1170 Kew York State Agkicultukal Society 



up of the territory in the iieig'hborhood of the City of Xew York, 

 inchuliiig such towus as White Phiiiis, Kye and Port Chester on 

 the Sound ; and Tarrytown and Ossining- on the Ilndson. I sub- 

 mit, however, that there is something abnonnal in a situation in 

 which the population increases, while at the same time, the agri- 

 cultural production of the county decreases; for the increase in 

 population has taken place largely in the organized communities 

 of the county. One would have been apt to say, therefore, that 

 the increase in the number of consumers, right at the doors of 

 the farmer, would have bettered his market and have increased 

 production. Exactly the contrary has happened. The AYestches- 

 ter County farmer has lost the market he used to have, and the 

 Westchester County communities get most of their vegetables and 

 other supplies from the City of Xew York, precisely as though 

 they were a part of the city itself. 



There are some who say that the reason why farming cannot be 

 profitably conducted there is because land has increased so much 

 in value that the farmer cannot afford to cultivate it, and can bet- 

 ter afford to sell it. Within limits, this may be true. That is to 

 say, it would doubtless be hard for a farmer with small capital, 

 to earn on manv Westchester farms as much as he can realize 

 from them by selling the property to city people for counti'y homes. 

 But this generalization is true only in part ; for every farmer is 

 not able to sell his land, and until he does sell it he ought to be 

 able to use it profitably. Perhaps he does, in one way or another; 

 for I am always impressed by the well-to-do appearance of the 

 farm houses in all parts of northern Westchester through which 

 I drive. The productivity of the farms, on the other hand, is 

 very small; and, under proper conditions, it ought to be very 

 laro-e. It is intolerable to believe that the mere neiohborhood of 

 the City of i^ew York can permanently take 340 square miles of 

 land out of the productive area of the state. 



This is the problem that has been borne in upon me since I have 

 been farming in Westchester County. I have repeatedly asked 

 myself the questions, " Why is it that agricultural land, so near to 

 a great population, is not profitably cultivated; and why is it 

 that this population is fed from Virginia instead of being fed by 



