American Agriculturist, June 16,1923 
509 
Promise Better Rail Service 
Railroads Prepare to Move New Jersey Crops 
W ITH large fruit, potato and perish¬ 
able vegetable crops in prospect, 
necessitating rapid transportation. New 
Jersey farmers were promised better 
freight service at a recent conference 
between marketing officials and railroad 
agents in Trenton, N. J. Assurance was 
given by representatives of the big 
transportation companies for more cars 
of proper type to move apples, peaches 
and truck crops from the central and 
southwestern sections of the State. 
Various cooperative associations as well 
as large independent growers in the 
State have been pressing the railroad 
companies for several years in order 
to secure a quicker distribution of highly 
perishable crops. 
As brought out at the conference, the 
railroad men are urging more attention 
on the part of the grower to better grad¬ 
ing and packing methods. Standard 
packages carefully packed with stan¬ 
dard products carry through to destina¬ 
tion in better condition and cut down 
the losses from growers’ claims as well 
as enable the farmers to secure a more 
equitable price for their products. 
Cooperation with the railroads in this 
way, officials claim, will permit a more 
rapid development of fast freight facili¬ 
ties. While weather conditions are be¬ 
yond control of either shipper or trans¬ 
portation company, proper precaution 
in loading and proper equipment of the 
cars will do much to overcome the effect 
of the unfavorable weather, it was 
pointed out at the conference, _ The 
practice of some farmers of permitting 
potatoes to remain out in the sun after 
digging and just before loading, was 
condemned as a serious cause of loss 
in the past years. 
Under the cooperative service agTee- 
ment between the New Jersey marketing 
officials and the railroads, effort will be 
made to further eliminate transit de¬ 
lays and terminal obstacles, which have 
caused such troubles in recent years. 
Shipping-point inspection of staple 
fruits and vegetables instituted in New 
Jersey last year and very generally re¬ 
ceived by the growers, will be extended 
this year as fully as available person¬ 
nel will permit. This inspection service 
is a national development of the pro¬ 
gram of standardization which New 
Jersey is seeking to carry out in com¬ 
mon with other States and the Federal 
Government. 
Ht * * 
Officials of various farmers’ markets 
throughout the. State report consider¬ 
able discussion within the year concern¬ 
ing the intrusion of hucksters who are 
competing with actual producers on 
these markets. Public opinion in offi¬ 
cial agricultural and marketing circles 
is to the point that hucksters desiring 
stands should be accommodated on sep¬ 
arate markets. Consumers, when deal¬ 
ing in the markets at present, have no 
means of identifying farmers from 
hucksters, and housewives’ leagues as 
well as organized growers believe that 
the farmers’ markets should be devoted 
absolutely to the use of the growers 
themselves. The New Jersey cities, 
which lead in the farmers’ marketing 
idea, require licenses for stands or 
space on the farmers’ markets and will 
issue licenses only to bonafide producers. 
Ht * 
High wages demanded by pickers in 
the big strawberry-producing counties 
of Cumberland, Atlantic, Burlington, 
Gloucester and Camden add 3 cents a 
quart to the cost of harvesting the 
crop which is now moving forward to 
markets in quantity. The cost of the 
quart box and the crate add another 
cent, while costs of transportation and 
marketing mean a further 1 to 3 cents 
cost to the producer. This means that the 
total cost of production and marketing 
is greater to strawberry growers in 
New Jersey this year than ever before. 
However, production per acre is heavy 
this year. 
The crop of spinach this season is 
estimated as the biggest ever grown in 
the State, and takes its place among 
New Jersey’s leading trucking crops. 
Rhubarb has likewise been a large crop. 
* * * 
The New Jersey State Board of Taxes 
and assessments recently announced the 
1923 average tax rate at $3,561 per 
$100 of valuation, which is the same 
average rate as last year. The State 
Tax Board will use this rate in assess¬ 
ing the tax against first-class railroad 
property and against the gross receipts 
of street railways, gas and electric 
companies.—W. H. B. 
NEW JERSEY FRUIT NOTES 
Mercer Co.—Apples, peaches and 
pears are well set with fruit. Potatoes 
are coming up unevenly. In general, 
conditions have been all that could be 
desired, 
Sussex Co.—The amount of damage 
done to the peach crop by recent frosts 
could not be determined until the June 
drop is over. The buds appear to be in 
excellent condition. 
PENNSYLVANIA FARM 
ACTIVITIES 
The Pennsylvania State Department 
of Agriculture is conducting inquiries 
among farmers, county agents, bankers, 
crop correspondents, and other compe¬ 
tent authorities in the State to deter¬ 
mine the factors responsible for the 
agricultural situation in Pennsylvania. 
Secretary Frank P. Willitts of the de¬ 
partment is making a comprehensive 
survey by means of questionnaires, by 
which means he hopes to bring together 
a mass of facts and figures upon which 
a more comprehensive agricultural pro¬ 
gram in the State may be based. 
The department is endeavoring to 
have at its command figures which will 
show the variation between farm wages 
and industrial wages, with which the 
farmer must compete in each section of 
the State. It is also working for in¬ 
formation to show the comparative cost 
of farm machinery and equipment dur¬ 
ing the current year and in the last 
two Federal census years. The ques¬ 
tion of millage tax rates for county 
roads and school purposes in the same 
periods is also under consideration, 
while the assessed value of farm land 
in relation to its market value will be 
figured out for 1910 and 1922. 
* * * 
Agricultural organizations in Penn¬ 
sylvania have been called upon to pre¬ 
vent a proposed increase by the Legis¬ 
lature to motor truck business. A bill 
was recently pending in the Legislature 
to this effect. It would also require 
drivers to buy licenses. Various hear¬ 
ings have already been held. 
He H= H: 
A recent survey shows that 38 per 
cent of the Pennsylvania farmers now 
have gas engines on their farms other 
than those used in automobiles, motor 
trucks or tractors. This is an increase 
of 4,250 gas engines reported on farms 
in the State within the last year; the 
total estimate is 78,600 gas engines 
now on farms. 
* * * 
After June 19 wholesalers and re¬ 
tailers can no longer manufacture, sell 
or exchange filled milk. The 90 days of 
grace allowed to dealers to dispose of 
stocks on hand expires on that date. 
The State authorities have issued a 
warning to this effect and signify their 
intention of prosecuting violators, so 
that the general health of consumers 
and the dairy industry shall receive the 
full protection granted under the law. 
Since the filled milk legislation went 
into effect last year, condensed milk 
manufacturers have been flooding the 
markets with skim milk products, 
largely offered to the public in packages 
so closely resembling whole milk prod¬ 
ucts as to be deceptive. 
♦ * He 
^ Another legislative measure of par¬ 
ticular interest to eastern Pennsylvania 
growers would appropriate $50,000 for 
quarantining the districts along the 
Delaware River which are infested by 
the Japanese beetle. The Pennsylvania 
State Horticultural Society, leading 
fruit growers and some of the eastern 
Pennsylvania farm organizations have 
been actively backing the measure. 
If it is farm news, you will see it in 
the American Agriculturist. 
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