Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-01-03

IN THE ISLE OF JERSEY.
MarveIorsIy Successful Farming by
Peasants ON n Few Acrep Each.

To say that the peasant farmers on
the isle Of Jersey (many of whom can
neither read nor write) are the best and
most scientific farmers in the world
sounds like contradictory statement
a very boastful one, to say the least ]
make the statement on my own ac-
count, for l have never heard it said Of
them, nor do the islanders themselves
set up any such claim They are quite
unconscious Of the fact, as only a very
small portion OF them have ever been
away from home to the extent of cross
ing the channel that separates the is
land from France or England. l call
them the best farmers in the world for
the simple reason that they make their
farms produce more per acre than any
other farmers I ever saw or heard of.
The little island of Jersey is only IA
miles long and four to seven miles
wide. There is. however, a resident
population of $4,000, and that this is
land is able to support its own inhabit-
ants and feed 10000 to $4,000 visitors
annually is something wonderful. But
when l tell you that in addition to this
there is exported from the island year.
ly between 100000 and $4000,000
worth Of farm and garden products no
one will question that these island
farmers deserve the distinction that
have given them.
Early potatoes and cattle are the
principal farm products. The potato
crop alone that was shipped from the
island this year brought S2.175.S55.
There are on the island all told about
$4,000 acres and of course a great deal
of waste land along the coast, so that
there are only about 10000 acres of land
worked Or titled by farmers. There are
1900 farmers, and the average sized
farm, therefore, is about S1a acres.
On an eight acre farm there will be,
say four and a half to five acres Of po-
tatoes Followed by a crop of roots
same season.. an acre or acre and a
half of grass. and on the balance of the
farm oats or meadow, garden and
buildings. The farmers pay from $40
to $75 per acre annual rent. A crop of
800 bushels of early grown potatoes is
considered good one, while a crop of
400 bushels and even more is rot I'M
common. / am afraid to tell the num-
Der Of tons of mangels that are pro-
duced per acre, after the potato crop,
without additional fertilizers.
How is it possible to grow such crops
on such small piece of land, support
such large population and export
over 100000 worth of produce year
~ and at the same time increase the
fertility of the soil? reply by keep
ing a large number of COWS for the
manufacture of fancy butter for the
pocket, horses for the work and barn
yard manure for the land Incredible
as it may seem, on these 10000 acres
there are owned, according TO the last
census, 1881 head of Jerseys. 2,343
head of horses, to say nothing of pigs
and poultry.
The farmers try some commercial
fertilizers and draw tons of seaweed
that is gathered on the sand when the
tide is out, which they spread on their
meadow and grass land, but their prin-
cipal reliance is barnyard and liquid
manure. l doubt if there is farm
on the island without liquid manure
cistern, the contents of which are
pumped into a hogshead on a two
wheeled cart and distributed on the
grass and meadow.
But how can they feed such nuA41--
Der of cattle from so small an Screa o.
of grass land when potatoes ana other
crops occupy about two-tbirdss CT three
.,ftsF,,SfS the farm? With 4,22334 head
az H. oock there is nearly an animal
and half per acre for every acre
farmed. They do it by adopting a
strict soiling system. Only the milk
COWS are allowed to go to pasture, and
these are tethered Beginning at one
end of field, each COW mows her own
swath across it. She is moved on once
or twice day, according to the size of
the meadow, and makes a clean sweep
Of everything within reach of her
tether rope, which is about - feet
long. The growth of grass is some
thing wonderful. The cattle feed across
these fields six or eight times during
a season, and even then portions of the
field will be cut for hay.
All the young things are kept in the
stable and fed on roots. Mangels, ETC.,
are also fed night and morning to the
milk cows that are usually housed dur
ing the night.
Methods while very primitive in some
respects have been handed down from
generation 10 generation and are said
originally to have been the teachings
of pious monks. who were learned men
and particularly fond of agriculture.
which they taught the young men
brought under their influence. While
these pupils were kept ignorant of all
book learning. they profited by the les
sons and experience of their learned
teachers. Necessity has also been a
great teacher for these farmers. How
to feed their increasing numbers and
wants has been problem solved by
keeping the greatest number of cattle,
liberal use Of both barnyard and liquid
manure and by adopting strict sys-
tenn of soiling. concludes the writer of
the foregoing in Ohio Farmer.