Railroad is the only railroad in the United States which has retained its original name and charter 

 unchanged. Long Island, settled in 1640 both from England and New England, the particularly 

 favorable climate backing up the fertile and tractable soil, soon brought settlers from neighboring 

 states as well as across the water. The east end built up speedily and settlements first trended west 

 along the thrifty tree-covered north shore. Huntington, mainly because of its good harbor, developed 

 strongly and furnished in the early days the small villages of New York and Brooklyn with bread from 

 its bakeries. Westbury. developed from Hempstead, was at this time supplying milk to these same 

 small villages and the extreme east end was supplying meat, which was driven on the hoof to be slaughtered 

 by the predecessors of the purveyors of animal food to the metropolis of to-day. As New York and 

 Brooklyn grew, the wealthier classes selected Long Lsland for their country homes. In Colonial days 

 the territory just east of Long Island City we,s covered by beautiful country places and we were enter- 

 taining celebrated foreigners, Lafayette among others. Driven eastward by natural development of 

 the great cities, the Westbury Hills attracted those longing for great estates and the dairymen exchanged 

 the milk pail for the coupon-cutting scissors. At Glen Cove, between Oyster Bay and Hempstead, 

 and at Amityville the rapid settlement by the wealthier classes continued and a,s transportation facilities 

 were increased, the home-seeker of more; modest means followed, until the territory up to the Suffolk 

 line was dotted thickly with growing villages, now for the greater part suburban wards. Suffolk was 

 an unknown country sparsely settled and devoted mainly to farming. The natural eastward trend, 

 however, which started in Colonial days, has not abated, the newcomers in Suffolk as a rule selecting 

 their home sites near the island's shores, leaving the interior still unsuVjdued. 



Topographically the island's surface is most varied. Its north shore is composed of wooded hills 

 dropping abruptly to the waters of the sound, and sloping gradually to the ocean shore, leaving its 

 central section a gently undulating and very easily tilled territory. Its climate is remarkably temperate, 

 records showing the range between May and October to be, 5G in October and but 71.8 in July. The 

 waters surrounding the isla.nd tempering the heat in summer as well as the cold in winter. The records 

 show between 10 to 1") degrees in favor of Long Island Government report shows the average date of 

 killing frosts on Long Island to be October 20th, about one month later than in Brooklyn or New York. 

 The same report shows that in the year 1898 there were 312 sunshiny days, a recoid only claimed in 

 such semi-tropical states as California or Florida, such statistics explain in part why Long Island is the 

 most favored spot on the Atlantic coast. It is the only land lying directly across the prevailing south- 

 west winds of summer, which blowing from the ocean reach it unobstructed and uncontainina,ted. Its 

 soil is known to the geologist as Norfolk sandy loam, varying in depth from two and one-half to five 

 feet. Its underdrainage being ideal and far superior to that secured by ditching or tiles, composed 

 chiefly of glacial boulders and gravel, surplus moisture is carried off as it slowly percolates through the 

 soil above, which contains sufficient clay to hold the moisture and supply the needs of plant life. This 

 same drainage is given as the reason that of the ten healthiest spots in the world Long Island stands 

 third, the first and second being far up in the mountains of Europe. 



In the agricultural statistics of New York State the island holds a high place; its area is given as 

 about one-twenty fifth of the entire state. In Suffolk County over one-half of this land is undeveloped. 

 The population statistics of the early days are interesting. 



POPULATION 



New York State 



New York City 



Long Island 



For a century and a half, while New York State was largely agricultural, the island in population 

 and revenue was the mainstay of the Empire State, running up to one-half of the state's total. 



Its crop yield led all other portions, not excepting the Mohawk and Gene-see valleys' famous farms. 

 The avera.ge yield per acre from old state records show: 



Average yield per acre 

 Long Island All other sections 



Corn 35 bushels 2S bushels 



Wheat 19 bushels U bushels 



Oats 2() bushels 17 bushels 



Rye 17 bushels 1 1 bushels 



Barley 28 bushels 10 bushels 



Suffolk County's settlement is strangely sparse, there being roughly, one and three-fourths persons 

 per acre, averaging the island as a whole. An anomaly for a territory which is the logical residence 

 section of Greater New Yorkers and which for genera.tions has proven itself to be the natural source of 

 supply of milk and vegetables needed by the great cities whose requirements augment stupendously 

 each year. These two foods being of little value and even a menace to health, except when slriclli/ fresh. 

 must perforce be dra,wn from supply points close by. For even the most studious care and skillful 

 refrigeration fails to compensate for the extended time necessary to reach the consumer from far-off 

 regions. Milk cannot be kept in perfect statu quo nor can the change from vegetable sugar to starchy 

 products of no huma,n food value be checked, hence in the future the easterly half of Long Island will be 

 relied upon to furnish the freshest milk, vegetables, fruits, and flowers for the New York market. 



The Long Island Railroad, continually anticipating the need of growers, is increasing its express 

 service and runs special trains to carry freight cars of vegetables on standard passenger train schedules 

 from growing localities to markets. In 1906 its special service placed vegetables in the hands of city 

 consumers inside of four hours after they were packed and shipped from a distance of nearly seventy 

 miles. 



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