The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-10
sially increase the prices charged for the
remaining lands of the state under water.

Agriculture.
I have always taken a deep interest in
the advancement and care of the agricul,
tural interests of the state and nave been
assisted by the legislature in the passage of
measures which nave been recommended
to me by the state board of agriculture and
organized bodies having in charge the in
terest of the farmers in different localities
of the state. have at all times received
the advice and assistance of the president
and secretary of the state board of agricul-
ture and the committees of the board in
furthering the interests of those engaged
In this industry.
We have the New Jersey state college
for the benefit of agriculture and the me-
chanic arts, the agricultural experiments
station and the weather service bureau,
which, with the state board of agriculture,
have intelligently and successfully worked
to disseminate scientific and practical
knowledge among the farmers of our state.
At the request of the representatives of
this industry, and in order to relieve the
farmers of unjust valuations, the law Gre
ating the state board of taxation was
passed. This board has performed its du-
ties in such a manne as to receive the ap-
prevail of the state board of agriculture, as
viii be seen by careful perusal of the
v.Yy interesting reports of the president
and secretary of that board, to which call
your careful attention.
In order. to assist the farmers in their de-
mands for good roads, the legislature upon
my recommendation passed two acts (P. L.
1891, page $50; P. L. 1892, page 346) author
izing the use of state funds to assist in the
building of these roads and making an ap
l Drnnriotiop Of q M NOT IN aypapn6 S7S 0n0
per annum. There are now three roads il
Middlesex county which have been COM
pleted under the provisions of these acts.
The stats has paid therefor $50, 661 .85, being
One-third of the certified cost OF their con-
struetion.
These are the first roads that have been
constructed in the United States under
acts which provide for state aid for public
highways. / am satisfied that these law
will be found to be of the greatest advan-
tage in the near future to those engaged in
agriculture, and that the farmers of the
state will generally avail themselves of this
legislation.
In addition to the recommendations /
have made in previous messages l earnestly
invoke your attention to the suggestions
made upon this important subject by the
state board of agriculture and the other
representatives of the agricultural inter
ests of the state. There is, in my judg-
ment, no industry which should receive
' greater consideration than agriculture. l
am especially gratified that the state has
taken advanced grounds upon this subject,
and / am satisfied that the legislature in
the future will do everything within its
constitutional powers to make it profitable
to those engaged in it.
In this connection | also call the atten-
ton of the legislature to the report of the
state board of agriculture asking a fur
ther allowance to enable the board to make
q proper agricultural and horticultural ex-
hibit at the Columbian exposition in 1898.
I recommend that a further appropriation
be made so as to enable this board to make
such an exhibit as will be creditable to our
farmers and advantageous to the state.
Attention is called to the advance of the
dairy interests in this state, and the in
crease in dairy products, and the decided
improvement in the raising of dairy cattle.
1t is suggested that those engaged in this
business throughout the state should CO.
: operate for mutual protection and reasona-
BILE profit.
The secretary calls attention to the neces-
sity of legislation to control or suppress the
swill milk factories in some of our large
cities as both injurious to health and an
unfair competition with the wholesome
I products of the farms.
He recommends the passage of a bill SINH
lar to that introduced at the close of the
last session of the legislature for the pur-
pose of securing the annual collection OF
agricultural statistics. He claims that if it
is wise for the state to pay out money for
the collection of statistics for b and
manufacturing industries, there is no reason
why farmers should not have the benefit
and advantage of reliable statistics concern
ing this great industry.
He also calls attention to what was stated
in my previous message-that there is no
state in the Union where farm lands and
improved farms can be purchased at sucb
reasonable prices as in the state of New
Jersey, considering its advantages in ada
cent and profitable markets and the pro
ductiveness and fertility of its soil. He be.
lieves-and Iconcur with him-thata large
additional farming population would be at
tracted here If our advantages of cheap
lands, fertility of soil and extensive and
good markets were properly presented to
those seeking investments.
He refers to the fact hat the attention Of
colonizers and immigrants has been direct
ed to the southern counties of the state,
and the result has been an increase of popu-
lation and productiveness in these localities
which have every assurance in their devel-
opment of permanence and prosperity.
He also states that as a factor capable of
disturbing agriculture the abandoned farm
scare is a myth; that it arose from the fact
that the cultivation of lands for cereals had
ceased to be profitable, and that such lands
are gradually being turned into the pro-
duction of other crops which yield better
revenue to the farmer.
State Weather Service.
The work of the New Jersey weather
service has been the preparation of the reg-
ular monthly and annual meteorological
summaries and the issue of the weekly
weather crop bulletin. The crop bulletin
was issued from May 6 to Sept. 10 and fur
nished to the farming interests throughout
the state that information which is most
useful to them, namely: The effect of cur
rent weather conditions upon the growing
crops and their actual condition from week
to week, from seeding to harvest time, as
reported by seventy-five correspondents.
A permanent organization having been
secured, much valuable climatic data will
be obtained from its corps of ifty-four well
trained meteorological observers. One