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 wice 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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