New-York tribune., 1907-11-05
NEW YORK,s AGRICULTURE.

1t is seldom that any benevolently disposed
convention more clearly gains the experience Of
being. in familiar phrase, "agreeably disap-
pointed" than did the recent gathering at Syra-
cuse which was called together by the Chamber
of Commerce of that city 10 discuss the cOndi-
tlons of agriculture in tle State Of New York.
The impression had widely prevailed upon
grounds which seemed at least plausible that
agriculture in the State Of New York in
Il decadent condition, and that some pretty Wig
Orous measures. probably involving extraneous
assistance were needed to save 1t from further
decline and TO restore II TO prosperity. There
had been alarming reports of abandoned
farms" of ominOus decrease in the number of
farms. in titled acreage and in values Of farms
and products and 1t was suggested that almost
the only hope OF the state lay in the importation
of multitudes of European peasants to restock
the land which native New Workers. were desert
ing and 10 which they could not be induced 10
return.
Amid such gloomy imaEInngs the fine address
Of the director OF the New York State Expert
ment Station at Geneva, DR.. Jordan. must have
come like q vertable sunburst, not merely ~
hope but Of positive reinsurance. For he showed
by indsputable figures from the official record
that in all those respects which were supposed
to be so ominous New York was not nearly so
badly off as other agricultural states which had
been contrasted with this one as examples OF
prosperity which New York would do we'll to
initiate if It could. If the decreases in farm
values in number of farms, IN rural population
and In the proportion of farms worked by their
owners indicated decadence then Ohio Illinois.
Iowa, Texas and Kansas were on the down
grade, too some of them much more than New
York.
But the fact is, as DR.. Jordan went on with
irresistible logic to demonstrate, that of the
conditions complained of those which exist are
not miSchievous and those which would be mis-
chievOus do not exist The abandoned farms
are chiefly fgments of imagination. The ap-
parent decrease in titled acreage largely indI-
Gates that salutary increase in forest area which
has long been urged. On the other hand, in
some important branches OF agriculture New
York is making steady, substantial and rapid
gains. 1t may be cause for surprise TO some
who think of the West as supreme in agri-
culture, but it is n fact that New York at the
last census surpassed every other state in value
of dairy products, of vegetables and of flowers
and plants that it surpassed by only one
other in value Of fruit, and that In total value Of
farm property and products it stood fourth.
being surpassed by only Illinois, Iowa and Ohio.
Surely the state which holds such rank can
scarcely he regarded object of commisera-
tiOn despair.
Nor will 1t escape notice that the agriculture
Of New York is of distinctly higher type than
that of the few states which surpass it in any
respect. Darying and the raising OF fruits,
vegetables, flowers and plants require more eX-
pert ability than the raising of corn. wheat and
cattle Dr. Jordan computed that 500 per cent
Of New York agriculture belonged 10 the expert
class, as against only from 14.7 to 1871 per cent
in such states az Illinois Indiana and Iowa.
The net conclusion is, therefore that Instead of
being decadent New YOrk's agriculture is de
cidedly in the ascendant. SO II came to pass
that the convention which met to lament the
decline of a great industry and to take counsel
for It's salvation and rehabilitation was treated
to a most gratifying exposition of that indus
try's prosperity and progress.