The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-04
The Vegetable Interest,

lie vegetable growers Of FioFida
should take immediate steps % organize
AMI demand better treatment q, the
hands Of transportation companies and
commission. We are glad 20 notice that
This InpOEtant matter i receiving the
attention Of such influential papers as
the Palatka NEWS. The general impress
slOn l. that the charges are largely in ex-
cess Of the cost. Another impression is
that, % long - the rates are kept at the
present figures. there can be Little. il any,
profit in vegetable growing. and that on
fruit Il Is Eercsl.itiy diminishing each
year. The time for placing our orchard
and garden products in the market is
but few DAYS In advance of Savannah
and Norfolk. ami. unless we have as
good shipping facilities and low freight
charges a. those two points enjoy, our
truckers are almost sure TO Close the sea-
son with loss instead Of profit. There is
no doubt that Florida Is Disseminated
against in the matter of outgoing freights
Ike vegetables and fruits. There is no
other section on the Atlantic coast where
the freight charges are 30 high as on
shipments from Florida. At Norfolk,
Va, they DO letter. The freish,s from
tina, POINT north are NJ thing compared
toours. The freight charges from Nor
folk to New York are lie per barrel for
cabbage. and 4lc PER barrel for potatoes.
The freight charges from this section TO
Philadelphia and New York, on cab
bsges AMI potatoes are ~ cents per bar.
rel. IL is not worth while for US to con-
slder the question Of Florida vegetable
mowers competing with Norfolk against
the low freight charges 10 New York
from that point II transportation lines
have any desire 10 encourage vegetable
growing in this state they should recon-
slider the matter Of freight charges AMI
reduce them 20 correspond with points
al least that Florida necessarily is conf
PEELED to compete with in the northern
markets. IL Is not the railroads and
steamboats, alone that absorb the profits
of the farmers Of Florida. The commits
sion men. many Of them. it is believed.
are growing rich by handling vegetables
produced In Florida. In only few in.
stances have We been able to learn that
returns have given satisfaction. While
the commission merchants claim that it
does not paw them to handle vegetables
grown here, it is singular that they
should so exert themselves each year TO
have consigned all the vegetables they
can get. There seems no reasonable
doub, but that, properly adjusted, the
business 81 raising vegetables for the
northern markets would prove very prof.
table to those engaged in it, but as mat
t.rs have been arranged for the past two
or three years. there is but little in the
business Ia stimulate or encourage it,
continuance. II seems to us that il the
trucksters would refuse to ship their
vegetables. and dispose Of them for cash
at this end Of the line, their interests
would be promoted. a thorough organ.
ization If the truck growers, and
searching investigation Of the causes
which have contributed SO much to
render this business unsatisfactory,
would probably throw sufficient light
upon the subject to enable our farmers
to devise ways and means for the better
protection Of their interests in the fu-
ture. II there Is anything to he made
by the production Of vegetables in this
section Of the country, those who spend
their time aud money to grow crops are
certainly entitled to "a fair share Of the
profits. Harmony Of action on the part
of our farmers will do much in the III.
rection OF securing 10 them in the future
just compensation for their labor
gainesville News.