The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-09-12

~ stone roads are of any partfc-
ular benefit to the farmer.
and whether the increased taxation
resulting from the building of them
does not amount to more than the adj
vantages gained. 4
This question Is more easily an
swered, says the fifth annual report
of the New Jersey Road Commission
er, by citing the practical results in
some sections of the State. Glouces-
ter County and the southern part OF
Camden County are great producers
of watermelons, tomatoes, white and
sweet potatoes and many other varle-
ties Of fruits and vegetables so largely
sold In the city markets.
Before the advent of stone roads the
leading highways not graveled were
almost bed of sand, through which
teams struggled with forty to fifty
baskets of produce to the Philadelphia
market. The roads were so heavy
the farmers were largely forced to
ship by railroad and by boats passing
down the numerous creeks that inter
sect this portion of the country The
expense on the few baskets they were
enabled to carry from the farms to the
city were SO great they found It much
cheaper to send by cur or boat.
Now, since the leading roads have
been macadamized toward the Glou-
cester City ferry, there are from 1000
to 1900 teams a day passing to and
fro on this ferry, where probably from
zoo to 400 was the maximum before.
These teams now carry from 130 to
175 five-eighths bushel baskets of veg
etables and fruits, while before they
only carried from forty to fifty bas-
kets. They are now carting to mar
ket instead of sending by boat, as they
once did, and returning with three and
five ton loads of manure Their rea-
son for so doing is that they effect n
very large saving. Their experience
is that the average basket of fruit or
vegetables sent by boat to Philadel-
phia markets costs from six to eight
cents a basket; the items of expense
by boat are two cents for attendant.
and one and two cents for carting in
city; total, seven to eight cents; then,
IL the commission be added, 1t would
average three to four cents more: to-
tai, eleven to twelve cents. By cart
ing an average load of $50 baskets the
farmer saves by the use of his own
team about $40 day, so If he were to
cart about five days in week there
would be saving of $50 week, less
the ferry expenses of seventy-five
cents day. Another advantage con-
slsts In the produce being landed ut
the commission or consumers door.
thus being in a much better condition
Tor sale than when going through its
dinerent stages of handling to and
from the boat or cars and the rough
usage of carting TO the consignee's
door. Then the farmer by marketing
his own produce very often saves the
commission by being enabled to di-
rectly dispose of 1t to the consumer.
The charge of selling is ten per cent:
on an average load of $50 baskets the
commission would be somewhere in
the neighborhood of &c. This, added
to the $40 saved in transportation,
swells the saving to $18 ON each load.
This calculation seems large. but If
1t were one-half realized 1t shows how
the stone yards benefit the farmers.
The result has been, where the early
opposition of the farmers of Glouces-
Ter County was marked by the send
ing of numerous persons and petitions
to the Legislature to have the stone
road law either abrogated OF the man
damus or forcing clause stricken out,
that applications are being rapidly sub
stituted for the remonstrances, making
1t impossible with the limited appro-
priation to come anywhere near meet
ing their petitions.
Another one of the results is that
the farmers are rapidly buying larger,
heavier wagons with broad tires. and
If the present rate Of increase keeps on
the capacity of each wagon will be
almost equal to that of the small boats
formerly used in this carrying trade.
w.