Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-01-10
Agricultural Matters

In RESPONSE to IL letter from Mr. llEARNE,
Secretary of the Wilson County Farmers
Club, Colonel FREMONT writes The snbjoined
letter upon subjects Of great interest and
practical importance to our people, which
we find in the Wilson CarOLinian. Beyond
doubt some change in our crops must be
made, or the ruin Of our farmers, nearly
accomplished, will be finally confirmed.
We see by the letter of Mr.. HEARNE that
the Farmers Club of Wilson County heartily
endorses and commends to the attention of
Col FREMONT the suggestions of Mr.. HENRY
MUTT, published in the JOURNAL, December
18th, 1867, suggesting that our railroads
secure the services of white immigrants as
laborers instead of the unreliable blacks at
present employed.
Col FREMoNr's letter is as follows
WILMINGTON AND WELDON T.. R. Co.
OFFICE CHIEF ENG. AND SUP'DT,
WILMINGTON, n. c., Dec. Both 1867.
NJ. VIM A. Hea1me, Sec'y and Treas.
Ftunae,;S' Glib, wilson, ". c. ::
DEAR SIR-Yours of the 23l came to
hand yesterday, and was read with much
pleasure.
I am gratified to know that my exertions
to reconstruct and build again our ruined
homes ard broken affairs, and fix again our
household gods--to re establish our ancient
prosperity and dOminion-have been appre-
ciated by my fellow-citizens of your county
I am more gratified, however, that . our
people are alive to their true interests, in
developing the most important resources Of
their county-its agricultural products.
Blessed as they are in an especial manner
with a productive and early soil, combined
with the greatest facilities for quick trans
portation to the great markets, they have
but to go ahead and plant, flourish, gather
and send to market, when their homes will
again smile with peace and plenty.
A few years ago the cultivation of vege-
tables in large quantities for transportation
five hundred miles or more to the large
cities, was unheard of. No one dreamed
that such farming could be profitable.
What dc we see now Vegetables and
fruits carried to market many hundred
miles in twenty-four hours, and at highly
remun arative prices-such as the following
Green Peas in the pod selling in Baltimore
in Lay at $40 q barrel Irish Potatoes SIS
barrel CucunaberS as high as $45 To-
1adtoeS little later, at IS a bushel. These
prices ten years ago, even, would have
seemed fabulous.
And remember that all this is within
reach of your people who live within ten
or fifteen miles of our railway line.
The Wilmington Journal of the 2Sth con
tains letter l received from Col. Cannon,
of Portsmouth, which hope you will copy.
Tt will afford me great pleasure to send you
| from time to time any information [ can
obtain On the subject of vegetable or fruit
culture.
The letter of Mr.. Froelich, of this city,
in the same paper, on the grape, I also
commend to your attention.
Peach and Apple trees should be SET out
Immediately, and in large quantities. all
along our line. 1t costs but little to raise
these fruits, and they bring large profits
Strawberries can easily be raised by
transporting the old roots to proper beds
and manuring them. They will yield album
dainty the second year.
| The labor question to which you allude
is one that requires much thought and con-
cert of action. Tam not prepared at pres
ent to say what this Company will do. /
am certain, however, if the present antago-
nism between the white owners of the soil
and the colored laborers employed upon it
continues one year longer, very decided and
vigorous steps will be taken to import white
laborersand attach them to the soil. While
I am as true friend to the colored man as