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Brooklyn has long felt the want of a public market, where 

 its retail trade can be furnished with those supplies of provisions 

 for which it is now largely dependent upon the city of New 

 York. The statistics of 1865 show that, in addition to the 

 large amount of cereals raised upon our island during that 

 year, there was sent to market from the same source of supply 

 over three millions of dollars' worth of the various products of 

 the garden, together with large quantities of milk, eggs, 

 poultry, and other articles equally necessary for our daily sus- 

 tenance, valued in the whole at something over six millions of 

 dollars. The amount has since been largely increased by the 

 greater facilities for transportation afforded by the two addi- 

 tional railroads which have since been opened on the north and 

 south sides of the island, leading directly to the city. And the 

 great bulk of this produce may be said to be daily passing over 

 our ferries to New York, mainly because it finds no suitable 

 place in our city, on this side of the East River, where it can 

 be received and held for distribution among our people. 



Our city seems to be the natural depot for the sale of this 

 large and valuable product of the island ; and its already large 

 population could probably dispose of it all with proper man- 

 agement, and yet it goes over to our sister city, passing by the 

 very doprs of those for whom it is really designed, and who 

 are obliged to follow and there purchase it at a largely increased 

 price, and in a very deteriorated condition. Our citizens at 

 the same time lose the benefits of the trade which would nat- 

 urally result, if the farmers had an opportunity of spending 

 the money received from the sales of this produce among them; 

 while the value of property in the neighborhood continues in a 

 very depressed condition, and the city is deprived of the ad- 

 vantages which would necessarily follow upon the large increase 

 of taxable property resulting from the proposed improvement. 

 For these reasons we hope soon to see our corporate authorities 

 resume their control of the City Park, and, after properly regulat- 

 ing the ground, proceed to the erection of a substantial general 

 market, upon so liberal and enlarged a scale as shall secure to 

 our citizens a cheap and full supply of all the prime necessaries 

 of life ; while, at the same time, our city will establish a credit 

 for corporate enterprise, and open to itself new and abundantly 

 fertile sources of revenue. 



