Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-09-10
The Quaker Farmers of New Jersey
What the New erk World says Of hem.

A party of New York Editors recently |
visited Salem County, New Jersey, and the
New York World thus discourses of what
they saw.
In our school Biographies, the first iufor-
nation given the urchin Of the last genera
ton was that :" New Jersey was settled by
the Swedes and Firms" THIS was true TO
limited extent. few colonies of Swedes
landed at different points along the low SAN
dy coast, and to some ofthem great tracts of
territory were given, upon which titles were
based which later authorities respected, and
the broad foundation was thus laid for he
reditary family wealth and culture. But
these instances were by no means numerous.
the choicest lands along the Delaware were
selected and cleared by that mild and patient
race of plain men and kind women OF whom
George Fox was the type and bright efflor-
escence. In the wholesome and modest pre-
cepts of their religious thinkers the tilling Of
the soil was recommended as the safest, the
modest, and most useful of all the employ
ments and when the Quaker first began TO
move abnut with his broad-rlmmed hat in
our native Willis; when he laid aside that
plain drab coat for wrestle with the prim-
eval woods, he set the foundations broad and
deep for some of the soundest agriculture
and the rpest and truest civilization of our
age. In the Eastern States the only paris
where the lands have not declined in agri-
cultural value since they were cleared are
those settled either BY Quakers or Dutch.
They are patient like nature. they submit
to the inevitable; they are not ambitious
as was the Presbyterian exile who chop
ped the naples and white birches from
the hills of New England-of power, the
ability to lord it over the conscience or over
80 l. Iln
70 live by the sweat of an honest brow, and
content TO transmit the same heritage to his
sons, without hoping that they would inspire
to the canvas bags Of the money changer.
the spindle of the manufacturer, or the pen
Of the reformer. The Quaker is by consti-
tuition conservative. Old wine he never
drinks, but he does love old friends and old
ways. He thinks the generation before him
knew something. He does not suppose that
his ancestor, who never dreamed Of steam
engine, was therefore a semi-barbarian. In
fact, he seriously doubts whether that irwin
chile and unwearied monster has done any
thing TO make men really better or happier.
He thinks the wants it has created are more
numerous, though not so great, as the wants
it met. Hence the Quaker is, by nature,
lduCtdsor temporis acti, an admirer OF
what is old and praiser of things as they
were. He loves TO assure himself that
he is travelling home to God
In the way the ta,hers trod.n
By a natural law of human nature the
reverence for old ways is closely associated
with wise regard for the substantial
interests of those who come after US.
Hence the Quaker is ever a thorough
builder. He does everything for solid
use, nothing for display. Paint is vanity
and gingerbread carvings he considers
nrfsp nd p,t 10
like to lay wall that will not tumble
in pieces at the first frost. Hence the
great stone barns along the banks of the
Delaware, and the houses that were good
when Washington passed them III his retreat
from the Brandywine are good houses To-
day, the gray rock in some places little
greener with moses, and the ancient oak:
garnished with rougher gnarls, but as broad
spreading and lordly now, though the Con
stitution has dercer enemies now than whei
it was first framed, and the word "loyal
has undergone such wild sea changes. Blu
our subject is Quaker Farming.
Reader, if you wish to see a bright AMI
broad example of the best, the truest, tn
soundest agriculture on this continents sys
tenn by which the farm and the farmer alik
grow rich, go to Philadelphia, cross the rive
along which it is built, and take the cars fo
Salem. For some miles you will pas
through level and not very fertile region
where the growth is white oak and som,
pine. AT the distance Of twenty-five Of
thirty miles southwest from Camden, ant
five or six from the Delaware river, the trav
eller comes into this magnificent agriculture
region. On every side, as far as the eye cal
reach, be sees succession of fields cult
Yated for every square foot and loaded will
the promise of harvest. There are grea
fields Of corn, in some instances sixty acre
in extent, where the great regal blades D
maize are nodding and tossing in the sum
mer wind. On the other side, wheat fielt
of ten, fifteen, or twenty-five acres in exten
has yielded its golden burden, and between
the drills We see growth of clover almos
conquerlng the stubble and about to cove
the surface with generous foliage and scarle
bloom. At the distance Of q lew rods from
the highway we pass farm-houses they ar
about quarter of mile apart, plain, bu
strong in architecture, embowered in trees
and flanked by sgrand array Of wheat stacks
apple orchards, and great, affluent barns
with outbursts OF f. oder from door and win
dows, and beneath q well-designed yard
paved with a loot or two feet OF rich, well
rotted manure. These people are no anna
teurs from the city, who have bought
thirty-thoussnd dollar farm In order TO e