The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-10-04

Like Gaul, which Caesar tells us was
divided into three parts, so the great
Barnegat fiat OF Ocean county, N. ~
segregates its remarkable hay industry
into fresh hay, salt hay and sedge,
or three square" island grass. Incl
dental to and forming a large part OF
the whole are the twin industries Of
marine weed and peat moss gathering.
The hay" under water, which man
cannot NOW, the tides cut down and
sweep ashore in form of marine moss
or weeds, Fostering the angler but en-
riching the farmer. On land where
cedar swamp forests prevent the
growth Of hay, vasts crops Of peat, or
sphagnum MOSES thrive to take it's
place in commerce. Holland, with It's
dikes, artificial canals and hay areas
is not more picturesque than this I'M
mense fiat of varied hays and MOSES,
above and under water, with miles OF
inland estuaries aiding to get out the
product. AS in Holland, SO here, sail,
motor and barge form adiuncts OF
moving machines, scythes and ricks.
Ultimately these products would reach
New York, Philadelphia, Trenton New
ark-the contiguous clties-by water
instead OF by rail, but New Jersey has
never spent dollar to improve Barne-
gat Bay and its inlet, nor has it asked
or received a dollar from congress
within the memory of man. Unmo-
Tested lands and sandbars have rap
idly arisen in the bay; old channels
have filled, so that nowhere has town
OF individual had courage to erect a
wharf except for catboats. Former
large productive Industries of oysters,
clans and fisheries have shrunk in
consequence, There is, however, the
compensation that as the bay goes to
ruin as such new grass and moss
areas arise and increase the produc-
tiyeness OF the farms.
The Barnegat flat extends the en-
tire length Of Ocean county on the
east side, and covers an area Of per
haps three hundred square miles of
land and water, This great produc-
tive region is some thirty-odd miles in
length and ten miles and upward in
width. The railways, with much Wis
dom, we're laid along the extreme west
ern border of the fiat, touching at the
heads Of barge navigation of the many
short fresh water streams, where all
the products of land and water can be
set on their cars from small boats or
by means Of short land hauls. The
Jersey Central, from Lakewood to
Barnegat, and the Pennsylvania, from
Barnegat to Tuckerton, with branch
es to Beach Haven and Barnegat City,
securely inclose the fiat and tap its i'm
mense land and marine industries.
West OF these lines Ocean county is
dead ancient ocean sand bottom
covered with pines, mostly Of the
scrub sort, productive of little but poor
lumber and charcoal.
took camera and pencil and went
out among producers and handlers
along the entire Barnegat fiat. Some
hays, dried grasses and MOSES, it
are used in the great packing indus
tries, mattress making, etc. Salt hay
and sedge grasses are used in packing
bottles. Pea moss goes to pack live
trees and shrubs for shipment from
nursery to customer Marine MOSES
and weeds are taken by crockery pack.
ers and mattress makers Fresh hay,
commanding SIS a ton delivered at
railway stations, of course, is too eX-
pensive for packers, as it retails at
S25 a ton in the cities, where the mer-
chants have to add to first cost the
transportation and carting charges
insurance and storage rents Salt
hay and sedge grass are also used for
bedding. Salt hay is fed alternately
to horses, especially by liverymen, sup
plemented by oats, the animals lik-
ing the taste Of it at intervals. Salt
hay and sedge grass bring IS a ton
at the railway stations, and retail in
New York and Philadelphia at SIS a
ton. The black sedge is called three
square" on account of its shape, and
at one stage is heavy with seed and
nutritious, when stock take it greedily
In 1906 New Jersey produced 6S6,7S7
tons Of hay, Of which Ocean county is
said by its shippers to have sent away
over $4,000 tons of all classes, besides
what it consumed, making it the ban,
ner hay county of the state This
statement has some verifcation The
Jersey Central agent at Barnegat told
me that in 1906 he sent out 1900
cars of 10 tons each, or $4,000 tons Oh
eight to ten bales to the ton and OF
100 to $50 pounds to the bale. A