The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-26
MORE PROFITABLE THAN COTTON.
Melon Raising Becoming a Great
Southern Industry.
From the Ne,O York Star.


Charles W. Anderson of Macon, Ca, who
has been stopping at the Gilsey House for
several days, has been telling me some inter
esting facts about our southern product. in
which most people are greatly interested at
this time. That is the melon. OF melon
culture and the shipments north he said:
II am interested in two melon companies
The largest one is at Adams Park, twenty
miles below Macon, on the East Tennessee
railroad. This company has l 200 acres of
watermelons, and it will ship this season
over 400 carloads of them. Just imagine
a square mile Of level ground all covered
with the largest and finest melons. We
have sold 200 carloads in Boston already.
and half of the crop is sold each year long
before it is ripe.
1.-The crop through Georgia has been over
ten days late. owing to the drought. Ship
ments were begun about june IL, and the
melons are arriving in excellent shape A
friend of mine, j. l.. Handler of Pelham, S.
c., has tried the same plan as the company
which / have referred to near Macon, to sell
the best melons for the best price. In thu
way a specific demand is created for their
production.
"There is growing desire on the part of
the producers in Georgia to sell by the car
load on the track, and no d ubt a much
larger pornon of the crop will be disposed
of this year that way than in previous
years. Sales have been made so far at $125
on the track.
before l came to this city took a trip
through the great melon-raising region of
the south, and the outlook this year is most
favorable. Valdosta and Boston. on the
line of the Savannah, Florida and Western
railroad nave much larger acreage planted
this year than last. Boston, Ca, has
equally as many acres in melons this year
as last. The shippers told me that they
received good returns for their melons last
year, and hence no ling off in acreage.
Quitman has L, 800 acres. From that por-
ton of the melon country the first ship
ments were made about June 10. They
consisted of ten carloads of lreen fruit.
go the Georgia Southern and FL rida
road found the crops much better than
they have been for years. The acreage was
largely in excess of that of 1888, yet the
condition and quality of the vines are of an
inferior kind. Most of the grow ers on this
line of railroad are new in the business and
will do well if they average car TO six
acres. The Georgia Southern and Florid4
people expect to handle about 1000 car
loads OF the fruit
''On the East Tennessee and Georgia line
there are l 500 more acres planted this year
than last. l saw no crops on any line that
would compare with that region, either in
condition or healthy appearance of the
vines. 1t is an established fact that there
are no lands in Georgia that will ever favor
ably compare with the lands on this road
for the production of the melon. The finest
average melons Ihave ever seen were grown
at Towns, Scotland's and Reid's farms on
that line.
''The first carload of melons shipped to
the west went out June IA, and made the
best time yet, owing TO the constantly i'm
proving railroad facilities of the south. 1t
left Jesup $40 a. M, and re ched Cha
tanooga at a. M, the next morning-400
miles in twent y-five hours. 1t was deliv-
cred to tue Chattan bog /, Nashville, and st.
Louis railroad at 3 a. m. that day, and the
time from Chattanooga to Chicago was
forty-elght hours, making the total time of
the first carload of melons to the west,
LAO miles, in seventy-five hours. Tn 1T is
what is making the Georgia melon raisers
happy. Melon-raising in certain sections
of the south will soon pay better than
cotton"