REPORT ON FORESTS. 289 



Jersey is past. Owing to its nearness to excellent markets, 

 general farming is being replaced by a more intensive form of 

 agriculture, and old-fashioned crops are being replaced by 

 specialties. 



Hundreds of uneducated emigrants have invaded the Pines, 

 owing to the cheapness of the soil and proximity to large cities. 

 Few of these have brought with them European forestry ideas, 

 and many of the most disastrous fires are those which they care- 

 lessly set in clearing their farms. Throughout this region there 

 are German, Italian, Russian and other foreign colonies. By 

 thrift and frugality many of these have produced fruitful farms 

 on soil that was formerly waste-land, indeed it is claimed that 

 owing to the warmth of this silicious soil, the fruits are earlier 

 and sweeter.* It may be easily worked with one horse and few 

 implements at any time when not frozen, and when abundantly 

 fertilized and watered produces a superior grade of fruits and 

 vegetables. 



What the small farmers have already accomplished in this 

 region demonstrates, without a doubt, that there are many latent 

 possibilities in the pine-lands of New Jersey. Owing to the 

 development of rapid transit and the cheapening of transporta- 

 tion rates, a migration from the cities into the neighboring 

 country has begun. A large proportion of cultivatable land, 

 therefore, is destined to be cleared and farmed, and to these 

 prospective farmers I would suggest a "forest farm." 



Suppose a person possesses one hundred acres of woodland, 

 out of which he wishes to make a combination forest and farm. 

 The first step is to clear a fire-lane around the whole of it, at 

 least two hundred feet in width. This lane should constitute 

 the cultivated portion of the farm. On this no inflammable 

 crop should be planted. 



Even the sandiest, driest land, when fertilized with the 

 quickly disintegrating pine-chats, produces a fine grade of sweet- 

 potatoes, which are richer than the white-potato, and together 



* It is very difficult to say just what lands are unfit for cultivation. Good agricultural soil may often 

 be unfit for trees and vice versa Even the " Plains " of New Jersey would, if properly treated, produce 

 choice grades of grapes, berries and sweet potatoes, and perhaps other fruits. In North Jersey the 

 choicest peaches are produced on what is apparently the roughest and most inhospitable soil. Many 

 Italians have thrifty fruit-farms on extremely sandy soil in the southern part of the State. A large per 

 centage of the best land in Southern New Jersey is still in forest. In fact, in early times the land easiest 

 to clear was cleared first regardless of the quality of the soil, and many of our finest farms were once 

 true waste-lands. 



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