Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-28

v
subject, strawberry culture is still in its
infancy in the South, and in vast sections
almost unknown as a market crop. Un-
til few years ago it was not believed
that they could be successfully grown
here on a large scale, and even now few
persons have looked upon aield of more
than two or three acres south of Norfolk
and Memphis. The largest strawberry
field in the State of Florida has been
stated at three acres, on the st. Johns,
and the largest in Georgia at twenty
acres. in Thomas county. Mississippi
has a field of one hundred and sixty
acres, and several smaller ones, while
Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia have
heretofore been the principal strawberry
growing States of the South.
With our great and growing popula-
ton these efforts have not been sufficient
to overstock the market, and there need
be no fears of doing so for long time
to come. While our whole country,
from the great lakes to the Gulf of
Mexico, is more or less adapted to the
strawberry, it requires such knowledge,
skill and promptitude in comparison
with many other of our varied agricultu-
raj and horticultural industries that it
is not likely to engage the attention
of an undue proportion of our
laboring population. But the Difficult
ties supposed to be in the way of success
full strawberry raising in our own section
are overestimated. Experiments in vari-
GUS localities have proved that we have
soil and climate well adapted to their
production without limit 1t is gener-
ally considered that the better quality of
our light sandy soils, with clay subsoil near
the surface, is best apted to them, but
we know from observation at least one
instance where field of strawberries on
light sandy land, with clay subsoil too
far off for influence on the berries, to be
superior to any we ever saw on the first
named soil.
Even experienced strawberry growers
from other sections, who have seen this
Georgia field, have pronounced it supe
rior to anything of the kind seen in
their own sections. The past season
has proved, also, that strawberries will
bear in this Climate so early IN the spring
that shipments may begin in March, thus
giving fully two months advantage to
South Georgia and Florida over the
Northern growers in their own markets.
In strawberries, as in nearly all the
fruits and vegetables. the South can
have undisputed possession of all the
markets of the country for from one to
two months in the spring, and in many
articles resume control again by Its fall
gardens, after gardening in the North
ceases for the winter. This is certainly
a very great advantage, that should be
appreciated by the South, and indicates
the fault as ours if we don't turn it to
our profit.
It's true that until recently we could
make no use of the advantage for want
of rapid and cheap transportation, but
that difficulty no longer exists, at least,
in large districts suitable for truck farm
ing. and, most notably, along the coast
| -.-.o.. sc tI,o ToroI;noo Goornia apd
Florida. The very enterprising and lib
eral railway lines penetrating those re.
gions are in co operation with lines OF
steamers by sea, and both are using
every exertion to facilitate transporta
ton of such produce in order to give the
most liberal encouragement to the open
ing of new farms and the general in
crease of the business. This policy has
worked wonders for Southern Georges
and Florida during the last three or foul
years, and the probable increase of these
facilities, with the good prices sustained
throughout the truck farming season,
are preparing the way for an early in
vestment and activity in this line never
before witnessed in the South.
Chatham county should head this
movement-her favorable location giving
her the foremost advantage in shipping
facilities, and her wealth and intelligence
afford her every opportunity. Her
drained swamp lands are OF the very
first quality for truck farming, while d
large proportion of her lighter sandy
lands can be proftably employed in the
same way. Where these lands are low
and damp proper draining will bring
them in competition with the best
swamp lands. and in many localities
where irrigation or flooding is practica-
BILE thorough system will render them
superior. Hutchinson's Island, as an
illustration, opposite this CITY, is capable,
in our opinion, of being turned into a
truck farm that no locality in the country
could surpass. A large portion of
it can be planted il strawberries that
will bear from six to nine months in the
year, aud pay profit of from three to
five hundred dollars per acre according
to season and prices. We mention
strawberries because they can be irri-
gated to great advantage, and we might
well urge irrigation for the strawberry
as a remedy against the "dying out"
complaint which comes up from all the
sandy, thirsty regions of our long hot
summer climate. They certainly die
out for the want of moisture, and it is
well known to experienced gardeners
that the strawberry requires a great deal
of water. Ridged for the beds and the
water gagged and admitted at the pro-
per season to the middles, it would pre-
sent growth of stool and crops of fruit
that we think have not yet been seen in
the attempts at strawberry culture in
this section.
A Topeka, Kansas, dispatch states
that the estimates received by the State
Board of Agriculture from various coun.
ties in the wheat section warrant the be-
lief that the harvest this year will exceed
SO, 0OO, 900 bushels, making by far the
most bounteous yield since 1873. The
average estimate is twenty bushels per