The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-09
NE WIS OF THE CROPS.
The Disastrous Effects of Last Months
Rains on the Vegetable Gardens.

The Disastrous Effects of Last Months
Rains on the Vegetable Gardens.
The truck farmers say that the heavy
rains of last month were very disastrous to
their crops, the turnout of Irish and sweet
potatoes being only about so per cent. Of
what was expected. Truck farmers are
now blowing their fields preparatory to
February planting. Lettuce was badly dis
colored by frosts, and the early turnip crop
was not what was expected. though better
results are looked for from the growing
turnip crop, which was benefited by the
late fall rains.
There was very fair vegetable market
yesterday, ard young radishes, turrips,
lettuce, endives and Irish and sweet potatoes
were fairly plentiful and found ready
sale. Celery was not so plentiful, and the
demand exceeded the supply.
The extensive truck farm of Mr.. Masse
on Hutchinson's Island suffered from the
September food That and the frosts
played havoc with promising strawberry
crop, which, under the plan of culture,
would have begun to ripen in time 20 sup
ply a local and northern demand during
the holiday season, as Mr.. Massie expected
10 be able to protect his plants, which had
escaped the food, by covering them with
species of oil cloth adapted to the purpose,
was not such as was contemplated for use
and did not afford ample protection to the
plants, and the blooms were chilled. q. VI.
heidi a. Co., druggists, have on exhibition
in their Whitaker street show window one
of the Massie strawberry plants potted,
which has both bloom and ripe fruit on it,
showing that with reasonable protection
from frost ripe Strawberries in December
are possible in this latitude.
the farmers arc OrpparlQP their ground
with view to increase the potato acreage
in February over last spring. They sue
ceeded SO well last spring that an effort will
be made to ship earlier next spring.
Truckers got as high as - per barrel last
sring, and those who did not do SO we'll
failed because they waited too long, i'm
aginiDg that the tubers ought to be fully
matured, when, as matter of fact, the
smallest potatoes brought more two weeks
earlier than the matured potatoes brought
two weeks later. Truckers who waited last
spring under the mistaken idea that it
wouldn't do to dig a promising patch so
early are not likely to repeat the mistake
next spring. When the potatoes approx
mate the size of an egg they will begin to
ship to the north, following closely upon
the Florida shipments.
There will be a more extensive system of
truck gardening next season. More hot
beds will be used for early beets and toma-
toes, which not only command good prices
at home, but in the north. 1t is generally
understood by truck farmers that they can
sell all they can raise, but the success lies in
getting the products of their gardens to an
early market, and farmers whose crops
have been cut short by drought contemplate
the sinking of wells for artificial irrigation.
Truck farming in this section will be re-
duced to science in few years by arti-
fetal watering in times of drought and
thing TO better drain the lands in periods of
continued rainfall. 1t may be said to be in
its infancy, and farmers are profiting by
experience from year to year.