=Soils.=--In the northern part of the state the sides of the higher
mountains are steep and are in many places denuded of soil. In the
valleys and on the hills north of the terminal moraine the soil
consists largely of glacial drift, which is composed of clay, sand,
and gravel mixed with bowlders. This soil is fertile, but a large part
of it is not easy to cultivate, because of the large stones in It and
because of the rugged surface. South of the terminal moraine, in the
Highlands and in the Piedmont Plateau, the soil is composed of gravel
and sand washed down by streams from the glacial deposits farther north
and of disintegrated underlying rocks, which in the Highlands consisted
largely of gneiss and in the Piedmont Plateau of sandstones and shales.
The soil of the Coastal Plain consists of extensive deposits of gravel,
sand, clay, and marl deposited in the ocean, which once covered this
region. The gravel, sand, and clay were carried into it by the streams
which flowed from the north. The marl consists largely of very small
shells of animals that lived in the sea. This mixed soil is very
fertile, particularly that in which there is an abundance of marl. This
is found in the "Marl Belt," which is a strip of land extending from
the Atlantic Highlands southwest past Trenton and Mount Holly as far
as Salem. Its width varies, being widest at its northeastern end and
becoming narrower and less rich in marl toward the southwest. Formerly
marl was used extensively as a fertilizer to enrich poorer soils, but
it has been generally displaced by the richer commercial fertilizers.
The so-called "Pine Barrens" which cover a large part of the Plain,
east of the Marl Belt, are comparatively unproductive, but by proper
cultivation and the application of fertilizers, these areas can be made
very productive.
[Illustration: Gathering peaches, New Jersey]
=Crops.=--In the production of grain crops the state cannot, on account
of its varied surface and its small farms, compete with the western
states with their great plains and large farms. Wheat is produced
mainly for local consumption. Corn is grown in large quantities
in all parts of the state. Rye and buckwheat are also raised in
limited quantities. Much of the land, particularly that which is not
adapted to the growth of other crops, is devoted to pasture and hay.
Many circumstances are extremely favorable to special agricultural
industries whose products are vegetables, fruits, flowers, poultry,
eggs, milk, and butter. These are: the climate, with its mild winters
and generous rainfall; the fertility of the soil; the large permanent
population of the state; the presence of thousands of visitors from
other states at the summer resorts of the state; the nearness of
the farm lands of the state to the great cities of New York and
Philadelphia; and the excellent facilities for the rapid transportation
of agricultural products to the markets.
The constant demand of the large cities makes market gardening very
profitable, and this industry is carried on in all parts of the state,
but with special intensity in those sections which are near the cities.
All kinds of vegetables are raised. Of these the potato crop is the
most valuable. In the southern counties, which have a sandy soil, large
crops of sweet potatoes are produced. This section is also prominent
in the cultivation of tomatoes, beans, and peas, great quantities of
which are used in the canning industry. Cabbages, celery, and onions
are valuable products. The demand for fresh, early vegetables has
encouraged market gardeners to devote increased attention to growing
vegetables under glass.
Fruits of all kinds are raised in all parts of the state. In the
northwestern section of the state, in parts of Warren, Morris, and
Hunterdon counties, peaches are grown in great quantities on the stony
soil of the glacial drift which is not favorable to general farming. In
the western section apples and pears are abundant. While strawberries,
blackberries, raspberries, and grapes are grown in all parts of the
state, they are grown in special abundance in the southern part of the
state. In this section establishments for the bottling of unfermented
grape juice have grown up. Huckleberries are common in the wooded
sections of the northern and southern parts of the state. Cranberry
bogs are found in Atlantic, Burlington, and Ocean counties.
[Illustration: Poultry buildings, New Jersey Experimental Station, New
Brunswick]
=Animal Products.=--Dairy farming is successful in all parts of the
state, particularly in the sections in which pasture and hay are easily
obtained, and in which facilities for the prompt transportation of milk
to the cities are at hand. Milk is produced not only by the general
farmer but also by special dairy farms, which, by devoting special
attention to the care and feeding of cattle and to the handling of
the milk, produce milk of a superior quality. Poultry raising and the
production of eggs are profitable. The poultry industry is especially
extensive in Cumberland, Atlantic, and Ocean counties.
With the increase in the population of the cities the farm land of the
state is growing in extent and value, but it is clear that more rapid
growth is possible and desirable. The State Agricultural School at
Rutgers College, with Its Experiment Station and practical courses of
instruction, is doing much to improve agriculture in New Jersey.
[Illustration: A dairy farm in Middlesex County. Corn for silage is
growing in front of the buildings]