Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-12-07
Extracts from the Report of the
Secretary of the State Board
of Agriculture.

/ secretary
of Agriculture.
DOLLAR WHEAT WOULD MEAN AN INCREASED Al
NUAL INC ME OF 81. OOO,O 900 TO JERSEY FARMEFs-
AeRIcUITuRIsTs HAVE NOT YET FELT THE ''Mc
KINLEY PROSPERITY BOOM
The report of Secretary Franklin Dye of tn
State Board of Agriculture is now in the hand
of the State Printing Board. According to th
Secretary, the farmers of the State are improY
ing In the knowls dge of their diversified inter
ests. but they have not reaped any especia
benefit from the unusually prosperous condition
that have supposedly been prevailing during
the past year. He says the farmers institutes
/ have teen arranged for this Fall and the repor
says that an increase of $1,000 in the annua
appropriation would enable the board to ar
range fifty meetings three in each of the larger
counties, and two in the smaller ones The
annual meeting of the State Board of Agricul
ture held at the State House in January, the
report says, is becoming more popular each
year.
There are in New Jersey, according to the re-
port. over 200 900 dairy cattle, and the dairy
business is becoming more and more special
branch of agriculture. AS 20 the product OF the
da iries it is impossible TO more than guess at its
volume. the Secretsry says.
.It would be a highly valuable contribution
says Mr.. Dye. "to our knowledge of the resour-
ces and annual earnings of our farm, market
gardens, green house crops, orchards, dairy
cows poultry, ETC., could we give from correct
itemized returns each statement I earnestly
hope the Legislature will give the State Board
of Agriculture authority to collect, through the
assessors, such information annually, the re-
turns to be tabulated by this Office and presented
TO the Governor and Legislature
Continuing. the report says: mo State has
greater diversity of products than New Jersey.
Climatic conditions that are favorable to some
of these may not be to Others so that it is rarely
possible to report equal prosperity to all In any
single year The year 1899 has not given our
farmers that degree of increased prosperity or
profits from their work that! other industries
seem to be favored with. and for the reason
chiefly that farm products have not advanced
in price in proportionate ratio to the advance
in others. Such products as milk and butter
have not advanced in proportionito the price of
beef, and the necessary advance in mich COWS
owing to their scarcity. Other food products,
such as eggs and poultry, have not increased in
price in proportion to the price of meats. Wheat
is also slow in leaving the low prices received
prior to 1897. Dollar wheat means an addition
to the wheat growers income in New Jersey
over that Of the present to the amount of ST.
600 600
Early fruits were SO low in price as to
scarcely pay for gathering and marketing. The
Winter varieties yield profit. The severe and
widespread drought of early Summer reduced
the hay crop to forty per cent. of a good yield
and potatoes to about fifty per cent The loss 10
the farmers Of New Jersey on these two crops
alone will exceed $2,0OO,OOO
Referring to the work of the tuberculosis
Commission. the Secretary says that inyestlga-
tions for the eradication of tuberculosis have
been carried on under the law and as far as the
approp iation would allow. The law does not
permit the commission to make examinations
unless requested to do so by the State Board of
Health. the State Dairy Commissioner or the
owner Of cattle supposed TO be affected. This
restriction says the report, prevents a uni
form and general inspection. More than half
the appropria ton is expended in the examine
ton of small herds, frequently from one to six
or seven in number, while commercial diaries
from which milk is sold are not all examined. 1t
is thought by some that the chief purpose of the
law was intended to cover. or should do so, all
commercial diaries. thus guaranteeing to pur-
chasers of mils supply from cows regularly
inspected. The appropriation of $500 for the
year ending October 3ist was practically ex
pended by June. Applications received since
that date and prior to November LIST were placed
on file.
In speaking of the law of last winter, intended
to prevent the Importation of infected cattle in
to New Jersey, Mr.. Dye says that importers and
transportation companies seem disposed to com
ply with its requirements and to cooperate with
the commission to make it effective. While at
first the law may seem to cause some incon-
venienee, those in position to know believe it
will work good results to the dairy interests and
help the farmers in the way of procuring fewer
cows affected with the disease it is intended to
guard against
The report says that the farmers generally of
New Jersey during the past year have made
comfortable living profit for themselves and
families. To the question sent out by the Secre-
tary of the State Board of Agriculture: HAS
the past year been more or less prosperous than
1898 for the farmer ?" the answers are about
equally divided. Should the profits in other in
dustries continue, Mr.. Dye says the farmers
profits will undoubtedly increase next year.