Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-05-03
A KICK FROM
THE FARMERS.


Under the above eaptian the Newark
Nez0s replies to a criticism Of the legislature
for appfopriating ss5o,OOO to exterminats
mosquitos, and not dollar to help she
farmer rid bis orchards Of San Jose Scale.
There is a wide difference says the
Meas, between the two propositions, and
there is neither unfairness nor injustice in
what the state is doing in the way Of ex
terminating mosquitoes In the first place
it is quite possible for any man to rid his
own trees Of the San jose Scale, or check il,
keep them comparatively free from it and
get paid for his energy in the good, hard
cash he is certain to receive for his fruit;
but nobody can of his own unassisted
energy free his place Of mosquitoes. With
the farmer it is a question Of fruit; with
people in the mosquito districts il is
question Of malaria and all the diseases that
follow in its train The State is at last
taking up the more important Of the two.
Further than this, when the mosquito
breedings are all drained and the mosquito
law fully enforced there will be no need
of doing the work over again. Il will be
a permanent investment; nothing will be
required but to keep the draining system
in order. For this the State does not pay
all. but compels towns and cities to help,
and the benefit is enjoyed by all the farmers
within the mosquito-infested distict. The
total population thus relieved from the
dangers Of malarial diseases is much greater
than the number of very worthy farmers
who possess fruit trees infested with San
Jose scale.
ssAnd again the State is now, and for
years past has been, spending large sums Of
Of money for the benefit and protection Of
the farmers, and nobody can reasonably
complain that it is not money well spent.
In the appropriation and incidental bills
lust passed are ten or a dozen different
items, aggregating something like $120, 900
all for the benefit Of the farmers in a single
year These include Sc, 600 to prevent the
introduction and spread Of the San Jose
scale and other injurious insects, $24, 600
for special course in agriculture at Rutgers,
$4,000 for the Agricultural Experiment
station, 81 500 for farmers bulletins, S360eq
for analyzing commercial feed stuffs; nearly
$50, coo for the State Agricultural College
and Others of like nature.
The State entomologist, who now has
charge of the mosquito fund, is primarily
employed in studying insects injurious to
farm crops and fruit trees and the State
Board OF Health deyotes much time and
money to farm interests. Vastly more is
spent every year for just these purposes
than has been OF is likely to be spent in any
single year in exterminating mosquitoes.
The State points out the way, after making
costly experiments, by which each farmer
can fully protect himself Yet there are
farmers who would have their potato bugs
fed with paris green, their hogs cured Of
cholera, their cattle protected from tuber-
culosis, their peach trees cured OF yellows.
their pear trees protected from blight and
their neglected fruit trees sprayed with
lime, sulphur and salt at the States ex-
pense.
AS has already been said, no reasonable
citizen will begrudge any Of the expense
the State has incurred in the interests OF
agriculture and farmers. It is money well
spent, and the farmers, as a class, richly
deserve all they thus get. But there is no
ground whatever for kick because the
State is trying to do.for the largest proport-
ion Of its citizens and taxpayers what they
cannot do for themselves, viz, rid them OF
a tiisease-bearlng pest. The State has been
doing for the farmers for thirty years, more
or less, and now turn about is only FAIR
play