 |  | |
 |
|  |
 |  | |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
|
|
Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2002
After the Revolution a period of serious depression was intensified on
New Jersey farms by the ravages of the Hessian fly in the wheat fields.
This was followed by a gradual upward trend in agriculture that reached
fruition in the middle of the nineteenth century. During the next half
century agricultural societies were formed in the several counties. Worn-out soils were restored by the use of marl, lime, and fertilizer, and crop
yields soared.
The horse replaced the ox, and constant improvements in machinery increased the output of the individual farmer. A New Jerseyman, Charles
Newbold of Burlington County, had patented in 1797 the first cast-iron
plow. Newbold is said to have spent $30,000 in perfecting and introducing his plow, but farmers at first refused to use it through fear that it
might poison the soil. Other improved plows were made by Peacock,
Deats and Stevens. New Jerseymen also contributed to the development
of reaping and tillage machinery and the improvement of livestock breeds.
The famous Jersey Red breed of hogs originated in the State.
With the growth of the urban population in adjoining States and the
opening up of the West in the last half of the nineteenth century, general
farming gradually gave way to specialization. The production of field
crops, hogs, and sheep declined as the cultivation of berries, fruits, and
vegetables increased. Dairying became paramount in the north, and the
rich central loam lands were given over largely to Irish potatoes, sweet
potatoes, and tomatoes. By 1900 New Jersey had truly become "The
Garden State."
During the nineteenth century New Jersey dairymen turned from the
production of butter and cheese to the production of milk for the nearby
city markets. A number of world's record cows emerged from the State's
Holstein, Guernsey, and Jersey herds. In 1898 the world-famous Walker-Gordon farm was established at Plainsboro, where in 1930 yeas built the
"Rotolactor," the most advanced of mechanical milking devices. A New
Jersey farm in 1904 produced the first quart of certified milk in America.
The baby chick industry originated in Hunterdon County in 1892. New
Jersey hatcheries now annually distribute millions of baby chicks, and the
State is one of the leaders in commercial egg production. The Jersey Black
Giant breed of poultry, as suggested by the name, was developed within
the State.
Two wild fruits found by the early settlers, the cranberry and the blueberry, were domesticated largely through the intelligent and progressive
efforts of New Jersey farmers. New Jersey now ranks second among the
States in the production of cranberries and first in the production of cultivated blueberries. In the 1820's Seth Boyden developed an improved
variety of strawberry, so large that 15 of them weighed a pound.
|
|
|
Return To |
|
|
