The Somerset reporter., 1897-05-13
COOPERATION IN FARMING.


Advantages Claimed by Long Island Farm
ers and Gardeners.
The farmers of Long Island are dis
GUESSING more generally than ever before
the advantage of cooperation not only
in matters of legislation, but in the
purchasing of ferti lizers and in the Gull
tivation and care of their vegetables.
grain. small fruits and orchards and in
the harvesting and marketing Of their
crops. In this connection the Brooklyn
Eagle tells that the several farmers
clubs on the island keep well posted on
all matters of legislation and in their
discussions take in not only matters I'M
mediately affecting their calling, but
deal freely with matters Of general tax
alton and all subjects that affect them
as citizens and taxpayers Of the state.
The establishment of the branch state
experiment station at Jamaica was al
most wholly due to the action of the
farmers of Queens county, headed by
John O'Donnell, who labored indefati-
gably for the project. Its benefits have
already been very great to farmers in
all sections of the island. Following
are additional quotations from the same
authority:
The growing prevalence of the San
Jose scale, the pear and apple blight,
the root gall of the peach trees and the
black knot of the plum trees has driven
the fruit growers of Long Island to the
conclusion that fighting these pests
must hereafter be taken into account by
the farmer as part of the regular du-
ties of his vocation. The facts that no
one in California pretends to grow fruit
without the use of insecticides and that
the San Jose scale will soon become as
general pest in the Atlantic as in the
Pacific states make it certain that the
farmers of Long Island will have to
proceed theoretically in the matter of
their destruction.
Many of the farmers do not under
stand the nature and methods of appli-
cation of the various insecticides and
have not the necessary apparatus for
applying the same This has led them
to consider the advantages of co opera
ton and the employment Of profess
sional sprayer to do the work for them.
It is thought that the same man that
would attend the orchards should also
attend to the spraying of the pickle,
melon, squash, potato and other vines.
He should also be able TO render the
farmer much assistance in the protec
ton of his cabbage, caulif1ower and 9th
er crops 1t has for many years been the
custom for the farmers Of ncighbor-
hood to cooperate in the use of potato
and corn planters, grain drills, onion,
carrot and other small seed sewers, of
harvesters, reapers and binders, power
hay presses, power thrashers and other
kinds of machinery.
While many farmers dispose of their
crops of apples and pears while they are
still on the trees, yet they have not real
lied the Importance of having expert
enced men to pick, pack and market
their fruit, securing for their crops the
highest prices possible due to intelligent
handling. 1t is generally conceded that
Long Island apples, pears and peaches,
owing to the nature of the soil OF eli.
mate, or both, are the choicest in flavor
of any fruit III the world. We're they
improved in appearance and size by
spraying the trees and the crop properly
sorted out and packed and then market
ed in such way that they could be
kept distinct from other fruit and deliv
cred under the protection of their own
trademark to the consumer there is
little doubt that the Long Island Or
chardist would find in the long run that
his orchard had come to be many times
as profitable as heretofore and as relia-
BILE n source of revenue as money invest
ed III good market securities.