The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-01
FLORIDA's TRUCK CROP.

| The Seasons Outlook-Better Shipping
Facilities Required.
A. B. Detwiler, a leading fruit dealer OF
| Philadelphia, arrived In the city last night
from Florida en- route to the north. He
has been in Florida several weeks and has
circulated among the most extensive truck
growers of that state. When he landed in
| Florida he found the people Sin the dumps
because the wet weather had retarded the
| growth of their produce. His trip was
| principally among the farmers In the
vicinity of Tampa, on the Indian and Man
| atee rivers, and farther up il and around
Gainesville, Starke, Lawtey, Waldo and
Ocala
"The farmers anticipated an exceptionally
| early season this year. he said, 'aud while
| will be shipping fruit and vegetables in
large quantities to the north as early as
| they have ever done before
Mr.. Detwiler said that already the farm
| ers are shipping beans to the northern
markets and are realizing from s. to Sc per
| crate. He thinks that within the coming
two weeks they will be shipping peas.
tomatoes and cabbages. The acreage has
been largely increased over that
of last season and there will
be considerably more truck raised and
much more shipped this seas n.
Strawberries have been ripe in Florida
| several days, and the berry shipment to
the north is already lively. Strawberries
| are now selling in Philadelphia and New
York at from 81 TO 81 80 per GU rt.
The orange crop, Mr.. DeJwiler said, is
over half gathered, and while he was in
Florida he saw purchases made of the fruit
on the trees Of several of the large gcoves
at from 50 cents to 81 per box. This" he
said, sis pretty fair price, but some of the
growers who have not sold in Florida will
not sell for less THAI 81 if they have to ship
the oranges north" Speaking of the in
creasing fruit and vegetable in
| dustry, he said that Florida
is fruit and vegetable country,
| and the people are beginning to find 1t out,
from the way they are investing in the
business. The farmers, he said, ''are do
ing their part, and it remains for the mer-
| chants at the north, who handle the
produce, and the railroads, who transport
! it. to increase their facilities and Cooper
atively build up the greatest industry of
the south"
Mr.. Detwiler is interesting himself In the
| matter and has succeeded in securing a
| favorable reply from Gene al Freight Agent
| Emerson OF the Atlantic Coast Line in the
matter OF obtaining special rate ON pro-
duce shipped over the line ''Not only
should there be a special and reduced rat
by the railroads. said Mr. Detwiler,
but it is equally as important that
| quicker time be made This
can be done by furnishing ventilated ca s..
to be loaded in Florida and run through
without transfer. As it now is, fruit or
vegetables from Florida have TO be shipped
in close cars and they have to be transferred
several times en- route so that it takes ship
ment six or eight days to reach
its destination. What is needed
most is ventilated cars, and that the ship
ments shall remain in the same cars with
out transfer until their point of destination
is reached. By this means the time required
to ship carload Of produce from any point
in Florida to the north W II be reduced from
week and over to about three and four
days"
Mr.. Detwiler said that he had reasons to
believe that the Savannah, florida and
Western Railway and Atlantic Coast Line
will cooperate and the facilities will be in
| creased. He aid that the facilities are
such at the north as 10 enable dealers to
bring produce from Sacramento to Phila-
delphia in a week, and from points in MIS-
sissippi within half dozsn days. He does
not see why similar facilities cannot be Sc
cured in the S nth.