220 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



I think those who have been most skeptical about the "\Vest 

 Jersey soil, Avould have ])ecn convinced that it is not barren, by 

 witnessing the late exhibition of agricultural products at Yine- 

 land. Its productiveness has astonished everybodj", and the 

 prospects of the n.ew settlers there are certainly flattering. I 

 wish Solon Robinson could have been present on that occasion, 

 for he has been the w^orst abused man for what he has written of 

 the fertility of wdiat his abusers have been pleased to call "the 

 barren sands of AVest Jersey." He and they if they had been 

 i)resent at that show, w^ould have had the most tangible evidence 

 before their eyes, that his statements were all trne. It is true that 

 the soil is sand}^ but it must now be acknowledged that it is won- 

 derfully productive. 



Mr. R. G. Pardee — There are 100,000 acres of similar land along 

 the Raritan Bay railway within a few hours of New York, which 

 can be bought for ten to twenty dollars an acre, and this land is 

 near the Squankum marl pits, the great source of the fertility of 

 those sandy regions, and also half way between the great markets 

 of New York and Philadelphia. Solon Robinson said gentlemen 

 need not go to Jersey to see wonderful products of sandy soil and 

 marl; they are now on exhibition in the next room, and excel all 

 others in size of pears and in several other particulars. Indian 

 corn grown upon, those "barren santls " takes the prize, competing 

 with several very excellent specimens. In fruits, Mr. Ellis takes 

 five prizes for his Vineland products — the fruits of that region of 

 country, about which I have written a good deal, and been a good 

 deal abused for Avhat I have written, by people wdio had pre- 

 judged the land as barren, because it was sandy, without stopping 

 for a moment to inquire what might be mixed wnth it that w^ould 

 make it productive of food crops. I remember very well when 

 the Tribune published my first letter five years ago, how it and 

 the writer were denounced as having been " bought up " to recom- 

 mend that "barren desert," Avhich is noAv known as Yineland. 

 Then I believe there were three families, exclusive of the semi- 

 civilized coal burners; now there are, Mr. Quiim says, over 9,000 

 people, and the products of the soil excel those of regions hitherto 

 considered the very best; and they come here and win golden 

 prizes and golden words from our l)est fruit growers around New 

 York. 



