News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-09-07
Truck Farming In Carolina.
ANOTHER ENTHUSIAST SETS FORTH THE
PROFITS THEREOF.

A correspondent of the Atlanta Con-
atitution, writing from Morehead City,
N. c., SAYS" That mai" said Gen.
Roberts, pointing out a man IN the
crowd, "sold $4,000 worth of Irish
potatoes this year, every one OF which
he raised himself on his own place. "
That sounds incredible, and yet 1t Is
true. The man alluded to was Ambrose
Lindsay, who lives on the coast near
the Carolina line. OF this enormous
crop I have no doubt $50, 900 was clear
money. Sol Haas told me of man at
Norfolk, who cleared $50, 900 raising
potatoes this year, and paid off debt
that had accumulated in business
and threatened to ruin him. This ls
the best year for potatoes ever known.
The last crop was short and poor, and
there was no stock to start the season
with. Tho high price of bread and meat
increased the consumption of potatoes,
and the heavy crop of this year was
taken at high figures. Potatoes that
dragged at 80 barrel in New York last
year brought SO. 80 barrel on the Caro-
lima coast this year.
I have written good deal about the
truck farming of this section. but L
was not prepared to zee the progress
that has been made. In the Newbern
country it has quadrupled in the past
two years, and every season sees new
lands cleared. Some of the stories of
profit would be fabulous were they not
well avouched. Mr.. Joseph Rhene, of
Newbern, is an example.
81 had occasion, said Mr.. Bryan, an
intelligent gentleman, to look into his
accounts five years ago, and he was then
$40, 900 behind. He went to truck
farming, commencing with about sixty
acres. He is now worth $50, 900 besides
his farm. He has increased this to
several hundred acres, and 30 enriched
it that what he gave $40 an acre for will
command 800 an acre. He raised
$50, 600 worth of potatoes this year.
The total crop of truck for the season
is worth $55, 900, and it cost him $14, 900
to make it. His sales for the first five
days of the season were $1,000, or
IS. 900 day"
''If the profits are SO immense why
does not everybody go in ?"
''Nearly every body in this section is
going in. planted about ten acres in
potatoes this year, on which I made
$50 an acre, at an expense of 1922 an
acre. L shall enrich my land next year
andincrease my operations. Every season
new people come in. Mr.. Dunn, of our
city, who was in the railway service,
bought sixty acres of land few years
ago and started. He has made over
$40, 900, and his farm, for which he gave
almost nothing, would sell for $4,000
easily There is an abundance of SINH
lar land to be had cheap, but it has to be
cleared and enriched, and is often out
Of the reach of market. In spite of
however, the truck business
of the Carolina coast, already enormous.
s destined to double and quadruple
wen its present proportions. We
yrow everything here, and there are
special farms for tomatoes, berries,
,nions, etc. 1t is not unusual for one
If our growers to ship 10000 boxes of
The cultivation of these
mall crops is Godsend to our people,
Who have been forced to give up heavy
operations in rice and cotton because of
abor troubles. 1t is really surplus
4bove our staple crops anyhow. For
When we raise crop of peas we then
bitch in and raise cotton on the same
and"