30T 
NEW YORK FARMERS ' 7 CLUB. 
Pauper Labor on Randall's Island .—A deputation 
appointed by the American Institute a few weeks 
since, to visit the New York Alms House Depart¬ 
ment on Randall’s Island, presented the following' 
paper on that subject, which was read : — 
The undersigned from the Farmers ’ 1 Club on the 
invitation of MosesG. Leonard, Esq., Commission¬ 
er of the Alms House Department, having visited 
Randall’s Island on the 5th inst., in company with 
his Honor the Mayor, several of the Aldermen, and 
other citizens, ask leave to Report 
That Mr. Leonard’s object was to present to the 
citizens some knowledge of the success which has 
thus far attended his endeavors to cultivate this 
farm by pauper labor. It affords us much pleasure 
to bear testimony to the excellence of his arrange¬ 
ments, and the great promise which is thus far 
afforded of signal success. Since the failure of an 
experiment attempted some years ago on the Long 
Island Farms, it has been deemed impracticable by 
many to cultivate the soil advantageously by pau¬ 
per labor. But after witnessing the progress made 
under the direction of Mr. Leonard, we are far 
from adopting any such conclusion ; on the con¬ 
trary, we feel much encouraged to believe, that by 
steady perseverance in a Well devised plan, the 
paupers of our city may be made to contribute 
largely to their own support, without exacting 
from them a greater amount of labor than will be 
found essential to their own comfort and well 
being. But it cannot be expected that any plan, 
however well devised, for the accomplishment of 
an object so desirable, can be expected to prosper, 
it' the supervision of its details is doomed to con¬ 
tinual change from one to another. Once under 
the supervision of those having the requisite quali¬ 
fications, it should, upon no slight cause, be 
changed. 
Randall’s Island is about nine miles distant from 
the City Hall, lying between Harlem and Long 
Island. It forms on one side a part of the east 
bank of the Harlem River, and on the other side a 
part of the west bank of Long Island Sound, with 
narrow channels on the north and south, difficult 
of navigation. It contains 138 acres, of marsh and 
upland. Some of the best fields on the island, 
however, have been rendered unfit for immediate 
tillage by the erection and recent destruction of 
buildings by fire, intended for the accommodation 
of the poor of the city. 
Mr. Leonard did not get possession of the Island 
until the middle of May last, at which time no pre¬ 
paration had been made for producing a crop. 
Nevertheless, he has secured from 80 to 100 tons of 
excellent hay ; there are two fields of Indian corn, 
containing at least five acres, equal in appearance to 
any we have seen, averaging full twelve feet in 
height; one field of six acres, bearing potatoes; 
one of buckwheat, four acres ; and one of turnips 
15 acres, all in excellent order, and of fair promise; 
also 2,000 heads of cabbage. From the 15th of 
June to the present time 40 cows have been milk- 
e 1, furnishing daily 300 quarts of milk to the nur¬ 
se! v on Long Island, where there are 700 pauper 
children, reserving as much as is required for the 
J urn There have been two very comfortable 
buildings erected m Randall’s Island, for the 
accommodation of ihe laborers, and there is a 
stable now in process of erection, intended for the 
cows in winter. All this is entirely the result of 
pauper labor. 
We sincerely hope that Mr. Leonard may be per¬ 
mitted to go on and carry out the plans he has inti¬ 
mated to us, of furnishing labor to all the inmates 
of the establishment capable of performing such, 
stimulating them by a system of rewards which 
will call for no additional charge upon the city, 
and, if successful, will materially lessen the cost of 
maintaining its poor. 
The Island is the property of the city, having 
been purchased from the Messrs. Randall in 1832 
for $60,000. There could not be a better place for 
the experiment than is here afforded. The milk 
alone which has been already furnished, estimating 
it at 4 cts, per quart, provided the quantity should 
be continued, will amount to more than 7 per cent, 
per annum, on the cost of the Island, and, so far, 
there have been but 70 paupers employed. There 
are in the establishment nearly 500, that may be 
employed in agricultural labor, besides a large pro¬ 
portion of the children, whose labor, at particular 
seasons of the year, may be made extremely 
valuable. 
It is not extravagant to estimate that the 70 
paupers employed on Randall’s Island have, thus 
far, maintained themselves, and produced a surplus 
which would be equal to over $4,000 per annum. 
If, then, the whole 500 could be engaged in agri¬ 
cultural labor with corresponding advantage, to¬ 
gether with the occasional labor of the children, in 
addition to their own maintenance, they would 
produce to the city a revenue of $30,000 per 
annum. 
Two of the Messrs. Randall having been present 
or. the occasion of this visit, we have obtained 
from them some reminiscences worthy of record. 
The Island, formerly called Montezoue, was pur¬ 
chased by the family in 1784, from Col. Ogden, of 
New Jersey, for $ 6 , 000 . It was then in a very 
neglected state, nearly destitute of trees, fences, 
&c. The excellent fruit which has been produced 
here, and is still retained to some extent, has re¬ 
sulted from the labor and enterprise of this family. 
Peaches were formerly one of the products in great 
abundance, and of the very best quality, but about 
40 years ago the crop failed, and the trees gradu¬ 
ally decayed, since which, very few have been pro¬ 
duced on the Island. This was the case also in the 
adjacent country, and was generally attributed to a 
change in the climate, as no other assignable reason 
seemed to present itself, until the disease called the 
“ yellows” and the peach borer were found to be 
the cause. 
The Yergaloo pear was produced in great abun¬ 
dance and perfection until about twenty years ago, 
when the crop failed. The trees have since yielded 
no fruit worth gathering. They put forth their 
blossoms and foliage in the spring, and appear to 
be vigorous, but the fruit, after attaining about half 
its usual size, turns to a dark color, cracks, and 
dries up; some specimens of it are herewith pre¬ 
sented to the Club. These trees may be restored, 
we think, by proper culture. 
Cherries have been very abundant upon the 
Island—there are several varieties, and the quality 
! excellent—the Blackhearts are most numerous. 
