The Penn's Grove record., 1922-01-20
GROW MORE
More Grass Means More Horses,
Cows, Hogs and Chickens, All
Grass Eating Animals

GTdSS EdIlHB AHiIndiS
Growing of alfalfa in New Jersey
has greatly increased in the past few
years, the crop being about $4,000
acres last year according to Herbert
r. Cox, of New Brunswick, Secretary
of the New Jersey Alfalfa Associa-
ton, who addressed a meeting in the
Armory, at Trenton last Friday. In
1901 the extent of the alfalfa in New
Jersey was only about 1900 acres.
The Walker Gordon Farms at
Plainsboro, with about $50 acres of
alfalfa, have the distinction of being
the largest producers in the State.
Incidentally, this is one of the largest
acreages of any one farm in the East,
Secretary Cox declared.
Some years ago a man from Kansas
said: "Why do not farmers in New
Jersey grow more alfalfa. Farmers
in Kansas grow rich raising alfalfa"
He was asked: "How deep is your
fertile soil ?" He replied, "Six feet"
The Jersey mar told the Kansan that
Jersey soil was not six inches.
Notwithstanding much of the soil in
New Jersey is sandy, and much more
sandy loan, the farm doctors from the
State Agricultural College are teach
ing farmers that alfalfa can be grown
in New Jersey very successfully, until
there is now $4,000 acres. More
should be grown because it is needed
for dairy COWS. Supplying the people
with fresh milk for their breakfast
table is taking the place of vegetable
farming.
Alfalfa is a ~deep-rooted plant which
needs much lime. Consequently
deeper blowing is needed. To do
deeper blowing farm tractors are
needed. While our territory is cut
up into small truck farms, there is
needed friendly cooperation for i'm
proved machinery.
Large crops of clover were grown
in this region forty and more years
ago. The soil was more virgin and
fertile after being cleared of forests.
After cleaning, large ~spreadings of
lime were made to eat up the tree
roots and make food for clover.
Clover sod made food for corn wheat
and potatoes.
Previous to forty years ago the
abundance of mari in Salem, Glouces-
ter and Cumberland Counties used to
be dug in winter when there was
less employment. The farmers who
spread their fields with this calcareous
substance, consisting largely of lime
and PHOSPHORUS, grew big crops where
they were smaller in previous years.
Some farms were so fortified with
this PHOSPHORUS that good qualities
of clover seed was grown. Threshing
it made employment for labor in win
ter and reward to the farm owners
for their ingenuity as progressive
tillers of the soil.
Forty years ago there were kilns
at Salem, Penns Grove, Courses Land
ing and elsewhere where oyster
shells were burned to make lime which
farmers used profitably. Ceasing to
use lime the grass crops grew less.
Early truck became the speciality,
when stable could be bought
abundantly from Philadelphia and
New York City. The use of the troll
ley and motor truck has stopped MAX
ing horse manure.
Now that early garden vegetables
are grown more cheaply and shipped
earlier from the South the farmers
need to turn more to grazing of cat
tie to furnish fresh milk for the
breakfast table each morning. More
grass is needed. The best is alfalfa.
To grow it there must be deep plow-
.ng and abundance of lime.
Call in the farm doctor, the County
Demonstration of Agriculture. Write
the State Agricultural College, at
New Brunswick, N. j., and you will
De sent pamphlets to tell you all
about it.
The farmer needs to use his mind
.oday more than ever before. Use it
m a tractor with lime and alfalfa.