Newark post., 1911-10-25


of the eastern cities are steadily in
creas.ng. The people live more luxur-
iously every year. and the man who is in
a position to cater to this luxuriousness
is usually sure of this sure of his in
come. The peninsula farmer is in ane
oes. position to supply these markets
a.th The mosI delicate and peri5hable
products, for, in point Of transpor. .ation,
he extreme lower end of Delaware Is
nearer to New York City than half the
state of New York
This region has always been and al
ways will be primarily agricultural.
Other indus cries are there, and very rich
ones TOO, but the country was so evil
IDENTIFY laid out for tillers of the soil
that it would be unnatural to struggle
for supremacy in lines of endeavor,
where others have an equal chance, when
nature has given the peninsula such
handicap in the fields of agriculture.
After alluding to the general excel
, lence OF the soil and the climate, the
publication describes the experimental
farm OF the company in Sussex county,
this State, and says
After spending some time in search
ing for land located not too inaccessibly
ior visitors, but which should lie incon-
iestaDly as poor as any On the peninsula,
me company purchased in January, 1910,
| ABOUT forty-three acres near the little
station OF Bacon, Delaware. If any one
mas doubts as to the railroads sincerity
in looking for the worst land to be
found, he has only to ta.n to the natives
OF that region. They were at first ra-
ther doubtful OF the project, and many
or them who have not seen what has
oeen done ale sill skepti.al as to the
| possibility of making that particular
piece OF land pay for itself; they all
agree, however, that they thought il
:, orthles3.
The railroad officials themselves were
some what frightened when uhey saw the
tangled waste they had undertaken 10
redeem. IL was with some inqueti,ude
that they asked the farmer whom they
nad secured for this purpose if he could
really make the proposition go. In spite
OF the rank growth of sassafras, swee.-
or-er and weeds, with which the former
owners had let this land become over
run, the agriculturist saw the inherent
va-ue Of the soil and undertook the task
'tStraightway the work ot clearing
.
ed roots and a few stumps torn out, the
"ood VAS burned and the ash lei, upon
| the iaAd. AS soon as possible the ground
was broken and cover crops put in. Only
twelve acres were dressed with manure,
and not more than ten IONS were useu
/ TO the acre. For the rest the only fer
tili .er used was the green stuff tina. was
p.oughed under. For this soy beans
. ere found to be one OF the best renoya-
tors. They are good fer the stock and
are a-so used for making oil. During
tie first summer the whole farm was
Nept green with each crops of clover,
rye and cow peas.
The start, of course, was late, and
yet during that first season thir,y-six
varieties OF vegetables were raised, and
all az profit; orchards were started OF
apples, pears, rlums, peaches, ounces
and cherries. These young trees now
lcok as 1ne and healthy as any chat can
Ie found in the land. Quantities OF small
fruits, including raspberries, blackber.
jrlest strawberries, dewberries, goose
-2Iries, currants and grapes We're put in
!, and all did nicely. An old peach or.
chard was renovated by careful spray
ing and trimming, and is now in
} fourishing condition. 1t was not allow
ed to bear this year, but next year, ac
cording to present indications, the frs
crop taken from it in long time will bt
!, harvested.
, 1T must be remembered that the pri
mary object OF the demonstration farm
has not been to make money. AS it
name implies, it's aim is TO demonstrat
w hot ha
t penineula. Naturally it would not b
economical for a farmer to raise thirty
: six varieties of vegetables, 20 say moth
ing OF fruits and berries. on rhIrtylUd
: acres, as is being done at this station.
yet some remarkable profits wer
Y taken from the farm in the first year, i
spite of this and of the fact that it ha
t been weakened by poor handling fC
i over five years, and that it had lost it
a fertility long before. With a small ap
= plication of stable manure and 500 lbs
J., of lime, corn was raised at the rate c
d fortyseven bushels an acre. This is nc
e much when we know that a neighborin
5, farm yielded 125 bushels to the acre, br
= the latter only shows what the forSae
e can be made to bear.
y Lima beans yielded net profit {
e the rate of $147.61 to the acre, cucun
a bers, $104 watermelons $52, muskmelo
s42, radshes S42.70, leeks, SAL, onio1
: $40.37 and sweet potatoes $4O.50 per acr
d Nearly everything planted added som
s. thing to the farms income, but the be
l. money makers were those mentione
lie There were perhaps dozen more whi'
i'd brought over thirty dollars to the ac
h in the first year, and this means the r
in turns will probably be doubled.
Mt "All last winter the farm was cover,
In with crimson clover, rye and hary-vetc
o! Manure in small quantities was appli
a. to about twelve acres. Up to July
st 1911, three crops had already been ha
vested from some acres-radishes, c
he cumbers and lettuce. Besides the'
lie crops of leeks, onions, tomatoes. ras
II, berries, strawberries, asparagus, bee
nd wax-beans, rhubarb and white potato
Ill were sold at good prices.
tn Coming along with excellent promi
r. were sugar corn late tomatoes lii