Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-28

EDITOR Morning 1Netcs: Tbs melon crop
has been pronounced a failure in South
west Georgia, and as usual in such cases
the growers are disheartened and threaten
TO abandon the business altogether. l
notice also that in looking around for the
cause of their misfortune, they lay the
chief blame upon the railroads, although
it is admitted that the crop was ''short
one-half'' by the season, and that the
magnitude of the business had attracted
sharpers,'' etc. Much complaint is made
Of s'rascally commission men" as selling
about one-half of their consignments 10
paw freight and condemning or contiscat-
ing the other as damaged aud unmarked
able. Some instances are given Of whole
consignments sold for less than the cost
of freight, leaving a balance against the
shipper. The business Of sharping IS by
no means confined to the melon trade, as
Whether these lost cOnsignments resulted
from the operations Of the sbarpers, or
whether the melons were inferior, or found
overstocked markets, is not stated, but
such things, it seems, might be
guarded against by the good sense
of the growers; and since the railroads are
usually held responsible for damage to
goods shipped over their INES;
I do not exactly understand
how so large proportion of
shipments could be lost by damage, unless
the risk is taken by the shippers. Again,
it is difficult to see how so much damage
could occur, unless some part OF the fault
be attributed to the variety of melons, or
the packing on the cars. Some varieties
of melons. and even many OF the popular
Georgia. by reason of thin, brittle rind,
4 80 - -nf rlaf
adapted to the ordeal OF Shipment Tor
hundreds oe miles over railroads.
But assuming that the chief point of the
present failure was due to the railroads,
is that sufficient cause for abandoning
what was everywhere trumpeted as a
grand success last year, and return to
s'QI cotton" which has been eXecrated all
over the South as the prime factor in the
prevailing poverty and distress among the
planters? The fault attributed to the rail-
roads is not damage to the melons ship
ped, nor want Of facility and dispatch in
the shipment, but higher rates of freight
than the business warrants, some
roads having increased their
rates beyond the expectation OF
growers. The writer knows nothing about
the increase or decrease of rates on any
of the roads, nor is this material in con-
sidering the Importance of the melon
trade, since railroad companies are too
shrewd and anxious about their own in
terests to kill off any branch of trade
yielding handsome profits to them. Our
Southern melon growing is child of their
own training, and they are not likely to
strangie it now that it has put off its
swaddling clothes and assumed a
magnitude that astonishes all America
Their own business of the
rail is but going through a transition
state, rising to a higher plane of useful
ness, and our melon growers remember
well that very few years ago all the
| railroads in Georgia combined could not
have moved even the short crop of melons
| just sent to Northern markets. 1t is no.
| toriOus that as business increases and the
systems of transportation are perfected
the cost of handling diminishes. With
out paying rates, transportation can
not be sustained under any system,
because, as the melon growers are now
giving evidence, no class of people can
| be induced to continue their investments
| in business which promises no remunera-
| ton. But it is common to invest in the
hope of future reward, and this is the
| case with all railroads-they are built in
advance to develop the country. encour.
age industry and lay the foundation OF
| future prosperity. In this case the rail.
roads advanced the expense of vast pre-
| paratiOns to move an enormous crop OF
melons, the raising of which depended
upon the contingency of these preparations
The conditions were fulfilled upon one
| side only. The preparations were made
and the accommodations ample, but the
crop fell short ''one-half."
1t was not the fault of the growers, and
| it may have been a mistake on the part oil
| the railroads in adhering to their rates,
| or it may have been a necessity; but in
either event, the loss, by whoever sus.
| tanned, was but temporary, and could in
no wise decide the fate of an industry al
| ready great, but declared to be only sin
| its infancy" Having been taught its
practicability, the North will not cease to
| demand a supply of melons in advance Of
| its own crops, and somebody will produce
| those melons, whatever discouragements
are met with during the first few years.
There will be failures here often. nc
| doubt. as heretofore, but there will also
| be individual successes, as heretofore, to
encourage and keep up the interest in the
| trade; and when reflection reminds us
| that our population increased 5000, 00C
since the census. returns four years ago.
! and that every decade Will add at least
| 10, 600 600 more, it cannot be doubted that
while transportation must, from the force
| of circumstance, greatly diminish, the de-
mand for Southern melons and Southern
vegetables will increase in proportion to
our mighty increase in population.
Our people, then, should not lose heart
| Hardships will come, accidents will hap.
| pen, and errors will be committed, but
Intelligence and perseverance will con.
| guer. They should not ''go it blind" and
| risk all on watermelOns, or any other sin.
| gle crop, but utilize the splendid adyan.
tages of their soil and climate by the
greatest possible diversity of crops. There
can be no question that the railroads will
cooperate with growers as heretofore
equip trains. reduce freights and encour.
age, by all the means in their power, a
| branch of industry they have founded
and that must and will grow with the
population of the country.
HOPEFUL.