Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-09
FIELDS RICH WITH TRUCK
JACK PLANE GUIDES THE READ
ERS OVER THE ACRES.

Profits of their Raisers-Melons MOI
in FavOr-Peaches and Irish POtatot
Second.
PERRY, GA, June THE "truc
crop" as some have denOminate
the wonderful activity in the cult
Vation of vegetables and fruit, has reach
ed lar out into the interior, and many ar
the anticipated fortunes to come ont q
this business. Not being a victim of thi
hallucinatioH, if such it be. but an homes
inquirer after the facts in the premises.
have visited the following places, most al
OF which are in Houston county, durin
the present week. The first point was
PERRY.
This is the county site of Houston. ant
is about forty miles from Macon. 1t il
connected by branch road with tn,
southwestern at Fort Valley, a distanc,
OF twelve miles. 1t would be Difficult
to find in the State a county with a create,
variety of soil than Houston. 1t has it.
pine region, its oak and hickory lands, it!
lime belt, and sand hill sections, its higl
and its low lands. Every variety of veg
etaDle, OF fruit, of cereal. and of plan
finds a suitable soil. In dnte-belIum day.
this was one of the richest cotton section:
IN the State. Since the war the same cot
ton cultivation has been attempted, unit
many OF the finest plantations of the older
| tlme nave become wrecked and ruined
In late years the people have turned ovei
new leaf. The first move was to Danish
! whisky from the county. This was ac.
| cOmpliShed after a fearful struggle, Then
other blessings followed. The stock law
was adopted, and following soon after the
idea OF diversified farming took posses.
sion of the people and with best results.
Last year Mr.. B. f. Avant, having
stronger talth In watermelon culture than
most OF his neighbOrs, made an expert
ment in an old, worn out field near Perry.
There were about 100 acres in the field. 1t
had been abandoned, and could not have
been sold for one dollar per acre. Mr..
AVant rented 1t at nominal price, and
planted it in watermelons. After paving
all expenses of cultivation and rent, he
had as clear cash profit $1,000 in his
pocket. Colonel c. G. Duncan planted
largely OF watermelOns last year, and
made handsome profits, but to what eX-
tent L was unable to learn.
The success of last year induced the Or
ganization of ''Truck Farmers Associa-
tlon," with Colonel Duncan as President,
with over thirty members. The result
has been wonderful increase of
acreage. The following will give some
idea of the extent. Watermelons, 525
acres; Irish potatoes, 451l; cucumbers,
II; snap beans, 3; tomatoes, ~; canta.
loupes, 81; onions, u of an acre, making
total OF 59OH acres. Quite number Of
orchards are also reported with heavily
ladened trees.
Up to the 4th instant the melons were
looking splendidly, and the fruit very
promising. The potato crop was cut
short by the drought and then being dug
and prepared for market. The fruit had
not been as satisfactory as Anticipated.
although the crop will prove remu-
nerative. This can be made one of the
greatest and most profitable crops in the
South. There had been shipped, mostly
to Cincinnati, up to the 4th instant. 533lI
bushels of potatoes and 100 crates of
apples, the apples being more clear money
than any other kind of fruit because they
stand shipment better.
The first car load of watermelons will
be shipped from Perry on the Doth of June.
and they claim that it will require ten
cars day for three weeks during July to
meet the demand at that point.
FORT VALLEY.
This is the largest shipping point in the
county, being at the junction of South
western, Columbus and the Perry rail-
roads. The truck business at this point
and the acreage is nearly 400 acres. and
embraces peaches, watermelOns and Irish
potatoes.
Watermelons-T. 0. Skellie 1870 acres:
F. G. Houser so; j. I'll. COrbitt 20; Har
olson d Bayne IS; Jacob COnor 15; Chas.
Chunn ~; Z. E. Dasher 10; d. Vischer 10:
A. ). Greene D, and r. l.. Brazewell y.
MIR. Warren Harris is the only one cul-
tivating Irish potatoes for market. He
not sent any to market yet The crop is
greatly damaged by the May drought, be-
ing greatly reduced in volume, as well as
the potatoes being reduced in size. The
price has been depressed by the selling of
futures in the Western markets. In Gin
cinnati, for June delivery, they are sup
piled at - % per barrel. These prices
cannot hold, as the crop is much shorter
than at first supposed.
Mr.. Il. o. Skellie is the largest fruit ship
per. Up to the 5th inst. he had shipped
over 400 crates of early peaches to the
west and Northwest markets. For his
earliest shipments he received 50 per
bushel, and his general average will be
about 81 80 per bushel. He has a splendid
crop OF frult, and his orchard will yield
handsome profit. He is the foremost man
in the truck business at this point.
At this point they expect to make good
marketable melons, or car load on two
acres. The average cost will not exceed
D cents per melon, Irish potatoes will
yield 20 barrels to the acre, with a cost of
$50 per acre. Potato ground must be
manured highly to make the yield profit
able. The land about Fort VALLEY is
among the best farming lands in the State.
There is published at this point the GeOr1fd
Truck Farmer, by ByingtOn & Rayne.
am under obligations to Mr.. Bavne for
courtesies while here,
MARSHALLVILLE.
This village is located on the edge of
Macon county, in fine agricultural re-
gion. However, this is the shipping
point of "Willow Lake Nursery" the
largest fruit orchard in Southwest Geor-
gia, which is located in Houston coun-
ty, live miles from Marshallville. This
elegant fruit farm is owned by Mr.. S. H.
Rumph, one of the most progressive
young men of Georgia. His peaches have
national reputation, and are eagerly
sought after in all the large cities of the
North, and they always bring higher
prices than from any other point in the
State. He has been engaged in fruit
shipping several years, and has steadily
improved his varieties, and secured the
best shipping fruits. His first crop of
early peaches has been shipped, and he
has realized from So to SIS per bushel.
He commences next week to ship the
second crop, which are much larger in
size and of better flavor, They will fol-
low the regular crop, from 140 acres of
orchard. In connection with this Or
chard he has so acres as a nursery, from
Which he is constantly augmenting his
orchard acreage. Up to the 5th inst, he
had shipped something over 500 crates Of
Alexander early peaches. He regards this
the best variety for early shipments. He
has ten acres in Strawberries for which he
has been realizing 10 cents per quart. He
eXperlmented on one acre in Strawberries
to see what could be made on il, He has
gathered and marketed 100 quarts up to
date, receiving on an average 10 cents per
quart, or $l1O per acre. They were of the
Wilson variety, which he claims to be the
best shippers, He has number of box
refrigeratOrs in which he ships his ber-
ries. During the recent cold snap he
shipped a lot Of berries to Baltimore and
they were five days in transit, but were
received in good order and sold for II
cents per quart. He is now engaged in
shipping his wild goose plum crop, which
is one Of the most profitable crops he
raises, receiving about $40 per bushel.
His great need is a shelter near the rail-
road track to protect the fruit from rain.
He pays to the Southern Express Com
pany and Central Railroad over So, 900 per
year for freight, and thinks that he is en-
titled to some consideration from the rail-
road as to accommodations.
He has erected large evaporation, and
as soon as the shipping season is over he
eyaporates his fruit and finds ready sale
for all that he can supply. He has large
three-story building in which he manu-
factures crates and all other necessary
appliances for shipping, in which he does
his packing and other work.
POWERSVILLR.