NJDEP - NJGS - First Annual Report of the Geological Survey of the ...

6Obeen able to ascertain the areas of the counties separately, and• cannot give the amount of land in farms, _eompared with thatstill unoccupied..But if wo suppose one half of the State tobe in tlle southern division, a little moro than' one half itsarea must be in farms, which is less than, in Massachusetts,, Connecticut, New York, and the northern half of New Jersey;and greater than in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Mary-!anO..Theclhna_ismildorevenwarm,andtheearl_springsand,light soils enable the farmem to furnish the first_.'supplles"ofgarden produce to the markets of New York and Philadelphia_and a largo part of such supplies for those citieh is drawn fromNew Jersey. Of other crops, Indian corn and potatoes areraised iu largest.quantlties. Wheat, rye, oats, and Sweet potatoesarc cxtcnsively cultivated. The amount of liyo stock is.much above the average of our country.The rapid advance of agriculture in this dtstrmt is due inpart to its location, in part to the improvement Of the countrygenerally, but more is to bo ascribed to the use 9f a kind ofmarl wliieh is foun_t here in immense quantity. "The belt orstrip of land under which this is found lies obliquely _eross theState from. Sandy HOok Bay southwestto Salem. Its length•is about ninc.ty miles, aml its breadth fourteen miles at itseastern extremity, and six miles at its westerm Its area isnine hundred,square miles, or five hundred and seventy-sixthousaml acres; and its benefits are slmred by a considerabledistrict of country lylng'on each side of it, so that the wholearea improved by it is swelled conSideratJly beyond the aboveamount..It has been worth millions of dollam to the State inthe increased value of the land and produce, besides the influenceit'h'as exerted in .awakening and fostering a spirit foragricultural improvement. Requiring labor and not r_oney" from tii0se who would enjoy its. benefits, it has been foundadmirably adapted to encourage and reward enterprisixig it/-dustry; , L ' : :The atte.ntiou of men of soien_ has been f/'equently calledto.this int_resting.i;ormation On account.of its value in ag_bul-.NEW JERSEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY