The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-08
PRESIDENT BAlRD's ADDRESS
BEFORE THE MONMOUTH COUNTY
BOARD OF AGRIcULTURE.

BEFORE THE MONMOUTH COUNTY
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
The following interesting address
Of Mr.. James H. Baird. of Marlboro.
before the Monmouth County Board
of agriculture. was crowded out of
our last issue:
Members OF the county Board and Friends;
Tsee that the committee in charge,
have on the programme for the after
noon. the same old wording; Address
by tthe President. Well, l guess |
viii have to fall in line and do what !
calI: but as | about exhausted my
speaking powers last year, you viii
get very little from Inc that will pay
ven for the time spent listening 70
what ! may say.
Our meetings during the past year
have not been as well attended as we
,rof5Id like them 10 have been; but
on two occasions, there were other
attractions in town the same day and
t}1at probably took some away who
would have been with us.
Nov the principal object OF these
meetings is that we may all profit by
the experience as well as by the
knowledge that some one else has
gathered without taking life time to
arrive at the same conclusions that
of1r fathers did about the time they
had to change this life for another
On the other hand, there are some
among us who are so wise that they
are about ready to announce to the
nublic that there is no use OF them
attending these meetings as they
know more about farming now than
those who do attend. Now we do not
DISPUTE this assertion. bat have some
very good reasons to doubt 1t as we
have only to draw some comparisons
and come to the very just conclusion
thai two heads are better than one.
II thew are ouly cabbage heads.
The wear about to close has on the
whole. been one full of perplexities
for the farmers. The season started
ont with heavier bills of expense than
usual: especially SO to the potato
grower as seed was very high and
fhis was followed by hard planting
season. too wet for most farms, so the
stand was poor--poor stand means
paor crops at the best, and poor
crops we had, not over fifty-fiye per
cent of crop.
No potatoes, no money, is hoInely
saving but true one to Monmouth
County farmer The hay crop was
GOOD. auality the best, but prices very
low, 50 not much money there
Fruit. such as apples, pears, peaches
etc, light crop; small fruits ali rlgnt
as to crops but all wrong as to prices;
We cannot help but feel poor, put 1
hope not discouraged, so we VIII not
cease to do our best the coming year;
We have had someanew, or at ieast
to us new things shown the past year;
onesin particular, is, that quailty ~
of some account in selling our pro
duce; lust at the present time there
Eis thirty-tive to fifty cents diHerence
an the net price of potatoes, quality
the cause. Wheat and rye. from
three to ten cents per bushel, quality
the cause again. How |; would
emphasize this fact. that quality
counts. -
/ find there is disposition on the
part az some farmers, to be careless
In putting up there crops for market.
DO not allow yourselves to do this; II
YOU do not care for yourself or family
have some compassion on your neigh
bors. for the quality OF produce COM
ing from a section, affects the prices
OF all, from there, more or less.
In going about the County l hnd
some sections are improving in al
most every respect, better roads, less
fencing but Kept in good repair,
bitches kept in order, and buildings
In good repair; while others loon
about as thev have for the lasttwenty-
i've or thirty years; and in Others
there Is something wrong, it looks to
me as if the location of these proper
ties had something to do with 1t; dis
tance from railroad station, poor
roads etc.
not be afraid of good roads, see that
you give liberal appropriations for
roads; and then see that you get a
dollars worth OF work for a dollar and
it will be good investment. GOOD
roads means comfort in going IRON
place to place, time saved, repair blils
less. longer service for your teams;
and if you want to sell, more chances
to do SO, al better figures