Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/514

NEW JERSEY. coast. Each of the main geological eras is represented except the Carboniferous.

. The most extensively utilized of the State's diversified geological resources are its clays. New Jersey ranks second in the production of pottery and third in the total output of clay products. Brick clay is found in most parts of the State. The value of the pottery products and of the combined output of brick and tile, respectively, ranges between $5,000,000 and $9,000,000 annually. (See Manufactures below.) Morris County furnishes infusorial earths used in the manufacture of dynamite and giant powder, and for polishing purposes. Deposits of marl found in the State are utilized for fertilizers. A variety of stone is quarried in the northwestern counties, and constitutes another important source of wealth. The production of granite has increased rapidly since 1896. The output for 1900 was appraised at $1,170,555, or five times the value of the product in the former year. The value of the sandstone quarried in 1900 was $198,234, but the annual yield is usually worth much more. New Jersey ranks second in the production of Portland cement. Iron was mined in Warren County early in the history of the State, and has been mined continuously in the northwestern part until the present time. The entire product in 1900 was of the magnetite variety, estimated at 344,247 long tons. The iron is mined with greater difficulty than in the larger iron-producing regions, but the saving of the cost of transportation makes it profitable. The New Jersey ores have a larger per ton value ($3.18 in 1899) than those obtained in any other State.

. New Jersey, with its long and well indented coast line, and bounded by the Hudson and the Delaware, is well adapted for the development of an extensive fishery industry, in which seventeen out of the twenty-one counties of the State participate directly. There were 12,270 persons so engaged in 1898, as against 16,539 in 1891. The value of the product for 1898 was $3,563,766, only about $44,000 more than the product of 1891. The catch of oysters in the same year was valued at $1,670,000. Next to oysters, the principal species with respect to value are clams, shad, squeteague, bluefish, and cod. The value of caviar in 1898 was $79,693. The menhaden industry in that year was represented by six factories, and yielded a product of $57,995.

. Only 59 per cent. of the total land area is included in farms. The area of improved land increased until 1880, since when it has remained practically stationary. In 1900 the percentage of farm land improved was 69.6. The number of farms increased during the half century nearly 45 per cent., while the average acreage decreased from 115.2 in 1850 to 82 in 1900. There is a gain in the per cent. of rented farms, especially cash-tenant farms, which increased 53.6 per cent. during the decade 1890-1900, so that these farms represented in 1900 15.3 per cent. of the total number of farms, as against 14.6 per cent. for the share tenants. The soil is generally a red sandy loam, easily tilled. The river valleys are very fertile, but in most parts of the State fertilizers are advantageously used. The cost of fertilizers per farm in 1900 was $62. Between 1880 and 1890 the area devoted to cereals decreased considerably, but the falling off was checked in the next decade, when the loss

was confined to oats and rye, the other crops showing gains. Accordingly the decrease in the cereals is not so marked as in some other Eastern States. Corn, the principal cereal, is raised throughout the State; wheat, next in rank, is grown in the western counties; rye, oats, and buckwheat are confined almost entirely to the northwestern counties. The acreage of hay and forage crops exceeds that of corn and wheat combined, and considerable areas of the poorer lands are being turned into permanent pasture lands. As above suggested, the proximity of large cities—notably New York and Philadelphia—has led to a large gardening and fruit-raising industry. Of the $8,400,000 of vegetable produce grown in the census year 1900, 26 per cent. and 14.4 per cent. respectively represented the value of the Irish and the sweet potatoes. New Jersey ranks next to Maryland in the production of tomatoes; the acreage devoted to their cultivation exceeded that of sweet potatoes. Sweet corn, melons, and cabbages were the most important of the other vegetables. The raising of early vegetables under glass for the New York and Philadelphia markets is a large industry.

Orchard fruits receive much attention, the peach-growing industry being very extensive in the northwestern counties. From 1890 to 1900 the number of peach trees decreased about 38 per cent. There was an equal percentage of increase in the number of apple trees. In 1900 32.1 per cent. of all fruit trees in the State were apple trees, and 48.6 were peach trees. A great variety of small fruits are raised, strawberries and cranberries being most important. Cranberry culture is confined largely to the marshy lands of Burlington and Ocean counties. New Jersey is surpassed by few States in the extent of its floriculture. The value of the product grown for the market in 1900 was nearly $2,000,000.

The following table of acreage is self-explanatory:

. From 1890 to 1900 there was a marked increase in the number of neat cattle, a decrease in sheep and swine, and a noticeable increase in horses. The decrease in dairy cows, as shown below, is more apparent than real, owing to the change in the method of enumeration. Over one-half of the total income of all animal products was derived from the dairy industry. Of the $7,170,000 realized from dairy produce sold, $6,318,000 represented milk. The value of the poultry products is also quite large.

The following table shows the leading live-stock holdings: