Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-31
FLORIDA TRUCK-GROWING.
Difficulty of Proper Transportation
of Vegetables 20 Northern Markets
Necessity for Better Arrangements
IL This Industry Is 90 be Main.
taIned.

LAKE CITY, March 25.-Editor MOyqa-
ing NeaOs: l have noticed In your issue
Of the 18th an account of the organization
of truckers association In your city.
In the proceedings of that meeting reso-
luton was adopted asking the cooperation
OF Florida truckers with regard to shipments
via the Ocean Steamship line to New York
on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays, as is
now the case.
Now l desire to call the attention of the
agents Of all the steamship lines from Sa-
vannah to Northern cities, and to suggest
that they combine in a general effort to
remedy difficulty which is deprivlng them
OF our patronage and working severe losses
to us there.
This section is well-known as one Of, IL
not wholly, the most important vegetable
growing sections of Florida, especially in
peas, beans, cabbage and cucumbers, and
yet we feel that we are more neglected as to
transportation than any other trucking por-
tion of the State.
To ship by the steamer leaving Savannah
OH VOunC5uay d1IoFuOOus We nave TO u6-
liver our shipments to the agent here at
Lake City on Monday, two days ahead, and
they lie over at Jacksonville whole day
and at Savannah six to twelve hours before
going on board the steamer. This ship
reaches New York on Saturday, poor mar
ket day, and the produce must be sold at a
low price, or, If kept over until Monday, is
very probably fit only to be dumped into
the dock.
AS with the New York steamers so also is
the case with the Baltimore, Philadelphia
and Boston lines-that we have to ship from
here two days before their DAYS of sailing.
1t will readily be seen by this arrange
ment that our vegetables are from six to
ten DAYS gathered before they reach the
Northern markets, and consequently unfit
to eat.
Now, we have hundreds, perhaps thou
sands, of crates of unpicked peas that we
cannot risk under these circumstances; we
cannot afford the expense of picking, cost
OF crates and guarantee the freight charges
as required, and get nothing for them, as
has been generally our misfortune this
season.
Without an arrangement that will take
our truck directly to the wharves In Savan-
nah, avoiding any delays at Jacksonville,
your Savannah ship lines will get no more
from here this season, and truck raising
will henceforth be only thing of the past
in this region. We are discouraged and dis
gusted with the treatment received from
our railroads and will devote our attention
to other crops,
Last year our shipments all went by Live
Oak, were made only the daV prior to the
sailing of the steamers, reached the North
ern markets generally In good order, and our
returns were very satisfactory, while 1t has
seemed impossible to get almost anything
there this year in a saleable condition, and
nearly every grower and shipper has lost
money and determined to discontinue and
let the balance of the crops 90 to seed un-
less we can secure close connection with
the steamers without any delay on the way.
Now cannot and will not all the agents in
Savannah OF the aforesaid steamship lines
bring to hear upon the managers of the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western and the Flori-
ds Central Roads such an influence as to
give us the aforesaid facilities for our ship
ments, and thus enable us to reap fair re-
turns for our investments and labor, and
give to their lines increased shipments that
will prove highly remunerative? Why can
not we have last seasons arrangement via
Live Oak restored, or, If not this, close con-
nection at Jacksonville that will put our
truck on the ships in less than day after
they leave Lake City?
This produce is perishable, must not be
treated as bacon or -four, must get to mar
cannot 1t have proper attention and thereby
encourage the grower to extend his crops
from year to year, by which means he
benefits the transporting lines in his increas-
ing patronage and gives the crowded cities
of the North fresh vegetable food, so neces-
sary to health, very early in the season.
II the aforesaid arrangement can be ef-
fected through the efforts of the steamship
agents, they will be rewarded with a re-
sumption of our shipment; If not, we can
not afford to ship under the present arrange
ments, by which we will certainly lose our
shipments and undergo heavy losses in the
eX pense of picking, crates, and freight
charges besides; and concluding that the
transportation companies do not care to en-
courage the trucking interest here, we shall
abandon 1t altogether.
write not alone in my own interest, but
in behalf of that whole class of hard work
ing men here who have, until recently, been
sure of a successful season, but are now dis
appointed and discouraged.
We feel that we are badly treated here,
and desire the proper remedy.
Under the proper facilities, the number of
crates of peas alone that would have been
shipped from here would have, | believe,
exceeded the entire number of all the crops
of last season, and our shipments of all |
crops, embracing peas. beans, cabbage, |
cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, etc, would |
have been over FIVE times as great as the |
entire quantity of last year.
II is to be hoped that this matter may re-
ceive prompt attention, and that the afore- |
said steamship agents may and will be |
enabled to implant into the management of |
the above-named railroads that tterrible |
disease known as enlargement ofthe heart"
and open their eyes to their own interests, |
so that we may have immediate relief and |
be enabled to resume our shipments, so as |
to make it pay US, pay them to carry, pay |
the commissionlmerchants to sell, and pay |
the consumer to eat it. Yours truly,
j. s. W.