Section 24. Appraisal of estate in the hands of assignee

Whenever it shall
  become necessary to appraise in whole or in part any estate in the hands
  of any assignee for the benefit of creditors, the persons whose duty  it
  shall  be to make such appraisal shall value the real estate at its full
  and true value, taking into consideration actual  sales  of  neighboring
  real estate similarly situated during the year immediately preceding the
  date  of such appraisal, if any; and they shall value all such property,
  stocks, bonds or securities as are customarily bought or  sold  in  open
  markets  in the city of New York or elsewhere, for the day on which such
  appraisal or report may be required, by ascertaining the  range  of  the
  market  and  the  average  of  prices  as  thus found, running through a
  reasonable period of time.