The times., 1899-06-22
FARMING In NEW JERSEY.
Testimony of Mr.. Magic Before the
Industrial Commission.

Industrial Commission.
The testimony yesterday before the In
dustrial Commission brought out the fact
that the condition of the agricultural
classes in the State of New Jersey is much
better than in Georgia, as set forth by
| the testimony on Tuesday. The farming
lands of the State, however, have de-
Perforated in value very much since the
development of the wheatraising indus
try of the Northwest. Peaches, which have
been until recently a staple crop of that
State, have been made valueless by reason
of the high railroad rates. The principal
industry of the State at the present time
is dairy farming. and over 100000 COWS
are milked in that State every day to sup
ply New York city and other Eastern
markets with milk.
Franklin Dye, of Trenton, Secretary OF
the New Jersey State Board of Agrlcui-
ture, and ]. o. Magic, dairy farmer and
raiser of thoroughbred stock, from Eliza
beth, y. j., both gave testimony before
the Commission yesterday. Representa-
tive Gardiner, who is member OF the
Commission, conducted the investigation
for that body.
Much of the hardship that would natur-
ally be felt by the farmers of New Jersey
by reason of heavy taxation for the sup
port of the State Government, has been OBJ
waited through obtaining State revenues
from other sources. The State has never
parted with her shore lands, and in rent
ing these for dockage purposes obtains
large revenue. The State also has other
sources of revenue through incorporation
| taxes, etc. which make the tax on farm
ing lands very light.
According to Mr.. Dye the number of
farm laborers in the State has greatly de-
creased in the last fifty years, and the
wages for such work have correspondingly
increased. Where a man could be hired
fifty years ago for $3.50 year and his
board, farmers were glad to pay 5000 at
the present time.
THE hours of the farm worker have
been greatly reduced and the introduction
of labor saving machinery generally made
his task less arduous. The labor IS more
transient than formerly and this has.
tendency to lessen the efficiency OF the IN
diyidual The practice of changing en-
ployers is due more to the character OF the
man than to any radical change in farming
conditions.
THE tendency within the past few years
on the part of young men and women
reared on a farm has been TO go to the
towns and cities and there seek employ
ment."
In speaking of the methods of payment
that landowners are more generally COM
ing to the practice of paying their en-
ployes weekly. Houses are furnished Dy
the landowners in some sections, but the
! custom is becoming obsolete and the tene-
ment houses are falling to pieces owing
TO the lack of tenants to fill them. This
is due more especially TO the rowing char
acter of the laborers. Hungarians, Swedes,
and Germans form a large proportion OF
the farm laboring class They are not
as efficient as the native labor or the class
of foreigners which remains in one occu-
patton for any length OF time. 1t is nee
essary tor the farmer TO teach each for
eigner and by the time he is well in
structed he leaves for some other section.
There is a slight tendency toward colo
| niZation among the agriculturists of the
&, State. A Jewish colony has been formed
! at Woodbine, in Cape May county, and has
proven very successful. although the prog
= ress at first was somewhat slow.
= Farm lands in the State have depre-
ciated very much in value so that to-
day there are many farms which can be
= bought by simply paying for the improve
ments on them. Mr.. Dye was of the opin-
. ion that there should be a further re-
= striction of immigration, and suggested a
property qualification. A system of in
forming the farmers of the country OF
the requirements of the world, through
= information from the Department of Ag-
e | riculture, was also recommended by the
] witness as means of greatly benefting
the farmer.
/. Mr. Magic took the stand in the after
e noon at the conclusion of Mr.. Dyes tes-
e timony. He said in sections near cities
G where dairymen could retail their milk
= the dairy business was done at a profit
e but If shipped to New York il could not
: be done without a loss. This business il
r carried on in New Jersey very extensively
: although the development of the indus
try has been comparatively recent. The
e West undersold New Jersey farmers II
n grain and other products, and dairyinl
G was the only alternative.
n Prices in the dairy business are love-
It now than they were ten years ago, anC
: better milk is demanded. Market garden
ers are turning their attention TO dairy
- ing on account OF competition from tn.
South in truck gardening. The witness
thought bottom had been reached in th
hard times in his State, and he looked TO
an improvement in the future
= There was some stock and sheep raisin:
in the State. Butter and cheese were no
manufactured to any great extent TIL
retail price now for milk is cents
quart. Last year it was cents. Th
wholesale price for milk shipped to New
ID York was only cents quart.
r Mr.. Magie's farm consisted of 200 acres
10 He was milking fifty cows and was raisin
hundred head of beef cattle. There wa
w some trouble with tuberculosis among tn
IN COWS. a good COW must average seven o
eight quarts of milk day the year round
The sheep industry in the State had bee
Is hindered by the sporting mems associa
lg tions, whose dogs killed the sheep. II wa
brought out that there is combination G
S, milk dealers in New York which arbitra
he rily fixes the prices OF milk
~ There are over 100000 mich cows
ns the State.
There was a movement started abor
~ a year ago to unite the milk producers
u the five States contiguous TO New York /
IN order to control the price of milk. The
have already succeeded In obtainin
es pledges from large number of farmer
be but there is doubt as TO whether the e
he fort will be successful.
II was the opinion of the witness thu
I'M the middlemau made the greater prot
he in the milk business in the large citie
Testimony will be given today by J.
lal Aver, Master of the Maryland Sta
er Grange. of Hyattsville, Md, and L.
~ Youmans, of Allendale, S. C.
ed
Circuit Court Jurors Discharged.
%, The jurors attending in Circuit Court No.
Chief Justice Bingham presiding, yeste
day discharged. There will be more tria