The Penn's Grove record., 1904-08-05
fiitgrgsting Farm Talk.

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Agriculture, in Woodstown, on the II ult..
Benz. +. Straughn, of P%edricktown, gave a
fine talk on ''How to Ship and Market
Produce" Among other things he said:
All kinds of produce, that is to be mark
eted, should be carefully put up. Unless
this is done, it will not sell. Too many
farmers think only of selling their pro-
| duce, without regard to what they get for
it. We have found it pays best to put up
the produce with care, and make it uni
form all the way through, from top to bot
tom. Some farmers put up anything Tor
market, topping the baskets. Tomatoes
especially must be put up right. The
commission men can turn up a basket OF
potatoes and see what they look like in
the bottom of the basket. With tomatoes
they cannot do this.
In selling, we have come to the conclu-
sion that Philadelphia is the best market
for general produce but it is not a good
market for sweet potatoes. There are pro-
badly 100000 people in Philadelphia who
do not eat sweet potatoes. Cleveland con-
sumes three times as many sweet potatoes
as Philadelphia, and Chicago probably
four times as many as the Quaker City.
Mr.. Straughn was particularly severe
VII uliC IlSll dIlu 0dLle dIIlcllcj 0NCldI
ing that these officials are not needed,
as there are enough laws to protect the
game, and the farmer can look after the
protection OF sufficient game for his own
needs, and that is enough. Instead OF
these Game Wardens we had better have
produce inspectors stationed at every
place from whence produce is shipped,
with power to arrest and put a heavy
fine on all those who seek to ship infer
ior produce.
We hear the plea made to justify the
shipping of inferior produce, that it is
needed for poor people in cities, who
can not afford to buy the better quality.
This is absolutely fallacious. 1t is the
rich who buy the inferior produce, as a
rule, while the poor buy the best.
If we could keep the trash out OF the
market we would find ready sale for all
good produce and at a remunerative
price. Good produce soon gets a name,
and then its stamp will always recon-
mend it, because it will always mean a
good article, and will guarantee a better
price as a rule than that received for the
average put on the market.
He declared that tomatoes for the Phlla-
delphia market ought to be nearly ripe
when picked. Too many farmers pick
the fruit green, so that it Is not nearly so
marketable. Tomatoes, he claimed. will
ripen much quicker on the vine than OFT,
denying the oldtime theory OF picking
tomatoes and placing in the sun to ripen.
On being asked if pumpkins were ever
planted in with watermelons to tougher
the latter for shipment, he declared posi-
lively that they would not mix, but that
citron wonld cross with watermelon.
Joel Borton who made a trip to Eng
land last spring to attend the Friends
conference gave al interesting talk on
what he saw OF farming in England. He
said that England is a beautiful country,
somewhat resembling South Jersey. The
land is very fertile and highly cultivated.
The farms which are from 80 to 800 acres
are all fenced by hedge rows neatly and
closely trimmed. Indian corn is not
raiseu az the season is too short. The
main crops are barley, oats, wheat and
root crops. He saw a great many sheep
and cattle and the horses are very fine.
Manure is used almost exclusively for
fertilizer. 1t is bought at the London
docks for the cost of freight, which is
about 40 cents per 100. A large number
of horses are used in London, there be-
ing no electric cars.
The farm buildings are all brick, built i'll
blocks with the yard paved with tor or
bricks. The grain is put in barracks.
Farm rents are low, from 81 to So an
acre.
One man will probably conduct five or
six farms, with ample help, who occupy
the tenant houses, Prices for produc are
x,oc- cI,iI.- 20 +LNco - +l;C oo,1fr
Milk is a chief product, and sells at
twelve and eighteen pence a gallon. 1t
retails from three to four cents a pint or
six to eight cents a quart. 1t is delivered
in London i'll a little cart, with a good
active horse, and one large can in a cart.
Wages in England in some respects are
as high as in this country. A gardner,
who has to be a skilled workman, receives
perhaps SIS a week. Second class work
men get fourteen to sixteen shillings a
week, while another class do not receive
over eleven shillings a week, with house
rent to be paid out of that, which is a
shilling a week. This rate seems some
thing like the low wages we have heard of
as prevailing there. During harvest they
pay as high as $40 a week, with part pay
in beer or malt. Good help is scarce
there as here. England is a monufactur-
ing and mercantile country, and the peo-
pie work in factories and shops rather
than on the farms.
Mrs. Mary i. Lawrence read an interest
ing paper on "What should be the Ideal
Training of the Young Woman in the
Home"
Mr.. Geo. H. Kirby had a number of
letters read, which he had received from
prominent horticulturists over the State,
in answer to a letter he sent out, asking
for information as to the extent of the
damage done to the fruit crop this sea-
son by birds. Most of the letters contain
a decided expression against the birds,
and declare that the fruit growers should
demand a law allowing them to kill