The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-06-24
The New Jersey Farmer.

gard to farming conditions IN thht state.
The board of which Mr.. Dye is secre-
tary is State institution, and was
formed about thirteen years ago 10 reg
ulate matters pertaining 10 agriculture.
with the increase of manufacturing
and railroad building in the State.
said the witness, "the number OF farm
laborers has decreased, large number
of men formerly employed on the farms
having entered the new pursuits. The
wages paid to farm labor has increased
during the past thirty years Shortly
after the civil war 500 ayear and board
was paid to laborer now the land
owner il glad to get the same man for
$500 "a year and board. During the
period mentioned the condition of the
farm laborer has greatly improved. and
the witness thought II IL now about as
good as that of men engaged In relative
capacities in other industries
The hours OF the farm worker have
been greatly reduced. and the introduce
tion of labor saving machinery gener-
ally made his task less arduOus The
labor Is more transient than formerly,
and this has a tendency t. lessen the
efficiency OF the individual. The prac-
tice of changing employers Is due more
to the character of the man than TO any
radical change IN farming conditions.
1.-The tendency within the past few
years on the part Of young men and
women reared on farm has been To 20
to the towns aud cities and there seek
employment "
In speaking Of the methods Of pay.
ment IN vogue IN his State, the witness
stated that land owners are more gen
orally coming to the practice Of paying
their employees weekly Houses are fur
nished by the land owDers IN some Sec
tiOns, but the custom Is becoming oh.
solete, and the tenement houses are fall.
ing to pieces owing to the lack OF ten
ants to oil them This Is due more
especially to the rowing character Of the
labOrers Hungatlans, Swedes and
Germans form large proportion Of the
farm laboring class. They are not as
efficient as the native labor or the class
of foreigners which remains III one &C
cupation for any length of time. IL Is
necessary for the farmer 10 teach each
foreigner. and by the time he Is well
instructed he leaves for some other sec.
ton.
There is slight tendency toward
colonization among the agriculturists
Of the State 4 Jewish colony has been
formed at Woodbine. in Cape May
county. and has proven very successful,
although the progress at first was some
what slow.
Farm lands have greatly deprecated
in value. The depreciation has been
due TO the extensive opening up Of The
public lands. the free grants Of public
land 70 railroad companies and the low
rates of transportation from the West
TO the seabOard. The witness stated
that bushel Of wheat can be shipped
from Dakota to New York as cheaply AS
from southern New Jersey. The large
number Of immigrants who have set
tied upon the public lands have titled
the soil to such an extent that the COM
petition among the farmers has been
excessive and has Affected agriculturlsts
IN all parts of the country. Mr.. Dye
thought that New Jersey is beginning
TO recover from the effects Of the siren
GUS competition
The witness suggested that immigra-
ton should be restricted by q property
or money qualification.
He believed that land should be taxed
on a basis Of its earnings or probable
earnings The revenues resulting from
the formation of trusts and combines
under New Jersey laws has not as yet
relieved the farmer in an appreciate
degree from his burden Of taxation. At
the last session Of the Legislature, a
bill was passed turning over TO the
school fund Of each county the surplus
from revenues from the trusts. This
will in a measure relieve the farmer
after short time.
Mr.. Magic took the stand in the at
ternoon at the conclusion Of Mr.. Dyes
testimony. He said in sections near
cities where dairymen could retail their
milk the dairy business was done at a
profit, but if shipped to New York 1t
could not be done without loss. This
business is carried on in New jersey
very extensively, although the develop
ment of the industry has been compar-
atively recent. The West undersold
New Jersey farmers in grain and other
products. and dairying was the only
alternative.
Prices in the dairy business are lower
now than they were ten years ago, and
better milk is demanded. Market gar
deners are turning their attention 10
dairyiug on account Of competition
from the South in truck gardening
The witness thought bottom had been
reached In the hard times In his state
and he looked for an improvement IN
the future.
There was some stock and sheep rails
ing in the State. Butter and cheese
were not manufactured to any great ex
tent The retail price now for milk is
7 cents quart. Last year it was s
cents. The wholesale price for milk
shipped to New York was only cents
a quart.
Mr.. Magie's farm consisted Of POO
acres. He was milking iif,y cows and
was raising a hundred head Of beef
cattle There was some trouble with
tuberculosis among the COWS A good
COW must average seven or eight quarts
Of milk day the year round
The sheep industry in the State had
been hindered By the sporting mems
associations, whose dogs killed the
sheep. 1t was brought out that there
is a combination Of milk dealers in
New York which arbitrarily fixes the
prices Of milk.
There are over 200, OLO milch COWS in
the State
There was a movement started about
year ago to unite the milk producers
in the five States contiguous to New
York in order TO control the price Of
milk. They have already succeeded in
obtaining pledges from large number
Of farmers, but there is a doubt as to
whether the effort will be successful
1t was the opinion of the witness that
the middleman made the greater pr fit
in the milk business in the large cities,
Preacher censured.