, County, and State Taxes by Townships, and School Taxes by Districts, Parish Area, 1927 Number of acres Assessed valuation Tax rate per $1000 valua- tion Taxest Total Per acre Total Per acre Land Land and buildings Land Land and buildings Town, county, and state tax: Albion Williamstown Parish Total 1 ,692 1 .895 3.227 1 , 160 $ 8,040 8,590 14.445 3.700 $ 9,910 1 . 1 90 31 .07c 5.525 $4-8 4-5 4-5 3-2 $5-9 5-4 9.6 4.8 $36.00 40.00 34 00 48.00 $ 357 408 1 ,056 265 $0.21 0. 22 0.33 0.23 7,974 $34,775 $56,695 $2,086 Average $4-4 $7.1 $0 26 0.2 School tax: Albion: District 11 District 13 Williamstown, District 4. Parish: District 3 District 4 District 6 District 8 Amboy, District 6 Total 948 1 .449 US 616 998 519 417 1 .273 1 .639 $4,350 6.335 600 2 .560 4,150 2 ,600 I .700 5,845 6.635 $ 5.600 7.480 600 2,560 8,650 5.350 4.400 12,520 9,535 $4-6 4- 4 5- 2 4.2 4.2 50 4-1 4.6 4.0 $ 5-9 5-2 5-2 4-2 8.7 10.3 10.6 9.8 5.8 $13 . 00 10 .00 7 . 00 12.50 11 .50 10.00 10.00 30.00 5 00 $ 73 75 4 32 99 54 44 376 48 $0.08 o.os 0.03 0.05 0.10 0.10 O.II 0.30 0.03 7,974 $34,775 $56,695 $805 $4-4 $7.1 $0.10 $0.36 * Assessed valuations were obtained on only 7974 acres of the 10,597 acres in the entire area, t Not including cost of collection. TABLE 408. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Parish Area, 1927* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (4691 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops: Sold $ 451 1 .080 10,372 929 11 .237 2,114 $0. 10 0.23 2.21 0.20 2.39 0.45 Livestock: , Sold ; Livestock products: Sold Total $26,183 $5.58 Products imported: Livestock: $4,515 2,483 113 218 50 6,038 419 485 62 $0.96 0-53 0.02 0.05 0.01 1 .29 .09 0. 10 O.OI Machinery: Decrease in inventory $14,383 $3.06 $11,800 $2.52 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from vacant farms by persons living outside the area. 220 Bulletin 490 TABLE 409. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Parish Area, 1927 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent of total 25 7,500 100.0 84.6 Unpaid labor: 3 2 2 260 182 416 30.3 21 .2 48.5 Son Total 858 100.0 0.7 Hired labor: 3 390 "5 77-2 22.8 Day Total 505 100.0 5-7 8,863 100. 680 910 42.8 57.2 Total 1.590 100.0 17.9 Number of working days spent on agriculture 7.273 82. 1 8,863 100.0 OHIO AREA Location The Ohio area is located in Ohio Township, Herkimer County. It contains nearly 25,000 acres, and is in that part of the township lying south of the Adirondack State Park line. Unlike any of the other areas studied, the Ohio area is confined within the township boundaries, regard- less of the continuation of abandonment in the adjoining townships. This township was selected as representative of the conditions existing in a rather large and continuous belt of sand land around the southern and eastern parts of the Adirondack Mountains. State-owned land (1773 acres), land owned by the Consolidated Water Company of Utica (2252 acres), and 10 farms selling fluid milk (3156 acres), are not included in the Ohio area as discussed in this publication. The 10 farms selling fluid milk are located in the southwestern part of the township, along Black Creek. The soil is richer in this part of the township and the farms are more readily accessible to market. In the opinion of the writer, con- ditions on these farms were sufficiently different from those in the rest of the township to warrant their omission. A map of the area is shown in figure 16. The nearest railroad station is at Poland, about eight miles south from the center of the area. Description The cleared part of the area is fairly level and lies at an elevation of from 1300 to 1400 feet above sea level. The soil is a very poor sandy loam, containing but a small proportion of loam. There are two hard-surfaced roads running through the center of the area in a north-and-south direc- tion. Since the building of these roads, a number of the abandoned farms have been taken for summer homes. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 221 Figure 16. hinckley reservoir, sprite creek, and ohio areas 222 Bulletin 490 Livestock There was only 1 farmer in the area keeping more than 10 cows, and only 6 were keeping more than 5 cows each. On the average, there were 1.7 cows per occupied farm (table 410). None of the farmers kept sheep. There were 7 farmers who kept brood sows. Only 1 farmer kept more than 100 hens, the average number of hens per farm for all occupied farms being 24.9. The total value of livestock was $23,392, or $410 per occupied .farm. About half of this investment was in dairy cattle and one- third was in horses. TABLE 410. Number and Value of Livestock on 57 Occupied Farms, Ohio Area, 1928 Total Average Total Average Average Per cent number number value value value of total per farm per head per farm value Cattle: Cows 95 1.7 $8,840 $ 93 $155-0 37-9 Heifers 57 1 .0 2,535 445 44-5 10.8 35 0.6 565 16.2 9-9 2-4 Bulls 3 200 66.7 3-5 0.9 Horses: Work horses 70 1 . 2 7.740 110. 6 135.8 33 - 1 Colts I 50 50.0 0.9 0.2 Hogs: 13 0.2 477 36.7 8.4 2.0 J 35 350 0.6 O.I Other hogs 65 1 . 1 940 14.5 16. S 4.0 Poultry: I.42S 24.9 1.995 1-4 350 8.5 3 15 5.0 0.3 O.I Total $23,392 $410. 4 100.0 Machinery The total value of special equipment in this area was $3110. It con- sisted of 3 tractors and 6 trucks. The tractors were used primarily for lumbering operations. The value of ordinary farm machinery was $5100, which makes the total value of all farm machinery $8210, or $144 per occupied farm. There were 17 automobiles in the area, valued at $1815, or $107 per car (table 411). TABLE 411. Automobiles,* Ohio Area, 1928 Manufacturer's year Make of car Total number Ford Chevrolet Overland Dodge Cadillac 191s 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 I 2 1 1917 1919 1 1923 1 1924 1 1927 2 Total number 11 $445 $40 3 $850 $283 1 $20 $20 1 $200 $200 1 $300 $300 17 $1,815 $107 * Not included in farm machinery. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 223 Real estate The average value of the land and buildings in this area, according to the farmers' estimates, was $10.30 per acre (table 412). The value of land and buildings on the occupied farms was $93,064, or $1633 per farm. This makes the total farm capital per occupied farm $2187, of which 74 per cent was in land and buildings, 19 per cent was in livestock, and 7 per cent was in machinery. TABLE 412. Value of Land and Buildings, Ohio Area, 192 Number Number Average value Total of farms of acres per acref valuation Occupied farms: $12.1 $55,309 23 4.571 34 3.371 it .2 37.755 27 4,242 11. S 48.783 40 4.084 6.3 25.729 Total 16.268 $167,576 $10.3 * Not including miscellaneous parcels and woodlots. t Based on estimates obtained for 4403 acres on operated farms, 2365 acres on non-operated farms, 751 acres on summer homes, and 2243 acres on vacant farms. The prices which 24 of the present owners paid for their farms averaged $10.80 per acre (table 413). In 1928 the estimated average value of the occupied farms was $11.72 per acre. TABLE 413. Purchase Prices Paid by 24 of the Present Owners of Farms, Ohio Area Purchase price per acre Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Total purchase price Average price per acre Less than $10 12 2,301 192 $12,375 $ 5-4 4 303 76 4.000 132 S15 or over 8 1 , 150 144 24, 200 21 .0 Total 24 3.754 156 $40,575 $10.8 Condition of buildings On nearly one- third of the 130 farmsteads the houses were gone or were not usable, and on more than one-third the barns were gone or were not usable (table 414). Only about one-fifth of the usable houses and one- fourth of the usable barns were considered poor. TABLE 414. Condition of Buildings on All Farms,* Ohio Area, 1928 Houses Barns Condition Number Per cent Nurr ber Per cent Good 56 43-1 41 31.6 Pair 17 I3-I 22 16.9 Poor 17 13. 1 22 16.9 Not usable 12 9.2 7 54 28 21.5 38 29.2 Total 130 100.0 130 100.0 * Based on a tally of all building sites in the entire township south of the Adirondack State Park line. 224 Bulletin 490 Nearly half of the farmsteads in this area had both a fairly good house and a fairly good barn (table 415). More than three-fifths of the farm- steads had both a usable house and a usable barn, about 12 per cent had one or the other gone or not usable, and more than one-fourth had both house and barn gone or not usable. TABLE 415. Combinations of Buildings on All Farms,* Ohio Area, 1928 Farmsteads having House Barn Number Per cent Good. Good. Fair.. Fair. . Good. Poor. Fair. . Poor. Poor. Good. Fair . . Good. Fair. . Poor . . Good. Poor.. Fair.. Poor.. Total having both house and barn usable . 39 80 30.0 9.2 i-S 5-4 61.6 Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable. Gone Not usaole . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone , Not usable . Gone Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . 0.0 0.8 0.8 S-4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3-8 11. S Not usable . Not usable . Gone Gone Not usable. Gone Not usable . Gone Total having both house and barn gone or not usable. 35 31 6.2 1.5 16. 2 26.9 Grand total . 130 * Based on a tally of all building sites in the entire townsnip south of the Adirondack State Park line. About two-fifths of the vacant farms had both a usable house and a usable barn, while half of them had no buildings that were usable (table 416) . TABLE 416. Buildings on Vacant Farms,* Ohio Area, 1928 Farmsteads having Number Per cent 16 40.0 House usable and barn not usable 0.0 3 7-5 0.0 I 2.5 6 ISO 1 2-5 0.0 13 32. S Total 40 100.0 * Based on survey records. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 225 The people At the time when this survey was made (July, 1928), there were 181 persons living in the entire area of nearly 25,000 acres (table 417). TABLE 417. Number of Persons Living on Farms,* Ohio Area, 1928 Number Per cent 62 57 32 30 34-2 31.5 17.7 16.6 Girls Total 181 100 .0 * Not including summer residents. There were 6 boys in the area 20 years old and over (table 418). The average age of the boys was n years and of the girls 6.5 years. The average number of children living at home, per family having children, was 2.4 (table 419). There were no children living at home on 31 of the 57 farms. TABLE 418. Number and Ages of Children Living at Home, Ohio Area, 1928 Age Boys Girls Total IS 23 38 8 3 1 1 3 4 7 6 6 Total number 32 30 62 II .0 6-5 8.8 TABLE 419. Number of Children Living at Home, per Family Having Chil- dren, Ohio Area, 1928 Number Total number Number of children in the family of. of families children 9 9 9 18 3 9 4 2 8 5 2 10 8 8 I Total 26 62 2.4 There were 13 occupants 17 in the area who were under 40 years of age, and 17 who were 60 years old and over (table 420). The average age of all occupants was 51.6 years. Most of the occupants were natives of the region (table 421). A few came from other States, and some from foreign countries. 17 The term " occupants " refers to the heads of families, whether these are farm operators or are living on farms in the area but not operating them. 226 Bulletin 490 TABLE 420. Ages of 46 Occupants, Ohio Area, 1928 Age NT 1 1 rii T \r*r n f occupants Avcl age age Under 40 years 13 16 17 (Years) 33 49-2 67.9 Total number 46 SI- 6 TABLE 421. Birthplaces of 44 Occupants, Ohio Area Birthplace In Ohio Township Other townships in Herkimer County Other counties in New York Other States Other countries Occupants 8 10 3 Many of the occupants had farmed before coming to these farms, but a number had been engaged in other employments (table 422). TABLE 422. Previous Employments of 36 Occupants, Ohio Area Previous employment Farmer Factory laborer Day laborer Lumberman Salesman Occupants 17 4 Previous employment Garage mechanic Truck driver Chauffeur Carpenter Storekeeper Occupants Nearly one-fourth of the occupants had been in the area for less than five years, while about one-third had been there for twenty years or more (table 423). Absentee owners Most of the owners of the vacant farms live in Herkimer County, but not many of them are farmers (tables 424 and 425). Utilization of the land Records were obtained on 185 pieces of property, of which 57 were occupied farms, 27 were farms which are now used as summer homes, 40 were farms which are vacant the year round, and 61 were parcels and woodlots (table 426). The occupied farms which were being operated averaged about 200 acres in size, which was nearly double the size of most of the other farms. About three-fifths of the area was in woods (table 427). More than half of this woodland was located in the eastern part of the area, in a section which had never been cleared. The farmers estimated that nearly one- third of this wooded area was in merchantable timber. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 227 TABLE 423. Years ok Continuous Residence of 44 Occupants, Ohio Area, 1928 Number Average Years of years of occupants residence Less than 5 10 7 12 IS 2.1 6.4 12. 1 36.0 S to 9 44 17. 1 TABLE 424. Locations of 23 Owners of Vacant Farms, Ohio Area, 1928 Location Within Ohio area Elsewhere in Herkimer County Other counties in New York Other States Owners 17 4 TABLE 425. Occupations of 16 Owners of Vacant Farms, Ohio Area, 1928 Occupation Farmer Real-estate dealer Day laborer Laborer in milk station . . Lumberman Owners Occupation Storekeeper Restaurant keeper Retired Laborer in silk mill Operator of boarding house Owners TABLE 426. Classification of Property, Ohio Area, 1927 Number of farms Total acres Average acres per farm Occupied farms: 23 34 27 40 61 4.571 3.371 4, 242 4.084 8,249 198.7 99.1 157. 1 102 . I 135-2 Total 185 24.517 Less than i per cent of the total area was in crops other than hay, 4.4 per cent was in hay, 7 per cent was in pasture, and 27.1 per cent was in idle cleared land. About 87 per cent of the land available for crops and pasture on the vacant farms was idle, as compared with about 46 per cent on the occupied farms. Hay made up 88 per cent of the total crop acreage, oat hay 5.9 per cent, oats 2.8 per cent, and potatoes 2 per cent (table 428). The average yield of potatoes in this area was practically the same as the average for the State, buckwheat was 86 per cent of the state average, oats 60 per cent, and hay 53 per cent (table 429). The average yields of these four crops were 74 per cent of the state average; when weighted by the acreage grown, this average was only 54 per cent. Abandonment began in this area about fifty years ago (table 430). On an average, the vacant farms had been vacant for about seventeen years. Bulletin 490 O r-o m Vi- 11 •O -t -t M ~t*3 O lOO O N O h f^O O i/)0 w-i o f"3 <*5» 00 r» 0> « 00 r-x investment, maintenance of the farm, taxes, horseshoeing, insurance, sawing wood, threshing, use of automobile, and use of telephone. 234 Bulletin 490 TABLE 437. Value of the Physical Contribution of the Agriculture of the Ohio Area, 1927* Total value Value per acre of cleared land (9587 acres) Products sold, or used on farm: Crops: Sold $i ,9SI 1 ,044 S.I90 1 .071 4.600 3.087 IS $0.21 0. II 0-54 0. II 0.48 0.32 Livestock: Livestock products: $16,958 $1.77 Products imported : Livestock: $ 26s 1.372 IS8 35 6,052 203 388 143 $0.03 0. 14 0.02 Machinery: Feed O.64 0.02 0.04 O.OI Total $8,616 $0.90 $8,342 $0.87 * These figures do not include woodlot products, products sold from or used on occupied but unoperated farms, products sold from or used on farms not operated for the complete year for which records were taken, or products removed from the vacant farms by persons living outside the area. TABLE 438. Detailed Labor Record on Operated Farms, Ohio Area, 1927 Number of persons Number of working days Per cent of group Per cent I of total Operators 22 6,600 100 . 81.9 1 Unpaid labor: Wife 3 720 450 61.5 1 2 38.5 Total 1 . 170 100.0 14-5 Hired labor: 2 90 200 310 69.0 Day Total 290 100.0 3-6 8,060 100. 763 660 53-6 46.4 Total 1.423 100.0 17.7 6,637 100.0 82.3 8,060 100.0 Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 235 AREAS IN WHICH THE USE AND CONDITION OF BUILDINGS, AND THE USE OF LAND ALONG THE ROADSIDE, WERE ASCERTAINED Through making farm visits in the 13 abandoned farm areas discussed in the preceding pages, the writer became sufficiently familiar with this type of country to enable him to locate, and outline on maps, 27 additional areas which were considered similar. All of the passable roads within these areas were traveled by automobile. A tally was made of the use and the condition of buildings, and a general idea as to the use of land along the roadside was obtained with a crop-meter. 18 This information substantiated the impressions of the writer and furnished a basis for comparison between areas. In order to determine the significance of these crop-meter data for comparative purposes, the same information was obtained in 9 areas in which survey records also were taken. On the average, the percentage of the total area obtained by the crop- meter exceeds the actual percentage in all the land uses except pasture and woods (table 439). About two-thirds of the actual pasture acreage is obtained with the crop-meter, and about half of the woodland. All crops are overestimated by the crop-meter, but especially corn, potatoes, and hay. These differences are about what one would expect, as most of the crops are grown near the road while the pasture and the woods are farther back. A larger proportion of the corn and potato fields are on the roadside because the fields are small. When only the cleared land is considered, the tendency is for the crop- meter to underestimate on pasture, idle land, and grain. In general, as the land included is narrowed down from total area to cleared land, to crop land, and finally to crop land other than hay, the crop-meter results deviate less from the actual. More important than these general deviations is the question whether or not they are consistent for the different areas. In studying the detailed figures in table 440, the size of the areas should be kept in mind, as some of them are hardly large enough to be significant. The woodland figure is the most consistent of any (table 441). In general, for those areas in which about one-third of the land is in woods, the crop-meter records about half of it. For those areas in which one-fifth of the land is in woods, the crop-meter records about one-third. For most areas the pasture acreage runs under the actual about one-third with the crop-meter, while the meter records about double the amount of hay. The acreages of the other crops are so small that not much consistency is shown, although corn and potatoes are usually considerably overestimated with the crop-meter. Because of the different proportions of woodland in each area, it seems better to make comparisons between areas on the basis of cleared land only. On the average for all areas, the crop-meter records very close to the actual for crops other than hay and for idle land, but overestimates by about two-thirds on hay, and underestimates by about two-fifths on pasture, when only the cleared land is considered (tables 442 and 443). These deviations are fairly consistent for hay and for pasture. " A crop-meter is an instrument which may be attached to an automobile for the purpose of measuring the different uses of land along the road frontage. In this study a record was taken on only the right side of the road . Bulletin 490 psslis p<5 00 m 00 O ro O X M f*> ifl o e O O ro N H o-a = J3 f*i W M l/i k Oi N 30 O t~ -t n» o c 3 5 *D 1 Oi r» f>0 1 O ro 4 O rO O 00 ro o 32^ g-Ssg-S-ss i/> O n O o o n n o a •* -cot no f*J (N w w O 000 Tt IT) O 1/1 t^ao CI Ot00 OO vO « no 2 o c O « 00 t- r- -t no o « ro O r- n _ c o „g-gs a-S ot.3 O O 3 o S u — C ™ r" > £ 5 C4 (22 H ^ S ° s Abandoned Farm Areas in New York « Sic * «, o S in * O -t-> v OS o h haio **3 J X I P00O O\o0 o o t-oO O rJ-oO CO N H n r*-o oo O N \Q OO P0 C O diss o f c f-"a s ° S S 238 Bulletin 490 1 o •t W ►J « < 1% l % 8T18 ° 2 i. u o £ " S £ » ? - 3 »w S 61 "Sit OS C O Bra s £ a v o s a w ^ u « c ol £o O £ CO >E«g8ca tu o 00O «t« Tf O O « r*5 O 00 CI 1/500 «o O O M « ( * ©.00 -h r- 1 1 T o o - - o O O O «-• ( 10 H 1/} m O HI I HI Tt-O *T) l-l t> O >-« f*0 M (N »— • 1 t ■— « m a. f0 "*> ~ 4 4 ro C* 4 4 O r*5 O <-< *- r*3 m tN r- Nj C 00 N N 't c a O • 00 Tf Oi f>oc I C* 00 O C WO O \Ti * r~ r~ o I m - I in w r- r~ *t II II M O m *-* o I m " w m O a) cm ■ a c • c « ■ 3TJ it fcw •« B g.C M.- g g g^rg 2>>■ y Is § § g^.is g • 240 Bulletin 490 83 Mil 3a a** o c a v O S I K o c If u S *t »rt o, 10 10 tp §11 § o c o 6 O S 1H1IU •0 444 n n N *t O C c 2 O S u ? t! ?i MUtJ M M||| £■ = A u E^j « S! fl t» N r*- o <")oo O S l"5 i-r O C 4j rt i-t f*5 w S3 Mil Si I I Ph-3 00 \C QO 00 HOC O00 MONO in f) o c o»C 3.S o o c 3.3 Abandoned Farm Arras in New York 241 TABLE 443. Percentage by Which the Amount of Cleared Land as Obtained by a Crop-Meter Exceeds or Falls below the Actual,* Abandoned Farm Areas in Southern New York, 1927 Per cent Hay Other crops Pasture Idle land 62 -23 -70 3 126 -49 -IS -24 Bull Hill 6! 13 -48 I 4 55 -64 -19 80 3 -54 -23 35 -5 -38 II 155 -3 -5 -29 Virgil 35 -39 -45 22 66 80 -38 -II 64 8 -43 -8 * Actual acreage based on farmers' estimates and checked with the assessed acreage. In the discussion of the areas in which no farm visits were made, given in the summary (page 248), these relationships should be kept in mind, as all figures are based on crop-meter results and do not represent percentages of actual acreages. They are used primarily for comparative purposes, and are sufficiently near accuracy for that purpose. The general locations and the relative sizes of the 27 areas in which no farm visits were made are shown in table 12 (page 19) and in figure 3 (page 20). The exact locations of these areas are shown on the following maps: Eastman Hill and South Danby (figure 7, page 45), South Cameron (figure 8, page 91), Monterey and Pine Valley (figure 10, page 135), Lebanon and Muller Hill (figure 12, page 166), Crystal Lake and Broome Center (figure 13, page 177), West Almond, Charlotte Center, and Tassel Hill (figure 14, page 192), Florence and Panther Lake (figure 15, page 207), Sprite Creek and Hinckley Reservoir (figure 16, page 221), Prospect Hill and Straits Corners (figure 17), Castle Creek, Bobell Hill, and South Apalachin (figure 18), Cheningo (figure 19), Pharsalia (figure 20), Chenango Lake and Skinner Hill (figure 21), Gorton Lake and Quaker Hill (figure 22). 242 Bulletin 490 3choolhouses '6 open a unusable H u » closed a gone -o- silo -Jt- milk house alon^; roac me^ns ia]e land p along road means brush or woods g condition of road , -good , fair , poor unus-ble -D unusable tn .i ^wwvw^* road not used p-one" -X gone Scale | 1 equals one mile . ..v mm -a t ' \-% :\» Wf. r. \ s/j> *<0>*yZMif/T'- V A X 1 Figure 17. straits corners and prospect hill areas Houses oarns O occupied > vacant A- ^:ood -A good 3- fair -B fair C- poor -C poor m Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 243 Figure 18. south apalachin, castle creek, and bobell hill areas The uppermost map should be labeled "South Apalachin Area" instead of "Apalachin Area" 244 Bulletin 490 Figure 19. cheningo^area Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 245 Figure 20. pharsalia area Figure 21. skinner hili. and chenango lake areas Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 247 Figure 22. gorton lake and Quaker hill areas Bulletin 490 SUMMARY Studies of abandoned farm areas in New York were begun in 1906. 19 Some of these areas were again studied in 191 7 and 1927, so that the progress of abandonment was obtained. The project was definitely taken up in 1924, when a detailed study was made of Pharsalia Township in Chenango County, and of a part of Ellery Township in Chautauqua County. 20 The work has been continued since then by the writer. The following summary includes all of the work done from 1924 to 1928. Business records have been obtained for the occupied farms in 15 areas, including 195,032 acres. Information concerning all other land in each area was obtained from the persons living on the occupied farms. In the 15 areas there were 685 occupied farms, 764 vacant farms, and 329 parcels of land (table 444). On an average, about one- fourth of the occu- pied farms were not operated. The owners of these farms used them as homes, and worked out by the day. Of the vacant farms, 47 per cent had been vacant for ten years or more. In the Smyrna area only one-fifth had been vacant for ten years or more, as compared with three-fifths in the Ohio area. About one-third of the total area was in woods and 6 per cent was in crops other than hay. The Summer Hill and Ohio areas are examples of the extremes in both woodland and crop land. In the Summer Hill area only 14 per cent of the total land area was in woods and 12 per cent was in crops other than hay. This area, and the Ellery area in Chautauqua County, are in better condition than most of the other areas. In the Ohio area 60 per cent of the total land area was in woods and only 1 per cent was in crops other than hay. The high proportion of woodland in the Ohio area is due to large tracts of continuous forest land in the eastern part of the township. Of the cleared land in all areas, 40 per cent was idle. A mowing machine is frequently run over a field to cut a few weeds and grass to make some inferior hay. If this was done, the land was considered in use, even though it was very unprofitable. Records of the use of houses and of land adjoining the road have been made for 27 areas, including 392,400 acres. This was done by the crop- meter method. Every passable road in the area was traveled. This type of study is useful for determining which areas should be more fully studied. In order to check the accuracy of the crop-meter method, records were taken also of the roadsides in most of the areas where detailed records of every piece of property were obtained. The land along the roadside includes much more crops and much less pasture, woods, and idle land than the average for the area. By considering the land along the roads only, the land in crops other than hay was, on the average, overestimated by 36 per cent. The percentage of cleared land idle was underestimated. In areas where the use of land along the road was studied, 47 per cent of the cleared land along the road was idle and 6 per cent was in crops other than hay (table 445). Of the original houses, 28 per cent were gone, 36 per cent were vacant, and 36 per cent were occupied. "An agricultural survey, p. 463-473, 556-557. By G. F. Warren and K. C. Livermore. Cornell Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 295. 1911. 20 The utilization of marginal lands. By William Allen. Cornell Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 476. 1929. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 2 0) u"D rH O 5 v 2. ° ° S S c 5 Jl Ih o ^ C P" w O C O u u. O*oo (*)ioo rj- 1- r- o oo O w io TI- CK -O O TfuihH on o r*-ao o o C4 »h 00 "t io h loiooo O rj-t^r^roro ++ w» N "t^ iri roi^O -^t to O Tj- ro O* r- 5 .2 2 C o 3 u a 8~ 3 «2s a 3 14_, S u 0) £■5 ^ S e 63 S3 o 2 « I-8-9 4> U) ^ as Oi 0 rOvC « WO h - MMrOf)MMMM MM Pl» O\oo CO »/><0 ^" r- r^o oo o N w i/l^t QvOO^^t^MCicsOr^ooOOM MOO ^fr ir> m 101/100 O *tr-r-r*5P0 00 M^ifl&i m- © 00 »r, PI 1 ■ c c c >,« rt C C C S O '.S £ glSISjJ ^OUOOOKOOtooitnhhH i) g >. Gsi-frS-a «j M H « ~ i-.,c 1 w: 3 O & rt 3 o o > ^"2 1> +J c o is c c c a-" S U> .b-o ^ M C « h u WhJ o Bulletin 490 the place is listed with a real-estate firm. Such firms often advertise in western farm papers, in the foreign language press, in coal-mining regions, and elsewhere. Sales are often made. The new owner usually brings in his lifetime savings. He fixes up the buildings and tries to farm. From one to ten years are necessary to convince the new buyer that he has lost his time and his money. After he has become satisfied that a mistake was made, the problem of how to get away is a serious one. The dis- illusioned owner usually tries to sell the place, and may remain for several years in the hope of making a sale and thus getting back a part of his money. It is generally not possible to rent such a place. To leave it idle makes it much more difficult to sell. If the owner succeeds in selling, the process is repeated. UTILIZATION OF THE LAND In the different areas studied, the percentage of the land in crops other than hay varied from 1 to 12 and averaged 6 (table 447). The area in hay is not very significant, because any field over which a mowing machine was run was called hay land even though it had not been plowed for years and produced only a little weedy hay. The area of land in hay averaged 14 per cent of the total land, pasture averaged 18 per cent, woods 35 per cent, and idle land 25 per cent. TABLE 447. Utilization of the Land Area County Farm- steads Hay Other crops Pasture Idle land Woods Total Number of acres EUery Pharsalia* VirgU Ohiot Decatur Sugar HiU South Bradford. . . Bald Mountain. . . Bull Hill Connecticut HiU . . Total Per cent of Albany Cayuga Chautauqua .... Chenango Herkimer Otsego Steuben 146 568 287 2S4 327 229 196 119 132 185 302 197 172 5S9 292 1.307 2.336 3.424 6,652 1.475 1,592 1.079 996 1,818 564 1 ,024 2,043 617 2,333 799 565 1,287 1 , 562 812 291 477 147 170 434 460 850 798 393 2,013 580 2,075 2 , 119 4.629 8.530 2 ,172 1,991 1 ,716 1 ,082 2,057 1,154 1,377 1 ,761 491 3.481 728 2,800 3,274 1 ,626 2.833 3.357 2.314 6,64s 2.443 2,298 1,810 4,666 2,236 2,088 6,227 4.656 1 .406 1.584 3.275 6,364 1.934 4.571 14.734 5.787 2,087 835 4.257 4.747 1. 941 10,752 3.259 8,299 11,168 14,803 25.445 9.556 11. 174 24.517 10,597 8,826 5,008 12 ,476 II ,782 5.702 25.365 10,314 3.96S 2 28,059 14 10,839 6 35.363 18 49.273 2S 67 . 533 35 195.032 100 ♦Entire township. t Land north of the Adirondack State Park line, state-owned land, land owned by the Consolidated Water Company of Utica, and 10 farms selling fluid milk, located in the southwestern part of the township, are not included. On the occupied farms, average acreages were: potatoes 1 acre, buck- wheat 3 acres, other grain 6 acres, hay 29 acres (table 448) . The hay yields averaged 0.7 ton per acre, or 56 per cent of the average for the State for the same years. All crops combined yielded 60 per cent of the state average yield per acre. These regions were abandoned primarily because of the natural poor- ness of the soil. They are regions which should never have been cleared, as they are better adapted to forestry than to agriculture. The returns from farming this land are not sufficient to give an intelligent farmer Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 253 TABLE 448. Acreages and Yields of Crops on Occupied Farms County Num- ber of farms Acres per occupied farm Pota- Buck- Other toes wheat graint Hav Yield of hay per acre (tons) Berne Summer Hill Ellery Pharsalia* Smyrna Virgil Ohiot Parish Decatur Sugar Hill South Bradford. Swale Bald Mountain. . Bull Hill Connecticut Hill. Albany Cayuga Chautauqua . Chenango . . . Chenango . . . Cortland Herkimer Oswego Otsego Schuyler Steuben Steuben Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . 41 SO 77 98 36 37 57 31 20 20 43 ?* 94 31 685 0. 5 1.8 1 . I 0.8 0.7 1-7 0.4 0.7 2 . I I -4 5-4 5-0 2.8 1 .0 2.2 2.1 0.2 0.5 4- 5 6.4 30 5- 9 6.9 4.6 6.0 24 35 31 53 27 26 16 23 45 22 17 40 21 20 18 0.7 1 .0 0.87 0.58 0.86 0.83 0.79 0.73 0.82 07 0.65 0.67 0.7 0.91 0.7 5.6 * Entire township. t Land north of the Adirondack State Park line, state-owned land, land owned by the Consolidated Water Company of Utica, and 10 farms selling fluid milk, located in the southwestern part of the township, are not included. t Oats; oats and barley; oats, peas, and barley; barley; rye and wheat. § Includes potatoes, buckwheat, oats, and hay. Few other crops are grown. a standard of living comparable with that of the people, with whom he associates from other sections. He is constantly aware of better oppor- tunities on other farms or in other occupations. Foreigners may stay for a time because conditions are better than in the countries from which they came, but even they soon learn of better opportunities. BUILDINGS Data were obtained for 4500 houses, of which n 78 were gone, 1602 were vacant, and 1720 were occupied (table 449). On many of the farms, either the house or the barn, or both, were gone or were decayed and falling so that they could not be used. On 50 per cent of the farms, either the house or the barn, or both, had fallen or were not usable. On 14 per cent of the farms, both houses and barns were classed as fair to good. Many of these would not be so classed in a good farming region, as the buildings in poor areas were rarely comparable with the buildings in the fertile farming areas. VALUE OF PROPERTY ON OCCUPIED FARMS Farmers' estimates of the value of property on 685 occupied farms in different areas averaged $4125 (table 450). The areas of high property values are the ones in which there is the least amount of idle land. The average number of acres per farm was 133, and the average value of land and buildings per farm was $2670, of livestock $938, and of machinery $517. INCOME The incomes above farm expenses other than interest and wages for the operator, in the different areas, varied from $86 to $5 1 7 per farm (table 451). This includes returns from outside work as well as returns from farming. 254 Bulletin 490 TABLE 449. Number and Condition of Farm Buildings Area Berne Crystal Lake West Almond Castle Creek Summer Hill Charlotte Center . . . Ellery Chenango Lake .... Bobell Hill Pharsalia*. . . Pharsalia region Smyrna Skinner Hill Cheningo Virgil Sprite Creek Ohiot Gorton Lake Lebanon Muller Hill Quaker Hill Florence Hinckley Reservoir. Tassel Hill Panther Lake Parish Decatur Broome Center. . . . Monterey Pine Valley Sugar Hill South Bradford. . . . South Cameron .... Swale Prospect Hill South Apalachin . . . Straits Corners Bald Mountain .... Bull Hill Connecticut Hill . . . Eastman Hill South Danby Total . . . Average . County Albany Albany Allegany Broome Cayuga Chautauqua . Chautauqua . Chenango . . . Chenango . . . Chenango . . . Chenango . . . Chenango . . . Chenango. . . Cortland Cortland Fulton Herkimer Madison Madison Madison Madison Oneida Oneida Oneida Oswego Oswego Otsego ...... Schoharie Schuyler. . . . Schuyler Schuyler Steuben Steuben Steuben Tioga Tioga Tioga . Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . Number of occupied houses 39 91 17 15 57 22 91 H 10 103 166 42 32 36 70 34 7 48 24 12 106 5 95 32 23 15 16 31 18 42 45 34 21 M 16 25 101 32 18 50 I ,720 Number of vacant houses 21 46 15 16 S3 22 40 9 II 74 202 37 19 62 41 27 32* 40 15 42 35 116 II 90 38 45 18 23 23 21 37 34 28 22 10 18 24 61 SO 12 32 1 ,602 Number of houses gone 13 43 5 8 44 17 19 6 15 93 19 9 31 26 32 28 37 12 23 22 31 131 3 93 22 15 14 19 30 II 45 19 23 16 80 45 7 3i Per cent of farmsteads with fair to good house and barn 1. 178 19 10 29 14 14 15 14 10 9 4 2 46 7 6 8 14 5 6 7 8 14 13 26 29 10 3 14 20 31 13 14 * Entire township. t Entire township south of the Adirondack State Park line. j In addition to these 32 vacant houses, there were 20 houses that were used during the summer only. In one area the receipts less the business expenses amounted to $86 per farm. This was $119 less than 5 per cent for the capital invested, and therefore left less than nothing for the farmer's labor. The amount left to pay for the time of the operator varied from -$1 19 to $292, and averaged $98 for eleven areas. In one area, which is somewhat better than the average of the areas studied, there is a large settlement of foreigners. In this area, 51 foreign- born operators made an average labor income of Si 82, and 29 American- born operators made an average labor income of $292. In such an area the men who spend the most time at other work than farming usually make the most money. The native Americans have learned this, and, by farming less actively and by working at other occupations, increase their incomes. By investing money earned before coming to the region, and by having the family work for low returns, the foreign-born farmers Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 255 TABLE 450. Farmers' Estimated Value of Property per Farm, on Occupied Farms Area County Number of farms Acres per farm Value of land and buildings per farm Value of livestock per farm Value of machinery per per farm Total value per farm Berne Ellery Virgil Ohiot Decatur Sugar Hill South Bradford Swale Bull Hill Total Albany Cayuga Chautauqua . . Chenango Chenango Cortland Steuben Tompkins .... Tompkins .... Tompkins .... 41 50 77 98 36 37 57 31 20 20 43 34 16 94 31 138 126 123 181 130 112 139 102 169 125 126 156 143 132 101 $1 ,694 3.547 4,440 2,838 1,924 2,084 1 .633 2,010 2,86s 1 .930 2,188 3.050 2.344 2,790 2,156 $ 809 1 , 140 1 , 101 1,218 1 , 1 89 875 410 691 1.558 855 593 850 791 1,057 436 $335 462 984 542 388 459 144 235 651 455 301 794 473 636 414 $2,838 5,149 6.525 4.598 3.501 3.418 2, 187 2,936 5.074 3.240 3.082 4.694 3.608 4.483 3,006 685 133 $2,670 $938 $517 $4,125 * Entire township. t Land north of the Adirondack State Park line, state-owned land, land owned by the Consolidated Water Company of Utica, and 10 farms selling fluid milk, located in the southwestern part of the town- ship, are not included. TABLE 451. Profits per Farm on Operated Farms in ii Areas Area County Number of farms Total receipts Total expenses Farm income Interest on capital Labor income Berne Ellery Ohiot Swale Bull Hill: Foreign-born operators. American-born operators Connecticut Hill Total Cayuga Chautauqua . . Chenango .... Herkimer Oswego Otsego Steuben Tompkins .... Tompkins Tompkins .... 26 42 76 98 22 25 16 27 9 51 29 18 $ 927 1 ,632 1 .523 1,518 875 1 , 062 2,197 1 , 221 1.037 1.975 1,417 1.083 $ 666 1,244 1 , 226 1 , 116 690 923 1,868 891 95i 1,541 900 837 $261 388 297 402 1 85 139 329 330 86 434 517 246 $178 264 310 230 174 167 285 251 205 252 225 199 $ 83 124 - 13 172 11 - 28 44 79 -119 182 292 47 439 Si, 461 $1,122 $339 $241 $98 * Entire township. t Not including 10 farms shipping fluid milk, which are located in the southwestern part of the township. give the impression of some prosperity. There are fewer abandoned farms in this community than there were twenty-five years ago. As the newcomers learn the difference between good farm land and poor farm land, they leave the area. Many of the young men are going, and 20 per cent of the farms owned by the foreign-born farmers are already left vacant, the operators having gone elsewhere to earn a living. Such a settlement delays the process of abandonment for a generation or more. VALUE OF PRODUCTS SOLD OR USED The value of products sold or used by the farm family, in 10 areas, averaged $5.02 per acre of cleared land (table 452). The amount of purchased feed, and other materials brought into the area, amounted to 256 Bulletin 490 TABLE 452. Value of Products Sold or Used by the Farmer's Family, per Acre of Cleared Land Area County Acres of cleared land Value of products sold or used, per acre of cleared land Value of imported products, per acre of cleared land Net agricultural con- tribution, per acre of cleared land Number of working days spent on agriculture, per acre of cleared land Ohiot Bald Mountain Bull Hill Chenango .... Herkimer Tompkins .... Tompkins .... Tompkins .... 6.747 9.016 10,976 9.587 4.691 6,608 6,838 3.589 14.054 6,763 $3.85 6.99 3- 86 1.77 5.58 S.55 4- 52 2.78 9.83 2.31 $1.19 2.41 1-55 0.90 306 2.40 097 0.87 308 .62 $2.66 4-58 2.31 0.87 2.52 3-iS 355 1. 91 6.75 1 .69 1.4 1.9 1. 5 0.7 1.5 1 . 1 1-4 1 . 1 2.6 0.9 7.887 JS-02 $1.81 $321 1.5 * Forest area only. t Land north of the Adirondack State Park line, state-owned land, land owned by the Consolidated Water Company of Utica, and 10 farms selling fluid milk, located in the southwestern part of the town- ship, are not included. an average of $1.81 per acre, leaving $3.21 to pay interest, taxes, mainte- nance of farm, 1.5 days labor, and miscellaneous other costs. The lowest net contribution of agriculture was in the Ohio area, where it amounted to only 87 cents per acre of cleared land. The net contribution of the Bull Hill area was $6.75. This is an area in which most of the farming is done by foreign-born operators. The return for one day's labor does not vary greatly in the different areas. The amount of time spent on agriculture in these areas, and the quantity of imported materials, would yield much more if used on better land. LAND VALUES AND TAXES Estimates of the value per acre of the land were obtained from the owners where possible, and from others where this was not possible. The estimated average value of the 176,537 acres included in table 453 was $14.87 per acre. The 195,032 acres listed in table 444 (page 249) include 1778 farms and parcels of land. The average area per holding is therefore no acres. For 146,535 acres on which assessed values were obtained, the farms were estimated to be worth $13.62 per acre and were assessed for $8.72 (table 454). The town, county, and state taxes in the different areas varied from 17 to 46 cents per acre, and averaged 25 cents. School taxes varied from 5 to 16 cents per acre. Total taxes varied from 22 to 62 cents per acre, with an average of 34 cents. Since the average assessed value was $8.72, the taxes were 3.9 per cent of the assessment. HOW MAY THE LAND BE BROUGHT INTO USE? Not only are the vast areas of idle land in the State non-productive, but they have a very depressing influence on agriculture and on the State as a whole. The traveler sees so much idle land that he does not notice Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 453. Land Values 257 Area County Average value per acre Total acres Acres with average value of $10 per acre Berne Summer Hill Ellery Pharsalia* Smyrna Virgil Ohiot Parish Decatur Sugar Hill South Bradford. . Swale Bald Mountain.. Bull Hill Connecticut Hill. Albany Cayuga Chautauqua . Chenango . . . Chenango . . . Cortland. . . . Herkimer Oswego Otsego Schuyler Steuben Steuben Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . Tompkins . . . $10.70 23-40 31.90 10.40 11 .30 13-10 10.30 11 .10 12.90 12.20 12.30 14.90 12 .60 15-20 14.10 8,299 11,168 14,804 15.198 9.556 II. 174 16,268 10,597 8,826 5.008 12,476 II , 782 5.702 25.365 IO.314 8,000 3.500 300 14,948 9,000 9,000 10,000 6,500 4,000 12,000 8,000 4.500 18,000 8,000 Total.... Average . $14-87 176,537 * Forest area only. t Not including miscellaneous parcels and woodlots. TABLE 454. Taxes Area County Assessed value per acre Town, county, and state taxes per acre School taxes per acre Total taxes per acre Per cent that taxes are of the assessed value $ 8.71 19.04 $0.18 0.46 0.30 0.34 0.32 0.17 0.26 0.29 0.23 0.24 0.20 0.25 0.24 0.27 $0.06 0. 16 0.12 0.10 0.08 o.ost 0.10 0.09 0.05 0.07 0.05 0.12 O.II 0. 10 $0.24 0.62 0.42 0.44 0.40 0.22 0.36 0.38 0.28 0.31 0.25 0.37 0.3S 0.37 2.8 33 Virgil Ohiot Sugar Hill South Bradford BuU Hill Chenango .... Cortland Herkimer Otsego Steuben Tompkins .... Tompkins .... Tompkins . 9.21 9-30 4- 78 7. II 11.74 5- 90 6.90 930 IO.64 9.00 8.85 4-8 4- 3 4.6 5- 1 3- 2 4- 7 4-5 2.7 35 3-9 4.2 $8.72 $0.25 $0.09 $0.34 39 * Entire township. t Entire township south of the Adirondack State Park line. J Average of 6 districts only. the excellent farms. The farmers of the State who are on good farms are depressed by seeing the innumerable failures in their own occupation. These lands are constantly wasting the lives and the money of new buyers, who should be spending their time and money on better land. In order that such land shall be kept from agricultural production and still not remain wholly idle and unproductive, forestry has been suggested as the logical remedy. Fortunately, much of the land not adapted to farming is excellently adapted to growing trees. Most of the best white- pine land of New York is inferior for farming. Consequently, from the standpoint of soil, a forestry program is thoroughly justified. Many fields that have been idle for twenty years or more are bare, except around the edges, where there are seed trees. After a field has been idle 2 5 8 Bulletin 490 for a time, a neighbor may run a mowing machine over it in order to get the little hay that has grown, and so cut off any trees that have started. A definite reforestation program seems desirable for the cleared land. About 35 per cent of the total land area is covered with woods. Some of the roads should be left open. 1 5 rush lines have already grown up along many of the field lines. Around each woodlot there is a strip too shaded to be planted. In most of the areas, a few farms are included that might be left as farms, for a time. The area to be planted would probably average less than 60 per cent of the total area, but would be much more or less than' this in individual areas. The owner of this land cannot reforest it because with so little property he cannot make long-time investments. If the land were relieved from taxation, some wealthy persons would be glad to buy it in large tracts for private recreation and hunting. A better policy would seem to be to hold it for lumber and public recreation. Fortunately, there are such areas that are readily accessible from all parts of the State. The township in which much of this land is situated is necessarily a poor township financially, and frequently the county is a poor county unless it happens to include a large city. Therefore the local governments are not in a position to do much reforesting. Individuals, clubs, cities, school districts, townships, and counties should be encouraged to plant trees. The area is so large, however, that there is no probability of getting a large proportion of it planted by these agencies. Apparently the State must do most of the work if it is to be done. The State has three uses for such land : for lumber, for recreation, and for hunting. The State obtains revenue from hunting licenses and automobile taxes, while the individual receives revenue from lumber only. The State has size and length of life, and is therefore in a better position to do reforesting than is an individual. A state investment in such lands is very different from an investment in buildings. It is an investment in a growing crop, which appreciates instead of depreciates. Judging by the experience of New York, as well as by the experience of other countries, the appreciation will be large. If the State planted trees on this land, its wealth would be increasing, its whole aspect improved, and the character of its agriculture more evident. There will probably never be a time when the State can purchase these lands more advantageously than at present, and no time when such pur- chase would be more beneficial to agriculture. The prompt purchase of large areas in many localities seems desirable. In New York the purchase of large areas of land by the State is not new. More than 2,000,000 acres have already been so purchased. This land has been acquired for the protection of headwaters of streams, for the preser- vation of the Adirondack and Catskill Mountain regions, for the insuring of a future timber supply, and for a playground for millions of people who can enjoy it for camping, hunting, fishing, and recreation. The purchase by the State of abandoned farm land outside of the Adirondack and Catskill Park areas is comparatively new. A start has been made in several areas. The purchase of this abandoned farm land may be justified wholly independently of the timber and recreational fea- tures, as it removes from private ownership land which is wasting the Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 259 time and effort of many persons. The purchase of this land by a pub- lic agency would make it possible for the remaining residents to leave for sections of greater opportunity, and would put an end to the exploitation of innocent persons which has been going on for the past century. PRICES OF LUMBER Prices of lumber as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics were used for calculating the index numbers given in table 455. Most of the prices are for New York City. Various kinds of lumber are included. TABLE 455. Index Numbers of Prices Paid to Producers of Farm Products in New York State, and Wholesale Prices of Lumber and All Commodities* (1890-1894 = 100) Year All Farm prices = Wholesale prices commodities in New York of lumber „ 106 106 104 ios 94 102 98 104 98 101 103 99 90 93 97 92 87 92 00 90 91 88 88 90 92 84 96 98 90 105 106 95 112 ios 99 105 in 97 114 112 101 119 112 105 122 114 102 133 116 102 151 123 113 159 119 121 154 128 113 163 133 119 I60 123 136 160 130 119 169 132 123 169 129 120 162 133 131 156 167 139 I69 233 171 212 256 236 251 271 260 320 297 243 564 194 199 330 196 143 342 203 157 372 196 141 335 209 193 333 199 185 326 193 176 307 * The index numbers for wholesale prices of all commodities are those reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index numbers of prices paid to producers of farm products are based on the December I prices of crops and the January I prices of livestock. The data are from Prices of Farm Products Received by Producers. North Atlantic States (U. S. Dept. Agr., Statistical bul. 14, p. 90-91, January, 1927). The prices of milk at Utica, New York, are as given by G. F. Warren and F. A. Pearson in Farm Economics, no. 35, p. 490-491, June, 1926. The relative importance of the commodities was based on Prices of Farm Products in New York, by G. F. Warren (Cornell Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bul. 416, p. 52, January, 1923). The weights were as follows: beef cattle, 7.8; hogs, 5.6; sheep, 2.2; milk, 55.7; potatoes, 10.6; hay, 10.6; wheat, 4.4; buckwheat, 1.7; rye, 0.7; corn, 0.3; oats, 0.3; barley, 0.1. The index numbers of wholesale prices of lumber were based on: hemlock, No. I northern; maple; white oak, plain; white oak, quartered; yellow pine siding; white pine. No. 2 barn boards; poplar; spruce. White-pine prices were for Buffalo. All other prices were for New York City except that for a part of the time Boston quotations were used for spruce and Norfolk quotations for yellow pine. All prices were taken from Wholesale Prices, 1800-1926 (U. S. Dept. Labor, Bur. Labor Statistics, Bul. 440, p. 154-162, 222-223, July, 1927). The commodities were weighted in the following proportions: hemlock, 5; maple, 4; white oak, plain, 15; white oak, quartered, 8; yellow pine, 53; white pine, 8; poplar, 3; spruce, 4. 260 Bulletin 490 INDfcX 600 500 400 500 200 50 - - - / // ^cfirrm prices — VE ■■ - 1 1 J 1 — — - — / 1 1900 1910 I9?0 1950 Figure 23. prices of lumber and prices of farm products in new york, 1890 to 1927 Lumber is three times as high as it was from 1890 to 1894. Farm products have increased only 76 per cent Lumber is now worth 207 per cent more than it was from 1890 to 1894, but other farm products are only 76 per cent higher than they were in that period. From present indications the ratio will be much further in favor of lumber fifty years from today. There will, of course, be periods of high and low prices; but over a series of years, lumber may be expected to increase in price relative to other farm products. When estimating the profits from tree planting, it is lumber prices fifty years ahead rather than present prices that should be considered. When lumber trebles in price and farm products have risen only 76 per cent, lumber is able to compete with farming on land where it formerly could not do so. FREIGHT PAID ON LUMBER CONSUMED IN NEW YORK STATE Freight paid for the primary distribution of lumber consumed in New York State is shown in table 456. The total payment amounted to nearly TABLE 456. Estimated Freight Payment for Primary Distribution of Lumber Consumed in New York State, 1924* Total freight paid Average freight paid per thousand board feet % 1,178,666 31 ,310,652 5,077.376 $ S-47 1359 10.75 Total 137.566,694 $12.56 * United States Biennial Census of Manufactures, 1925, p. 548. 1928. $38,000,000. Some of the lumber is reshipped, so that the total freight would be more than this amount. Only about one million dollars of the freight was paid on lumber originating within the State. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 261 If a million or more of the idle acres in New York State were growing timber, ultimately it would result in a saving of freight payments. The State has a distinct advantage over more distant States in producing lumber for use here. The freight on New York lumber averaged $5.47 per thousand board feet, or less than one-half the freight on lumber from other States. WHAT WOULD BECOME OF THE PRESENT SETTLERS IF THE LAND WERE TAKEN FOR FORESTS? In most of the forest areas, there are valleys, and sometimes other areas, that will continue to be farmed, so that agriculture and forestry will be interspersed. The persons now living in areas that are taken for forests will find occupations similar to those followed by persons who have previously left the region. These occupations are decidedly variable. The most common one is farming. Of the owners of vacant farms, 59 per cent are farming elsewhere (table 446, page 251). If the farms are taken for forestry, the livestock and the machinery could be removed. Some of the buildings include lumber that is worth saving. If the owner were given permission to remove this, it would in some cases be of value to him. If the owners of occupied places were given a year or more in which to remove such property as they desired, the lands could be purchased at a lower price than for immediate possession, and there would be less hardship on the owners. Most of the resident owners are very desirous of moving. The purchase of their land by the State would make it possible for them to realize this desire, and the cash received would give them a start on some better farm or at some other occupation. A life lease could be given to elderly residents not wishing to move. THE TAXATION PROBLEM Except around the Adirondack and the Catskill Mountains, the aban- doned farm areas are usually hill areas interspersed with valley land that is suitable for farming. This distribution has some advantages from the forestry standpoint, since fire risk is greatly reduced and help will be avail- able for planting, fighting fires, and other operations. However, the mix- ture of forestry and agriculture brings with it a tax problem. Any sound taxation policy must consider the other land as well as the forest land. Whatever agency takes over such land, provision must be made for the maintenance of such local institutions as are still required. Some roads may be closed. In many cases an entire school district may be completely depopulated. Some townships should be combined. But many of the roads would still be needed, and local government and educa- tion must continue. If the poorest land is freed from taxation and the entire burden is thrown on the next poorest land, it amounts to confisca- tion of the remaining land that might be used for farming. If a part of the land is removed from taxation and a corresponding reduction cannot be made in services, provision must be made to maintain the necessary local services without undue burden on the adjacent farm land. 262 Bulletin 490 APPENDIX TABLE 457. Utilization of Land along the Roadside, in ioo-Foot Units, as Obtained with a Crop-Meter in Abandoned Farm Areas in New York Allegany Broome Cavuga Chau- tauqua Che- mung West Almond Castle Creek Tracy Creek to Vestal* North Coles- ville to Windsor* Summer Hill Sum- mer Hill Turn- pike* Char- lotte Center Lock- wood to North Che- mung* Hundreds of feet Other grain Crops other than hay Hay 6 26 38 40 1 3 21 7 2 8 12 16 36 20 9 7 I 4 S9 45 40 101 7 34 9 1 1 18 12 8 14 31 33 40 16 74 78 5 110 148 34 198 92 151 21 315 252 800 84 164 86 311 213 540 258 43 232 106 243 61 336 152 1 .052 187 248 69 397 170 759 230 171 10 71 O 28 6 472 45 g 3i6 Total idle land 379 171 81 28 478 45 430 324 Total cleared land .... 677 509 38s 516 1. 717 362 997 1 .313 59 60 90 6 77 6 44 40 195 40 Total wooded land. . . . Farmstead 20 SI 119 29 96 41 83 37 84 148 52 66 85 235 77 Grand total for area . . . Actual number of miles. . . . 748 14.2 657 10. 6t 522 8.4t 636 10. 2f 1.949 31 -4t 414 6. 7 t 1. 148 21 .7 1.625 26. 2f Chenango Area Smyrna Phar- salia East Pharsalia to Preston* Oxford to Sher- burne* Che- nango Lake Skinner Hill Bobell Hill South Oxford to Co- ventry* Hundreds of feet Buckwheat Other grain Miscellaneous Crops other than hay. . Hay All crops Pasture 8 » 3 26 54 9 72 2S 48 170 43 10 1 6 1 . 46 4 55 3 2 10 12 19 2 13 6 9 48 4 2 2 10 6 4 58 II 10 38 20 100 467 358 4. 184 18 117 108 253 45 189 80 S2I 24 260 137 595 567 257 4.542 2,085 I3S 53 361 223 234 222 601 256 284 200 732 437 Hay not cut Other land idle Total idle land 40 529 97 2.810 5 6 4 1 210 18 183 407 86 569 2.907 11 4 211 201 407 86 Total cleared land 1 .393 9,534 199 588 667 I.058 891 1,255 Brush Total wooded land .... Farmstead 67 43 725 377 178 108 52 9 46 15 66 98 110 65 I , 102 524 14 108 286 37 61 72 61 52 164 100 Grand total for area . . . Actual number of miles .... 1,568 24. 2f II , 160 179. 7t 213 3-4t 696 II .2t 990 IS-9t 1 . 191 19- 2f I .004 16. 2t 1,519 24 -5t * Roads along which the utilization of land was ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. T As the crop-meter used plying by 0.85 and dividing 1 in 1927 registered high, the actual number of miles was obtained by multi- by 5280. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York TABLE 457 {continued) 263 Cortland Fulton Madison Che- ningo Virgil Sprite Creek Otselic Center to De- Ruyter* Muller Hill Lebanon Quaker Hill Gorton Lake Hundreds of feet Crops other than hay. . 18 49 SO 41 12 3 23 2 4 7 2 27 4 8 10 27 24 45 4 13 6 30 6 3 45 18 7 47 7 27 13 13 23 1 167 804 4S 334 40 26s 12 70 no 596 58 173 124 540 77 708 971 386 379 171 305 180 82 23 706 160 231 107 664 313 785 27S IS 980 437 78 8 4S5 65 210 69 697 95 906 Total idle land 99S 437 954 78 463 275 766 1 ,001 Total cleared land 2,352 987 1,439 183 1.329 613 1.743 2,061 181 164 57 255 8 102 24 25 31 33 168 234 114 Total wooded land . 345 129 312 41 288 74 8 18 126 81 56 32 201 113 348 104 Grand total for area . . . Actual number of miles. . . . 2,826 45- st 1,340 21. 6f 1 ,801 34-1 209 3-4t 1.536 24-7t 701 II -3t 2,507 33 It 2,513 40. 5t Oneida Osweeo Otsego Sanger- field to Bridge- water* Tassel Hill Florence Hinckley Reservoir Panther Lake Parish Decatur Hundreds of feet 34 IS 2 30 41 8 104 | 20 I 3 J 188 S 1 } 86 90 { 22 II 14 61 27 S Crops other than hay . . . Hay 6S 298 18 192 3 39 140 745 274 389 194 421 74 268 363 227 210 42 107 885 663 549 6iS 620 342 178 101 621 7 Other land idle 73 Total idle land 80 393 767 4.561 1,798 1,258 440 670 704 916 6,067 3.010 2,493 060 50 29 79 87 189 302 II 1.675 250 1 85 47 33 Grand total for area .... 836 i3-5t 926 I7S 1,229 233 7.992 IS- 1 1 , 192 22 .6 * Roads along which the utilization of land was ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. t.As the crop-meter used in 1927 registered high, the actual number of miles was obtained by multi- plying by 0.85 and dividing by 5280. 264 Bulletin 490 TABLE 457 (continued) Schuyler Steuben Mon- terey Pine Valley Swale South Cameron Southern Steuben* South Bradford and Sugar Hill Hundreds of feet Hay IS 21 40 9 IS 19 42 64 7 19 14 53 121 3 22 10 87 143 68 56 114 233 6 16 34 94 71 61 85 345 147 389 210 S33 269 579 477 1,036 276 600 430 95 S36 151 743 109 848 172 I.SI3 S63 876 435 522 22 483 8 301 4 116 27 147 8 822 522 505 309 120 174 830 1.047 1. 192 1,161 1,140 2,250 2 , 141 28 102 135 66 216 79 102 50 45 131 109 176 130 41 201 71 295 57 152 116 176 173 285 105 I,2l8 19. 6t 1 .416 23. 6t 1,513 24. 4t 1 ,408 26. 7t 2,599 41. 8t 2,531 40. 8t Tioga Prospect Hill Straits Corners Owego to Rhode- ville* Southern Owego* South Apala- chin Maine to Owego* Hundrec s of feet 10 14 SI 20 1 45 2 4 4 24 X 5 24 19 23 73 45 63 14 11 91 92 35 34 2 4 3 25 12 11 52 52 172 234 94 158 Hay 159 181 204 345 191 376 211 233 376 579 285 534 150 56 123 226 no 92 40 23 7 4 358 193 I 265 188 212 Total idle land 398 216 I 26s 196 216 759 505 500 1 ,07c 590 842 45 38 13 68 146 3 84 15 10 82 7 16 129 53 23 150 1 S3 19 58 40 50 95 15 65 946 598 573 1,315 758 926 5-2t 9.6t 9-2t 21 .2f 12. 2f I4-9t * Roads along which the utilization of land was ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. t'As the crop-meter used in 1927 registered high, the actual number of miles was obtained by multi- plying.by 0.85 and dividinglbyJ[528o. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 265 TABLE 457 {concluded) Tompkins Connecti- Bull South Eastman Bald cut Hill Hill Danby Hill Mountain Hundreds of feet 6 126 26 s 31 20 49 21 8 11 42 146 96 4 10 36 237 84 16 3 7 2 2 1 III 560 229 33 56 322 927 534 210 390 433 1,487 763 243 446 54 446 261 28 117 21 9 10 9 I . 171 1,522 759 241 442 1,192 1. 531 769 250 442 1,679 3.464 1.793 521 1 ,005 260 657 94 24 89 83 134 189 27 148 343 791 283 51 237 74 175 118 40 69 2 ,096 4.430 2,194 612 1,311 Actual number of miles 33- 7t 71. 3t 35- 3t 9-8f 21. if t.As the crop- meter used in 1927 registered high, the actual number of miles was obtained by multi- plying by 0.85 and dividing by 5280. 266 Bulletin 490 TABLE 458. Use and Condition of Buildings, Abandoned Farm Areas in New York* Albany Allegany Broome Cayuga Chau- tauqua Berne Crystal Lake West Almond Castle Creek Tracy Creek to Vestalf Summer Hill Summer Hill Turnpikef Char- lotte Center Houses: 14 17 18 11 13 33 34 53 17 43 7 6 16 3 5 3 7 14 7 8 t I 33 1 42 28 13 27 44 20 8 I 3 3 S 9 24 6 • 17 73 180 37 39 43 IS4 41 61 Barns: 6 II 26 12 18 7 9 109 13 42 6 4 17 2 8 2 2 17 5 13 12 34 39 11 58 8 21 4 2 6 3 3 25 4 26 Total 73 180 37 39 IS4 41 61 IS I IS 3 1 0.75 3 31 66 II 57 7 13 3 I 1 3 4 31 17 29 23 13 3 39 91 17 30 22 Schoolhouses * Used '. Vacant but usable 3 I I 2 2 10 2 2 I 1 3 3 Miles of road impassable . Farmsteads on the impas- sable roads (not in- 2 * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 267 TABLE 458* (continued) Chemung Chenango Lockwood to North only rna Phar- saha UJle- nango Skinner Hill Oxford to Sher- burnef Bobell Hill South Oxford to Coven- tryf Chemungt Lake Houses: Good I ) 10 55 86 4 7 f 1 3 f 3l Fair \ 6 4 ! 1 f 23 28 7 11 \ 73 1 J 6 I 42 > 173 54 93 8 20 8 r J 4 6 4 2 4 4 5 28 19 6 9 5 IS 8 Total 96 86 461 29 49 82 36 55 Barns: Good 3 19 66 I 1 Fair 11 3 4 7 Poor 48 4 217 43 116 17 31 1 II 6 20 8 12 12 Total 86 461 29 49 36 45 35 2 1^2 39 IOO 10 20 14 2 32 I Occupied houses 43 30 4 14 2 21 72 10 33 14 27 7 4 2 Silos 10 1 7 2 Schoolhouses: Used 4 1 1 2 1 I Vacant but usable 1 7 I 1 1 I 3 1 Miles of road impassable. Farmsteads on the impas- sable roads (not in- 2.5 18 3.25 3 8 4 10 II * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. 268 Bulletin 490 TABLE 458* (continued) Cortland Fulton Herkimer Madison Che- ningo Virgil Sprite Greek Ohio Muller Hill Lebanon Quaker Hill Gorton Lake Mouses: Good 10 2 3 56 1 1 5 6 7 Fair 23 20 9 17 19 7 13 16 Poor 58 36 35 17 45 6 2 c 37 13 IS 16 12 15 4 IS 14 31 36 32 28 23 12 22 37 Total 135 99 95 130 113 34 8l III Barns: Good 6 41 2 I 2 15 6 4 22 12 I IO 9 60 39 39 22 50 12 32 SO Not usable 13 13 10 4 10 6 41 41 18 39 16 27 46 Total . 135 99 OS 113 34 8l in Painted houses 41 26 36 8 13 24 32 Painted barns 7 3 2 5 6 Occupied houses 42 32 36 TO 48 7 24 34 Milk houses . 2 I 5 2 5 3 4 I 7 II Schoolhouses: Used 4 3 I 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 4 2 2 3 I 2 2 2 Miles of road impassable. II. 5 5 I 8.5 3 11 9.S Farmsteads on the im- passable roads (not in- 7 5 7 7 S 9 3 20 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 269 TABLE 458* (continued) Oneida Oswego _ tsego ocnonane oanger- field to Bridge- 1 assel Hill Florence Hinckley Reser- Panther Lake Parish Decatur Broome Center wateri" voir Houses: Good 8 I 5 42 27 II 7 3 7 3 9 30 41 21 11 6 II 4 21 103 96 27 35 20 2 8 II 47 21 II 15 4 6 3 31 131 93 22 15 14 Total 34 19 77 353 278 92 83 47 Barns: 2 I 4 5 4 1 Fair II I 8 24 19 10 3 3 Poor 13 S 22 110 97 42 47 24 I 4 9 25 20 5 10 1 7 9 37 190 137 31 22 19 34 19 77 <• 353 278 92 °3 47 18 5 , 24 S 12 106 95 32 23 !5 9 6 Schoolhouses: 1 Used I 2 10 8 3 2 Vacant but usable I I 4 2 I I 2 I 2 o 2 I O 1 Miles of road impassable . Farmsteads on the impas- s II 2 4 3 3 sable roads (not in- 2 77 16 5 I * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. 270 Bulletin 490 TABLE 458* {continued) Schuyler Steuben Monterey Pine Valley Swale South Cameron Southern Steubenf South Bradford and Sugar Hill ■ Houses: Fair 1 11 21 6 19 10 16 22 6 3° IS 21 17 9 2 3 33 13 27 6 19 f 1 128 I J 9 17 20 36 49 13 50 58 84 8S 98 IS4 174 Barns: 5 22 7 24 39 2 35 2 32 23 7 21 4 3° 37 7 12 4 25 "3 10 72 Fair Poor 11CqV\1a 5° ftp °5 9» 174 Painted houses 13 27 33 SO 100 48 I I 4 7 8 16 31 34 45 IOO 60 I 4 1 Silos I S 6 3 Schoolhouses: Used 3 4 3 6 I 2 1 I I I 2 8 I s 16 Farmsteads on the impassable roads (not included above) .... II 2 S 19 * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 271 TABLE 458* {continued) Conn t v Tioga Prospect Hill 1 Straits j Corners Owego to Rhodevillet 1 Southern Owegot South Apalachin Maine to Owegot Houses '. Good 7 23 6 37 24 11 r 1 9 9 3 {«} 21 14 5 1 II 8 6 4 2 16 9 7 1 1 II 10 Total 59 43 37 87 35 57 Barns ' Good 3 8 8 Fair 5 7 17 4 31 31 3 3 Poor 30 3 18 9 7 3 6 18 II 5 14 17 Total 59 43 37 87 35 IS 4 15 V 25 9 03 6 7 3° Painted barns I 21 16 25 15 12 54 5 14 I 32 3 4 2 II 2 Schoolhouses: Used 3 I 2 2 I . 2 O O 0. O I I O O I 1 I O O 0.25 I I 3-5 Farmsteads on the impassable roads (not included above) .... I * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. 272 Bulletin 490 TABLE 458* {concluded) Tompkins Connecti- Bull South Eastman Bald cut Hill Hill Danby Hill Mountain Houses: 9 58 20 6 7 32 58 26 4 17 30 30 28 16 18 II 16 8 4 7 45 80 31 7 21 127 242 113 37 70 Barns: Good 2 26 I 3 16 57 16 5 13 37 8 59 47 18 22 14 16 s 6 64 86 33 9 26 Total 127 242 113 37 70 26 87 8 55 16 26 2 3 4 Occupied houses 32 101 50 18 25 36 3 2 Silos I 28 8 I 2 Schoolhouses: Used 2 5 4 I I 2 3 1 I I 1 I 10 5 19 4 • 35 5 Farmsteads on the impassable roads (not in- 6 8 2 4 8 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 273 TABLE 459. Combinations of Buildings in Abandoned Farm Areas in New York* Albany Allegany Broome Cayuga Chau- tauqua Berne Crystal Lake West Almond Castle Creek Summer Hill Summer Hill Charlotte Center Turnpike*!* Number of farmsteads having House Good Barn Good 5 7 2 2 g 2 Good Fair 5 4 2 2 23 16 Fair Good 2 1 Fair Fair Q 4 I 1 9 5 3 Poor 3 IS 3 5 3 Poor Good 2 O Fair Poor 29 3 4 1 7 4 Fair I 2 Poor 12 45 10 11 7 15 Total having both house and 42 107 26 19 76 33 28 Good Not usable. . . . 3 Good I 2 Fair Not usable. . . . I Fair I 2 I I I Poor Not usable. . . . 4 3 X 2 3 Gone 2 S 2 3 2 I 6 Not usable Good Good Fair Fair I 1 6 5 1 Poor 11 I 2 4 2 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . . 8 31 4 7 16 2 13 Not usable Not usable Not usable. . . . Gone 4 6 4 7 3 5 2 4 18 2 I 5 Not usable. . . . 3 3 I 5 I 10 28 3 6 35 3 14 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable . . 23 42 7 13 62 6 20 73 180 37 39 154 41 6l * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. 274 Bulletin 490 TABLE 459* (continued) Chenango Cortland Smyrna Pharsalia Chenango Lake Skinner Bobell Cheningo Virgil Hill Hill Number of farmsteads having House Good Barn 16 18 2 1 Good Fair 4 1 2 3 ° Fair ? 3 Q 4 2 Fair Fair 5 31 16 3 2 2 Good Poor 4 2 4 Q Poor Good Fair Poor ? I 7 4 U 14 123 4 g 3 13 14 Fair Poor 20 8 17 6 34 22 Total having both house S5 266 18 34 16 73 44 Good Not usable. . . I I Good Gone 4 2 I Fair Not usable. . . \° Fair 5 a I I I 2 Not usable. . . 2 IS 21 O I 6 4 Gone 4 10 | Not usable . . . Good Good I Not usable . . . Fair Fair 3 I Not usable. . . Poor Poor 2 5 12 20 1 2 I I 2 2 4 I 01 Total having either house or barn gone or not 13 84 4 6 3 25 15 Not usable. . . Not usable . . . Not usable. . . Not usable. . . Gone I 3 I 13 16 26 9 60 3 4 I t 2 2 4 9 4 7 2 24 4 10 5 21 Total having both house and barn gone or not 18 III 7 9 17 37 40 86 461 29 49 36 135 99 * Based on a tally of all building sites. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 275 TABLE 459* (continued) r ulton tr 1 ■ Herkimer Madison Sprite Creek Ohio Muller Hill Lebanon Quaker Hill Gorton Lake Number of farmsteads having Hose Barn Good 39 12 2 I 2 Good Fair 3 I 4 5 Good 2 Pair Fair a 7 9 5 3 2 4 5 2 2 Good Poor 6 7 7 5 7 13 Fair T 3 28 6 29 3 22 29 To tal having both house and 39 80 55 12 40 52 Good , Not usable .... I O Good . 1 1 I Fair . . v I Fair . . 1 1 3 I I Not usable .... 2 1 5 I 2 2 Pnm 4 7 II 2 I 6 Good ttnr, Not jsable .... Fair Fair I O I I Notusable .... Gor» I 2 5 I 8 I I 2 I 3 3 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . . . 12 IS 29 8 8 15 No usable .... Nc usable .... Not usable .... Not usable .... 3 II 2 4 8 2 2 12 2 O 3 2 6 7 2 I 10 3 28 21 13 9 18 30 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable . . . 44 35 29 14 33 44 9S 130 113 34 81 in * Based on a tally of all building sites. 27& Bulletin 490 TABLE 459* {continued) Osweg< Sangerfield to Bridge- waterf Tassel Florence 1 1 1 ' i ' ■-. 1 Panther Hill Reservoir Lake . irish Number of farmsteads having House Good Barn Good 2 1 4 13 5 7 9 1 1 O Good Fair 4 I 4 3 I Fair Good 5 Fair Fair 4 2 8 24 3 Good 4 Poor Good 4 Fair Poor I 3 16 2 2 1 2 Poor Fair a 9 Poor 9 2 11 60 57 4- Total having both house and barn usable 24 6 24 127 IZ2 Good Not usable .... I o' Good 1 3 I Fair 1 4 I 3 Gone 2 1 6 9 28 Poor 1 4 14 27 Poor 1 6 Not usable .... Good Good Not usable .... Fair Fair I 1 I I Not usable .... I I 3 I 3 1 3 1 Poor s 7 7 Total having either house or barn gone or not usable . . . 4 2 18 59 61 17 \ Not usable Not usable .... Not usable. . . . I 2 6 s 5 9 35 2 4 16 2 1 6 1 Not usable .... I 1 6 I 1 Gone 4 2 25 121 79 17 Total having both house and barn gone or not usable . . . 6 11 35 167 105 26 34 19 77 353 278 92 * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with the abandoned farm areas. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 277 TABLE 459* (continued) Otsego Schoharie Schuvler Steuben Decatur Broome Center Nl on terey - Pine Valley 1 owale South Cameron South Bradford and Sugar Hill Numbc of farmsteads having Hase Good Barn Good Q 2 3 Good Fair 2 1 I 4 12 16 10 Fair Good I I Fair Fair I 2 3 3 11 6 9 Good 5 2 5 1 13 1 6 Good Fair g 4 7 11 7 7 21 Poor Fair I I 5 10 4 •33 16 13 16 7 10 27 'otal having both house and barn usable SO 25 25 40 45 66 81 Not usable. . . 1 1 . X Fair Not usable. . . 1 1 I Fair. I 1 2 5 Poo Not usable. . . 2 I 3 2 5 5 Poo- 3 4 5 3 1 13 No* usable . . . Good Onie. . . . Good Nn usable . . . Fair i Fair 4 5 2 Nr_ usable . . . Poor I 1 1 I Goie, , , , 1 2 A 7 7 8 Total having either house or b.irn gone or not 4 6 10 15 20 20 35 lv>t usable. . . >Dt usable. . . Not usable. . . 4 II 4 3 2 5 2 6 1 4 2 10 Not usable. . . 3 I I 2 1 3 II 12 17 23 10 6 43 Total having both house and barn gone or not 29 16 23 29 20 12 58 3rand tot al 83 47 58 84 85 98 174 * Based on a tally of all building sites. 278 Bulletin 490 TABLE 459* (continued) County. Tioga Area. Prospect Hill Straits Corners Owego to Rhodevillet Southern Owegof Number of farmsteads having Good. Good. Fair. . Fair. . Good. Poor . . Fair. . Poor . . Poor.. House Good. Fair . . Good. Fair . . Poor . . Good. Poor . . Fair . . Poor.. Barn 5 o 17 Total having both house and barn usable 7 12 28 66 Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone Not usable . Gone , Good Good Fair Fair Poor Poor Total having either house or barn gone or not usable Not usable . Not usable . Gone Gone Not usaole . Gone Not usable . Gone , Total having both house and barn gone or not usable 16 Grand total. 59 43 37 87 * Based on a tally of all building sites. t Roads along which the use and the condition of buildings were ascertained for comparison with tl abandoned farm areas. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 279 TABLE 459* (concluded) Tompkins Uonnecti- cut Hill Bull Hill oouin Danby £>astman Hill Bald Mountain Number of farmsteads having House God Barn 1 19 25 7 I 2 Fair 10 3 3 Fai Good i I Fai Fair O 25 10 A g God Poor g 2 2 Good Fa: Poor 17 2 20 14 4 Q Por Fair 4 2 2 Por Poor I 2 17 19 1 I 2 Total having both house and barn usable 49 127 ell 21 30 God Not usable 2 God Gone 2 I Rir I 3 I I Gone 5 3 S I Not usable 4 2 7 2 2 Gone 12 7 2 2 2 >ot usable Good O ? ° Fair O O Fair. 3 O lot usable Poor 2 2 2 Poor 4 • 10 4 2 Total having either house or barn gone or 28 34 22 7 8 Not usable 2 2 2 2 2 Not usable Gone 7 12 4 2 5 Not usable I S 5 I I Gone 40 62 22 4 18 Total having both house and barn gone so 81 33 9 26 127 242 113 37 70 Based on a tally of all building sites. 280 Bulletin 490 BLANK USED FOR ALL OCCUPIED FARMS IN CONNECTICUT HILL, BALD TAIN, BULL HILL, SWALE, SUMMER HILL, BERNE, DECATUR, PARISH OHIO AREAS .MO FARM NO.. BLANK I ). 10 UN- AND Record of a Year's Business on a Farm A blank for calculating labor income and analyzing the farm business Prepared by Department of Farm Management, New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. (For a Tenant Farm use Blank No. 20) County State Record for year beginning 19 and ending iio.. Operator Post Office R. D Station Distance and dirfction of farm from station....Acres owned by operator....Acres cash rented.._Acres share rented....Total ales.... For each crop grown in 19 give in the following table the acres, yield, and the amount andjalue sold or to be sold. Crop Crops grown Crops sold or to be soldi Acres Yield per acre Total crop Amount Price Totl valul Corn for grain (shelled) .bu. $ l._ tons bu. bu ._i tons lbs. Tobacco * » • . ■ bu bu bu. bu. Oats bu. bu bu. Rye bu x. X tons x._ Hay, clover, timothy (No. cut- tings ) tons tons .bbls. Cider apples, driers and other X cwt. .._ _ .bu. lbs. bu. qts. tons cwt. cwt. Total acres of crops Total crop sales . . $ Acres double cropped Difference = acres used for crops Woods not pastured Woods pastured li any of the above crops were grown in orchards or other- wise double cropped, explain Other permanent pasture . Other land pastured thruout sea son Farmstead, roads, fence rows Other land Total acres 1 To how many acres of open pasture was the woodland pasture equivalent? — How many acres of the permanent pasture (a) are suitable (b) could be made suitable at reasonable cost? Describe " other land ".. Note: i. Should equal total acres as given at top of page. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 281 LIVESTOCK In tl' table below give the number and value of each kind of stock on hand at the beginning of the year and on hand at the eni of the year. The stock should be valued at what it probably would have brought if sold. Also enter all sales and purchses of each kind of stock during the year. Kind Breed Beginning of year No. Value per head Total value End of year No Value per head Total value Sales No, Price per Total ceived Purchases No. Price per head Total paid No. died during the year No. eaten on farm during the year Bus Dair /grade. cowf \ pure-bred . . Daiv (grade heifrs 3 \ pure-bred. Ve: calves 4 grade pure-bred . . . Bef cattle Hrses (No. mares) Miles SiUions Olts w (breeding... [yearling lucks >ambs, weaned .... fattening sheep 3rood sows 5 Boars Other hogs Pigs, weaned Chickens Ducks Turkeys . Totals . MILK SOLD BY MONTHS Month Apr. 19 May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. 19 Pounds Totals. Price Value Enter totals in table to right. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS Include products sold, to be sold or exchanged for groceries, etc. Do not include products used on the farm. Product Milk wholesaled Give name of buyer Cream wholesaled, testing Give name of buyer Milk retailed by farmer Cream retailed by farmer Butter Skimmilk, buttermilk, cheese. Wool Hatching eggs Day old chicks Breeding fees, kind . . . Hides, kind Honey Amount .11)3 .lba ..lbs. _doz. lbs. Price Total value $ Total value of livestock products $ Average number of cows for the year When did most of cows freshen? .Total milk produced Average test of milk.. % If milk was retailed give here the average price at which it could have been wholesaled $. Number of litters of pigs ...Total number of pigs raised to weaning age Note: 2. Dairy cowb, inolude all that have ever freshened. 3. Dairy heifers, Include all heifers and calves raised or to be raised for dairy cows. 4. Veal calves, Include all calves vealed or to be vealed. 5. Include the values of unweaned Iambs or pip with the Inventory values of ewes or sows. 282 Bulletin 490 FARM EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR Year help (total months ) Value of board furnished year help (months ) Month help (total months ) Value of board furnished month help (months ) Day help (total days ) Value of board furnished day help (days ) . What would be the cost at usual farm wages, includ- ing value of board, of work done on the farm by members of the family and others who were not paid? Do not include farmer's own work. Equivalent to months Advertising Baling Barrels, baskets, bags, egg cases Breeding fees Buildings, new Building repairs, roofing, paint, etc Cash rent for. acres Cash rent for pasturage, kind of stock. . . .No Commissions, storage Freight, express, etc Drains Hay, silage, stalks, straw Feads, grains, bought for horses, cows, poultry, hogs, and sheep, including salt, beef scrap, grit, etc. . . Feed grinding Fence, wire, posts, staples, etc Fertilizer Lime Manure Horseshoeing Insurance Lumber sawing Machinery, wagons, harness, other new equipment. Machinery repairs, tires, plow points, sections, etc. Machines hired as drill, harvester, etc Silo filling, corn shredding or husking Threshing Coal, oil, gasoline, etc., for farm use Twine Farm share of upkeep and operation of automobile, lee Milk hauling Milk bottles, cans, strainers, etc Cow tester, acid, fees, etc Registration fees Seeds, grass Other seeds, plants, trees Spray materials Stamps and stationery for farm use . Telephone and toll for farm use Taxes, including school tax Veterinary, medicines, disinfectants . Any other farm expenses Total. MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS Enter any money received for time or labor off ti and for other things noted below. Received for Man labor off farm Team work off farm Machine work or use of machinery. Jury, assessor, etc Cash rent for land Stock pastured, kind Boarding stock, kind Rent of buildings, kind Maple syrup, sugar Lumber, posts, wood, etc Insurance, kind , Any other receipt Amount .days .days .days .lbs. 1'otal miscellaneous receipts . CAPITAL Note 6. If the year's labor and cash outlay on buildin fences, drains, etc. has not been sufficient to maintain t value of the farm, decrease the farm value at the end the year. If more than enough has been done to maint the value of the farm increase the farm value. Do consider an increase or decrease that comes from a gener- change in land values. Note 7. If the new machinery and repairs during th year have not been sufficient to maintain the value of f machinery, decrease the machinery inventory at the e of the year. If more than enough has been purchased or repaired to maintain its value, increase the machinery inventory. Note 8. If there is a material charge in the area of winter grain, fall plowing or other items, include value of these. etc. Farm (read note 6 above) Machinery, wagons, harness, (read note 7 above) Feed, seed and supplies (read note 8 above) Livestock (from page 2) Totals Value at the beginning of the year Value at the end of the year Note 9. If the total capital at the end of the year is larger than at the beginning of the year, the increase is counted as a receipt, if smaller the decrease is counted as an expense. Find the increase or decrease and enter in the summary below. Note 10. Find the average of these two totals and enter as average capital in the summary below. SUMMARY Average capital (read note 10 above) Receipts: Increase of capital (read note 9 above) Crops (page 1) Livestock sold (page 2) Livestock products (page 2) . . . . Miscellaneous (page 2) Total receipts Expenses: Decrease of capital (read note 9 above) Livestock purchased (page 2) Farm expenses (this page) Total expenses Income from capital and operator's labor (subtract expenses from receipts) Interest on average capital at 5%. . . Labor income Definition. Labor income is what a farmer receives for his year's work above interest on his investment and all farm expenses, and in addition to having a house to live in and farm products to use in the house. Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 283 PERSGAL HISTORY: Age Birthplace Birthpte of parent: Father Mother.... _ Numbiin family at home Ages of boys girls.. Childr. (not at home) Boy Boy Boy Year cleaving •Age o'eaving Occurtion entered Girl Girl EMPLOYMENT HISTORY UNPAID LABOR RECORD Value De Years Age Occupation Location Months worked Wage Board Operator. . Wife Son .'. . Son Daughter. . Here... FA.M FINANCES Beginning: Capital invested — Farm $ Mchy $ Liestock $ Auto $ Household goods S Total $.. Dbt $ Other property owned $ Vis farm vacant when you moved on? How long had it been vacant? low much money have you put into buildings? .land? low: Capital invested — Farm $ Machinery $ Livestock $._ .uto $ Household goods $ Total f Debt $.. )ther property owned $ Insurance $ Value Make Year Auto Tractor . Truck . . Other. . . CASH LIVING EXPENSES Food $ Clothing $... Good Fair Poor Unusable . Gone .... BUILDINGS Houses Barns PRODUCTS FURNISHED BY FARM TOWARD LIVING . Milk. qts. $ . Butter lbs. $ . Eggs doz. $ . Poultry. $ Potatoes. bu. $ Beans bu. $ Apples bu. $ Pork.„ .lbs. $ Beef. lbs. $ VeaL .lbs. $ Wood. cds. $ Fish. $ Game $ Other $ RECENT SALES OF OTHER FARMS IN AREA No. of years purchaser Present Year Amount Cash Acres Buyer Seller stayed owner 284 Bulletin 490 BLANK USED FOR ALL OCCUPIED FARMS IN SOUTH BRADFORD, SUGAR [ILL, VIRGIL, AND SMYRNA AREAS Land Utilization Blank (Occupied Farms) Prepared by Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, New York State dlege of Agriculture, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. Owner's name. Address Operator's name Nationality Age.. No. of years on this farm.. Where from Previous occupation „ No. in family at home _ Ages of boys _ girls Acres Acres 1927 1926 Amount Oats. . . Barley . Wheat . Rye. . . Hay... 1927 1926 ..(no.. ..kind.. ..no.. CROPS Corn for grain . . . Fodder corn Potatoes Field beans Buckwheat Oats and barley . . Crops Pasture used Woods (Marketable bd. ft % Farmstead, roads, and waste Crop and pasture land idle Present area fenced and available for pasture Capacity in cows Condition of fences _ Value of farm machinery HOW OBTAINED: Purchased Traded Foreclosed Inherited Present indebtedness Held by whom... _ Kind of outside work done Time spent LIVESTOCK No. Value Cows _ „ Heifers _ „ Calves „ Bulls _ Horses Ewes „ Bucks Lambs RECENT SALES OF ANY FARMS IN AREA Amour kind- Total. ..Other.. ..Return.. No. Value Brood sows . Boars Other hogs . Pigs Chickens . . . Ducks Geese Turkeys Year Amount Cash Acres Buyer Seller No. of years purchaser stayed Present owner Abandoned Farm Areas in New York 285 BLAK USED FOR VACANT FARMS IN ALL AREAS IN WHICH RECORDS WERE TAKEN Land Utilization Blank (Vacant Farms) Prepsd by Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, New York State College of Agriculture, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. Yeai resident on this farm _ Number of years since owner left — HO' OBTAINED: Purchased Traded Foreclosed Inherited.— Other. _ PESENT , ^Iff , ..Amount harvested By whom Terms and disposal ROPS 1Q27 1926 Cops Pasture used (no kind no kind ) \oods (Marketable .bd. ft % _ % % _) brmstead, roads, and waste Crop and pasture land idle Total armer's valuation $ Assessed valuation $ ichool taxes Other taxes $. _ _ NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE: Last occupied. _ Last pastured Last plowed Last hayed _ Present area fenced and available for pasture _ Capacity in cows Condition of fences. BUILDINGS Usable Unusable Gone Houses : _ _ _ _ _ Barns „ _ RECENT SALES OF WOODLOT PRODUCTS Year Cordwood Ties Lumber Standing timber cds. $ _ $ bd. ft. I bd. ft. $ RECENT SALES OF ANY FARMS IN AREA No. of years purchaser Year Amount Cash Acres Buyer Seller stayed Present owner I ••a