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KIEST SEOnON. CAPE MAT COUNTY TIMES, SEA ISLE CITY, N. J.

SEASON OPENING EDITION.

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Cape May County’s Rpad-side Opportunities

___ By J. ARCHER STACKHOUSE, County Farm Demonstrator and Former Head of the County Vocational Schools. (Ed. Note:—Cape May County leads the State, if not the Nation, in the direct-from-fann-to-constimer idea, by means of roadside stalk, or sales booths. Mr. Stackhouse, in this article, serves the double purpose of informing the uninitiated of the County’s sale plan, and of urging more effort along ihese lines on our present farmers)

It is an established fact that city markets have proved beneficial to the producer and consumer. From the producer’s point of view, the sreatest item of value in the municipal market k the time that is saved by having the consumer come to him. In addition to this, duplicating visits of hucksters and the inefficiency of dragging heavy loads to places where nothing is unloaded is avoided. This is purely a loss of time and labor for the farmer. Surely this coming year the farmer’s time should be given largely to production, letting a large part of the distribution fall to the non-producer. The peculiar conditions of Cape May County make it possible for many of the producers to improve upon the plan of c city market by taking advantage of that market at their very doors, thus doing away with expensive transportation to the markets and at the same time enjoying personal supervision of the business. The Shore Road offers a market place for every fanner living on it It is fast becoming a country market being made practical by three conditions: namely, summer pleasure seekers having spare time, good county roads and the universal use of the automobile. ere is little danger of haring too many market stands along this road because Cape May County’s crop production is far less than its crop consumption and until such roadside markets begin drawing upon outside produce such as Dock Street, Philadelphia, there is little danger of over-doing the matter. Where a farmer has no time to supervise the sales of his own door or has no one in his family to do it for him, he rtill has the opportunity of arranging with several of his neighbors to jointly operate a roadside market with some person already established who would deduct a percentage of the sales for his part in distribution. This plan if carried out, would not deprive any family at the resorts of their daily supply of fresh vegetables, even if that family did not operate an automobile on the shore road, for the regular husksur who makes it his business to buy all that he sells, and who does not really produce anything would have his regular routes at the resorts as usual. There is his place, except when purchasing his supply of vegetables. The roadside market would furnish the buckater as well as the consumer a source of fresh vegetable supply. Thus such a market becomes a clearing-! ouse for both the producer and consumer with a decided advantage to the producer. for hit distribution problem is greatly minimized. The advantage to the tourist is that o*? doea his shopping and gets his pleasure of motoring at the same time. Moreover he gets vegetables that he knows are fresh, an item which makes him willing to pay even a higher price than he would if the vegetables were brought to his door. Why should the farmer waste time taking vegetables to the beaches when many of the consumers there are willing to come to the fanner? Right hen* the question of an honest pack plays a large nde. If a good honest pack is delivered. the consumer wia return for more. A grower W ho takes the trouble to have his name on the basket containing a good pack is usually the one most benefited, fur he b identified. The present roadside market trade of Cape May County has increasad, in a few years, from

Illustrating the Cape May County “Farmer to Consumer" plan; a typical road-side market, many of

which line the County’s highways, and are well patronized

— — — uuu.ct, unn the money invested in equipment is piactic nothing. The more market places there the better will the shore road be known i source of supply for fresh vegetables and co quently the greater will the amount of trad*

velop.

.Several farmers who have not tried the n su-e market before have expressed intern, of doing so this year. The Shortage in fi help as well as the success of other rwu* markets is causing this valuable asset in e ient production to come about Efficient crop production is the count most important issue. Cape May County she could contribute to this issue by the ab plan would not only be able to keep her fai ers. on the farms producing but would tend relieve transportation problems of the railro and release more food for other porta of country. As this subject is attempting to deal * roadside opportunities not only from the l production view-point, but also from the vi< point of the general welfare of the county, ii logical to assume that our Shore road solid concrete (now a near reality) runni through a countryside which has every evida of a good supply of fresh vegetables and fn would leave a very favoratye impression up the summer tourist without whom the pn» high development of Cape May County coi not have been attained. To keep up the stai ard of progress is the wish and aim of ev, well-meaning citizen of the County, ft takes very imaginative mind to see that the possibi ties of Cape May County in resort and ink development have nowhere yet reached the hi it. Many kinds of effort have been brought bear upon the situation and many ideas ha been exchanged and put into effect before Ca; May County has reached her present status. For still better development, no relaxing forces must be. Even in war time progre must continue. But how, is the question. H County Board of Freeholders, the Chamber < Commerce, the Pomona Grange, the publ schools, the churches, the Board of Agriculta and many individuals are working now for tl one purpose; namely, advancement of Cape Ma County. Whenever any constructive idea is «k veloped from anyone or all of these forces, it i tried out with the hope that in the end th greatest good to all the people of Cape Ma; County wifi be forthcoming. Sometimes tb results have not been equal to expectations, bu there are no dark spots on the County’s pro gress, nor anything to shame the sincere insb gator o; such a plan. The organizations won on, discarding that which is bad and keepiw that which is good. Granted that a large summer population is ■ natural advantage to resort and peop* &Rke and gi anted attractiveness of court.' roads and their surroundings leaves s whole Rome impression in the minds of the summe: tourists as wefl as in the minds of the j round inhabitants, would it not be well for P** Pie of the county to try some plan which migfc: •*«* ** —'■

Note U* tmMh , bud .urte of the .b»ve IM d, ^ .f the County, ebun of „ 5 otiU, o, good rood*

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as reside attractivene* result frcm . sp. effort to remove old broken down fences growing up to briers? Would not a coal paint add attractiveness to the roadside bi ings as well as pay for its cost in s short t as a preserver of lumber? Granted that U is the greatest factor to be considered w< not tho pUoUng al fruit and omunentul u bjttha „d 'cording to urtirtic pri pies add greatly to attnurttvenoa. and tern keep the boy. end giria of the home ao coni ■n country life that the lurea of the city nave no temptations? These and other thoughts were express*: ° f 5* Board of Froeholders, He Rutherford, when he proposed that some f -tantial prizes be offered to any persons al the leading State and County highways for greatest improvement of their property fre »n the year 1918. To make the remit* of 1 Man interesting and effective several prmav be offered. Photographs of properties Jtn ^ any change is made would -he judges in rendering their decision nhu this contest be entered upon. It was prop* take up the money for the prizes by P«>P l subscription. The cost and elaborateness this plan would not need to be gone into to * nHir« ,< ? t f? t aid to our government s .uhes subscriptions need be effected. Furtl innSi this t should it be decided up will be given later. . country roads bounded on each side attractive homes and terminating in • beenil summer resort are conditions to be enr by any county.