The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-25
MARKET GARDENING.

VOLOmE IAs--.-N u UMDEN
MARKET GARDENING.
Il NEW and IMPORTANT ENTERPRIsh
IN CHARLESTON.
Immense Growth OF Truck Farming
Since the Wharf.-The Markets OF the
North Dependant upon Charleston
The Area OF Land EmpIoyed-Impor-
tant Results In Former Years.
It is probable that but few persons are
aware ofthe immense proportions that have
been attained by the business Of truck farm
ing In the vicinity of Charleston-a branch OF
productive industry that may be said to have
grown up since the war, and which is now
source of great and constant revenue to
Charleston, and the means Of supplying the
markets of the North with the choice products
of this Southern climate at such an early
period In the season as to command the best
of prices and to fill an important gap In those
markets which formerly existed between the
arrivals of vegetables from Bermuda, Florida
and the far South, and those of Wilmington
and Norfolk. In the way of natural advan-
tsges, every circumstance Of soil and climate
gree to the success of this enterprise. In no
portion of the world, perhaps, and GER
tainly In no section Of this country which
is accessible to the markets Of Baltimore,
Philadelphia and New York, Is found soil
which Is better suited to market gardening
than on Charleston Neckl and the islands
which surround our harbor. The texture of
the soil is perfect, being light, sandy loan,
but possessing the valuable popularity of
being amply retentive of moisture. The
climate too Is singularly favorable. The tenn
perature of Charleston and It's vicinity in win
ter Is much more mild than its actual latitude
would indicate, and there are two or three
good reasons which contribute to this result.
In the first place its proximity to the ocean
gives 1t the benefit Of the salt sea air, which
always moderates the temperature. either In
summer or winter; and, besides this, the in
fiuence Of the Gulf Stream, that curious river
of tepid water which cleavss Its way through
the trackless Atlantic, and which here sweeps
very near the Carolina coast, Ia added to temper
the severity of winter. The experience Of
every resident of Charleston who has had an
opportunity Of comparing Its winter tenn
perature with that of Interior localities
In nearly the same lstitudes, will con-
firm the statement that for all the purposes
of early vegetation Charleston may be relied
upon to be weeks In advance OF the Interior
points, aud quite up to many localities that
are much further South. Very moderate pro-
tecton Is needed in winter for the most ten
der plknts. The atmosphere Is moist and the
soil requires but little irrigation. The topo-
graphical peculiarities of the land render
drainage easy, and the most obstinate patches
can be- readily cleared of superabuudant
moisture by the simplest devices. Labor ls
cheap and abundant. The laborers, Of course,
are mostly colored people, and the system OF
daily cash payments ls generally adopted.
There are no contracts, no credit systems, no
confusion and no quarrels. The individual
negro comes to work In the morning or not,
as he pleases, and If he come and work he is
sure of getting his pay In ready cash at suit
down. This system appears to suit his dis
position better than entering into contract.
It is somewhat erratic, and 80 is hls disposi-
tIon. He is his own master, and can WORK OF
not as he pleases. If he desires
holiday all that he has to do Is
to take it, and at the same time
he readily discovers that the only way to pro-
vide the necessary sustenance for himself aud
family is to give his labor in exchange there
for. The demand and supply are nearly
equal. and the system regulates itself. The
principal expense of the farmer In preparing
his crop is, of course, for fertilizers, which IN
this neighberhood are very freely applied.
Market gardening Is, of all branches of ssri-
culture, an artificial process. The soil is WORK
ed remorselessly, everything Is pushed to the
utmost to secure full and early crop, and OF
course the productive ability OF the soil must
constantly be replenished. All that the farm
er can sslI of nature Is that she shall supply
him with the requisite texture OF soil and the
necessary salubrity of climate, and after that
he must pay the price OF wringing from the
earth the utmost limit of Its produc-
tions by supplying afterward the chemical
elements which have been wrenched from 1t,
in order to demand of It another season OF
prollicness. The fertilizers that are used con.
siss mostly Of stable compost, fish scrap or
pomice and small proportion of South Caro-
lima phosphates. These are literally applied,
and are found t. pay liberally, but, with all
this, the expense OF cultivation per acre Is
very much less than In many other places de-
voted to this branch of agriculture. Thus In
New Jersey and Long Island the truck farm.
ers usually estimate their expenses at about
three hundred dollars per acre, while In this
vicinity the expenses range from one hum
dred dollars to one hundred and twenty-five
dollars, and rarely If ever exceed one hun
dred and fifty dollars per acre.
One great advantage of market gardening
In the neighborhood Of Charleston Is, that
there is absolutely no competition worth men.
ttonlng. The crops from the far South which
find their way to the Northern markets con-
slsts principally of potatoes, tomatoes and on
ions from Bermuda and Florida, aud these are
exhausted by the time that Charleston enters
the field. North of this place, Wilmington
andAorfolk are considerable producers, but
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