Long Island Milk and Long Island Vegetables.

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LONG ISLAND MILK AND LONG ISLAND VEGETABLES

There is no reason, none whatever, why Long Island should not become as famous for her lacteal fluid—vulgas milk—as she admittedly is for her vegetables. We were invited to accompany a party who set out on Tuesday to view the facilities of our Island for supplying an abundance of the much desired but seldom found article. An usual press of business prevented us from accepting that invitation, but as might have been expected, Long Island was found to be as eminently sound, so far as her capacity to sustain a thousand herds—if not upon a "thousand hills" at least upon a thousand plains—as she is in the production of fast men, women and horses. There is no reason why the entire supply of milk for Brooklyn at least, if not for a large share of New York, should not come from Long Island, and "pure Orange Co." become in the future a myth in name, as it is now in reality.

Hear what Mr. Morris,¹ the President of the L. I. Road, has to say on the subject of Long Island products:

Mr. Morris, President of the Railroad Company said that the Company which he represented would run trains as often as the farmers wanted to milk their cows. This led him to speak of the berry business, and the general product business. But very few strawberries were sent to market from Long Island, and they had that day seen as handsome strawberries as could be raised anywhere. By estimate it appeared that one thousand quarts of strawberries was about the average yield of an acre, and this would pay the farmer as well as any other crop. The great increase in the whortleberry business, and the commencement of cultivating cranberries last year, were referred to as evidences of improvement. But he blamed the residents of Brooklyn more than the farmers for having no more varied and larger crops. Brooklyn had no market where the farmers could dispose of their produce. Let Brooklyn, said he open a suitable market on the block bounded by Atlantic, Columbia and Pacific streets, or some other suitable place, and the Long Island produce would stop there, whereas now it was almost all sent to New York and after passing through several hands was again brought back to Brooklyn, poorer in quality, but higher in price.

Several of the farmers present stated that there was a general complaint that there were no accommodations for them to dispose of their produce in Brooklyn–they would much rather go there than to New York. The change would result advantageously to the consumer as well as the producer.

We commend these reflections to the attention of the authorities, whose duty it is to advance in every way possible, the interests of our own town and our own island. New York even now takes all our produce, and our farmers pay tribute on every load that crosses the ferries; while we pay the grocer and huckster for this same produce returned to us, with additional charges of a second ferriage and a second profit to the retailer, to say nothing of the staleness which the fruit and vegetables attained through this unnecessary and expensive delay.

A market of our own would benefit ourselves and the Long Island farmers; and at the same time make New York tributary to us for her supplies. It would give us the first choice of our own productions, which we should then get fresh and cheap. Will those having the power, see to this matter, and by a judicious selection, and a proper building, save us these profits upon that which we ought to purchase at first cost.

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