2 BULLETIN Q11, U. S. DEPABTMENT OF AGEICULTTJEE. 



The total land area of this region is 2,833,840 acres. .The United 

 State Census for 1910 shows that 1,311,244 acres are included in farms 

 and that 880,755 acres are classed as improved farm lands.^ 



CLIMATE. 



The climatic conditions which prevail in this region are sum- 

 marized by the Weather Bureau in " Summary of Climatological 

 Data, Section 99 — The Southern Interior and Sea Coast of New 

 Jersey." This summary shows that precipitation during the' grow- 

 ing season is adequate for the production of normal crops and that 

 the interval between killing frosts in spring and fall is normally 

 sufficient to mature all of the general farm crops and the majority 

 of the vegetables and fruits. The climatological tables also indicate 

 that the conditions prevailing over the region are so uniform that 

 no locality or section is especially favored over others. The more 

 important climatic facts are summarized in the chart, figure 1. It 

 would appear from this chart that, so far as climatic conditions are 

 concerned, agriculture might be uniformly developed over the entire 

 region. 



MARKETS. 



It will be seen from the chart, figure 2, that the entire region 

 is favorably located with respect to the metropolitan district of 

 New York, which, in 1910, possessed a total population of 6,630,559 

 and to the metropolitan district of Philadelphia, which possessed a 

 population of 2,015,560 at that time. The extreme distance from 

 the most remote point in southern New Jersey to New York City 

 is a little less than 130 miles, and it is less than 75 miles to Philadel- 

 phia. Railroad communication is unusually well developed and a 

 good system of highways tends to place all portions of the region 

 in easy communication with the great market centers. 



AGRICULTURAL POPULATION. 



Southern New Jersey was originally settled about 275 years ago 

 by agricultural peoples from the various countries of northern 

 Europe. During the intervening period agriculture has been de- 

 veloped along lines suited to the broader local needs and to meet 

 the specific requirements of the separate localities. Owing to the 

 existence of great near-by markets agriculture has experienced 

 a notable degree of specialization to meet market demands, and 

 experience has generally developed the use to which the different 

 soils of the region may best be put under the existing conditions 

 of demand for farm products. 



1 U. S. Census, 1910, vol. V, Agriculture, p. 740. 



