The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-02-27
FARMERS
The Relation of New Jersey Farmers
TO the of the Srate.

one OF The most useful ana valuable OF the
State authorities.
AS an official of the New Jersey Expert
ment Station, established for the benefit
of practical aud scientific agriculture ADD
for the development of our unimproyed
lands, it is entirely fitting for me to be
present at your annual convention. For
whatever is of interest to the farmers is in
teresting to those who consume their
products; whatever benefits the packer,
directly or indirectly benefits the farmer.
1t is not my purpose to attempt to tell
you anything about you business or its
improvement, but rather suggest lines of
development hat will be of advantage to
yourselves and to the farmers of the State.
The time has come when the New jersey
farmer finds it much less profitable than
formerly to raise, corn, oats, wheat, aud
hay. The land has beer robbed of its
plant-food elements to such an extent that
large crops cannot be grown without the
crops grown on the free and rich lands of
the Western States can be shipped and
sold in the Eastern markets at a price SO
low as to make the profitable application
of fertilizers to these crops a matter of
some difficulty. So the farmer must turn
bis attention OH lines of practice that
promise more remuneratiye returns.
While many have already changed, the
4 .-a. e. -; .lI-,a - 81 zI1 ~-os1
and it is obvious that it would be impos-
sibie for all to be market gardeners, or
fruit growers, ETC., first, because their
location is not adapted for the profitable
disposition of these crops, and second,
because the markets could not profitably
handle all the produce. This difficulty
has been relieved in certain portions of the
State where packing houses have been es-
tablished, though the crop chiefly used is
| the tomato. The question that arises is,
why should the packers be limited to the
tomato? Is it not possible for them to
begin in May with asparagus, continue in
June, peas and beans, in July, with corn,
and follow in August and September into
October with the tomatoes, thereby run
ming their works at least six months of
the year instead of two or less. The
success of such a scheme depends upon
both the farmer and the packer. The
farmer must be assured that the growing
of these vegetables can be made profitable
and the packer that the quality of the
product will be of a high character.
First, can the farmer successfully grow
these crops?
It has been demonstrated by scientific
experiment that the free development of a
crop depends to a large extent upon the
presence in the soil of a sufficient amount
of the plant-food elements, nitrogen, phos-
phoric acid, potash. lime, etc, and that
the size Of the crop is only limited by
changes in climatic and season conditions,
aud even tLat the influences of any un-
favorable conditions are greatly lessened
when the proper amounts and kinds OF
plant food are present. Knowing the mag
nitude of the tomato growing Industry In
this State, its former value to the farmer
and the present feeling among some
farmers that it is growing less profitable,
experiments were instituted by the
Station iu 1899 to determine whether
something could not be learned in regards
to the wants of the plaut. and also
waether the crops could not be proitably
increased.
These experiments have taught some
valuable lessons among which are list, that
nitrate Of soda is a valuable fertilizer for
tomatoes, increasing the crop in a remark
able manner. and 2nd, that the best effect
is secured when the nitrate is used in con-
nection with a liberal supply in the
soil of the mineral elements, phosphor-
ic acid and potash. In the experiment in
1889 the yield was increased from 10 to 1G
tons per acre, and in 1890, on the same
field, in which the previous treatment had
been the same, from IS to 90 tons per acre.
The cost of the fertilizer. including the
phosphoric acid and potash, was S15; the
increased values at IS per ton was $50,
duU -t-, pei dGAO iCSpCSbifCt1' h"s eH|
tomato is as subject to failure as any other
crop cannot be denied. and an experiment
in Cumberland county this year testified
to the fact. There the conditions were
such that the plants hungered for water
throughout the whole month Of July,
and in August suffered from an excess,
causing a rapid development of plant in
the month when the fruit should have
been growing. which with other condi-
tions causes a blight or very uneven setting
of tie fruit, yet a farmer must Away
keep in mind the possibilities of the crop
! and work to them, aud measure his profits
by what can be secured from the average
of a series of years. These results we con-
slider important and they apply in great
measure to the other crops fitted for your
purpose previously mentioned. Large
areas of the State now given to grain crops
are peculiarly adapted for the various gar
den and fruit crops, ard their profitable
production at prices that would be posi-
BILE for you to pay is very largely a ques
| ton of a suliciency of plant-food in the
soil. There is nc good reason why a
| farmers rotation should not consist Of