Milford chronicle., 1913-08-15
FROM OUR KEIGHBORS.

A veteran Delawarean, who has
I achieved marked success as a farmer,
/ stated recently that he had learned more
/ from his neighbOrs than from any other
! source. He acknowledge his indebted
I ness to books and to bulletins, to expert
ment stations and to farmers institutes,
but the example of good farmers was
always before him. With something like
/ this in mind, o. A. Newton and n. L.
Grub. members of the State Board of
Agriculture. visited New Jersey to learn
from their neighbOrss across the river
whatever might appear to be useful to
Delaware farmers.
Crossing from Wilmington to Penns-
grove and going in a southeasterly di-
rection. the land appears to be fairly
fertile and productive and many veg
etables. such as early potatoes, cabbage.
onions, and tomatoes, were going to
market. Tomatoes especially were be-
ing harvested. Some of them were picked
green showing that they We're intended
for distant markets. Ii was noted all
along the way that sometimes a fertile.
well titled, productive farm was along
side a neglected, idle farm. The same
thing occurs in Delaware, Side bv side /
90 E-fNA "a tAA9 anu tibkAs @NJA 4 al ll4EA
and poor farmers. good crops and Door.
Why? The land is the same-the man 1
Is different. One may be handicapped I
by lack of capital. but in most cases the
handicap is in the man hinseif-his lack
OF industry, skill and ability to devote
himself 10 mis- business. The lesson is
not new; it is not confined to Delaware
nor to New Jersey. 1t is in all ciimes.
all raanraia 5- all 8 {
endeavOr. We need better men. Ii is
the duty Of the State to make conditions
suitable to the production of better men. /
Every poor farm is financial detriment I
TO the State. Every thrifty. honest.
Intelligent farmer is a valuable asset TO II
ne State and the Nation. The State
ought to help its poor farmers to become (
good farmers. The task is not simple
lor easy. 1t should. however. be under
AIKEN. The slow, dull pupil in school is
ne difficult pupil; but the school is for {
ne SLOW ana duil as well as for the quick
ma the brilliant. Here IS a nation wide ,
'roolem raise the efficiency of the s
leInclent man-to raise the efficiency /
# every man.
The great lesson Of the trip centers t
round soil management, business meth
ds IN farming. drainage where the land /
wet, good ulage, filing the soil with r
egetaoie matter by the use Of legumes G
'nlcn also draws fertility from the air. [
nd using commercial manures literally Z
nd intelIgently. :
Southern New Jersey has recently ex- il
a notable development in grow s
lg white potatoes and other vegetables. 4
apple and peach orchards and other h
rults, IN poultry. and in the comfort. b
)nvenlence and beauty of the country h
ONES. Chemicals and clover. intensive ;
iethods, careful guarding against dis Q
ases and pests, cooperative marketing 8
I'll the story. The farmers who have e.
)HoWed these methods intelligently have q
ade money. Southern New Jersey has c
arren sand, but not so barren but that A
llage. humus, legumes and chemicals 81
ay easily and readily make them fertile 5,
Id profitable. 1t is true that there are q
nds IN the world that are naturally more ii
rtlle than these sandy lands Ia south In
n New Jersey there are spots of ab- tE
luteiy barren sand and right alongside bi
those spots are farms made from the Sc
me barren sand that are producing in
e most luXurlant crops at a great pro- dc
4. These farms were not made fertile ar
d minute, ana lney were not made
rtile expect by the inves tment of CAPT =
and labor in them. Of course it
)uld be folly for any one to pay as much n
r the barren sand as he would paw for
e fertile. productive farm alongside
but there is really no excuse for the
nd remaining barren for it will amply
pay the sum required for its purchase
d the larger sum required for its i'm
)vement.
A night and the following forenoon
re spent at Vineland Fifty years
o Vineland was little but a stretch
sandy waste; now it is a town of
arly l0,o00 people. Along the busi-
IS street, which is wide. houses and
res are crowded close together, but
side of this street houses are scattered
n standing in the midst of a little
- d