The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-31
MILLIONS IN TRUCK.
TIE DEVELOPMENT OF A GREAT
INDUSTRY IN The SoCTa.

| Great Truce Sections The Diff srence
Bstween Truck Farming and Market
| Gardening The Product of the
Farms, the Wages Paid and the Peo-
pie Employed.
| Although Savannah is the center of one
of the greatest truck farming sections Of
the south, very few people know much Of
the growth of the industry.
| For the first time in the history of the
country truck farming has been made sub
| ject of inquiry by the census Office. Statist.
les have been collected and preliminary
report has bsen made by Special Agent J i.
| II. Hale.
Truck farming in the report is considered
as distinct from market gardening, the
former being carried on in favored locali-
| ties at distance from market, water and
rail transportation being necessary, while
market farming is conducted near the local
markets, transportation being had by teams
owned by the market farmer.
That the industry is Of sufficient import
| ance to warrant census investigation is
shown by the fact that upward of
500, ZOO, 0O0 is invested in truck farming,
the annual products reaching a value OF
| S76 SIT, 1855 on the farms after paying
| freights and commissions, realized upon
| 534, 440 acres OF land.
There are employed in this industry &c.
765 men, 9. 254 women and 14,S74 children,
| aided by 1856 horses and mules, and
IS, 971, 206 20 worth of implements.
AS the truck farming industry, from its
| very nature, is cut up into thousands Of
small farms, and the products are varied
and numerous, it is very difficult to
secure accurate statistics Neverthe-
less, the showing made by the census
proves that the industry is already an ex-
| ceedingly important one and promises to
eventually achieve the eminence of lead
| ing interest.
| The statistics compiled by the census
bureau are from returns received up to jan
| l of the present year, and are believed to
give an approximately correct idea of the
extent of the industry. AS these statistics
were not taken in previous census years,
there are no means of comparing the growth
of the industry, but as comparatively little
was heard of it a very fewyears backs, the
proportions it has now assumed, according
| to the statistics of the present census, evil
dence phenomenal growth.
THE FAVORED SECTIONS.
In the Introduction to his report MIR. Hale
| makes the following interesting statements
relating to truck farming:
The production of fruits and vegetables
for market has always been prosecuted with
great success-in earlier days as branch of
general farming, and more recently as a
speciality, known as market gardening.
The business is usually carried on with q
few highly enriched and thoroughly cult
waited acres of ground aud a rotation OF
crops, so grown that there may be daily
supply throughout considerable portion
of the year. The farms are usually within
a reasonable driving distance of cities and
towns, and the products are generally sold
| tO fha in To
in the smaller towns. directly to the cons
sumer.
Truck farming, although it also consists
in the production of green vegetables for
market, is distinguished from market gar
dening by the fact that, while the market
gardener lives near a market and delivers
his products with his own teams, usually
producing a general variety of vegetables,
the truck farmer lives remote from market
is dependent upon transportation COM
panies and commission men for the delivery
and sale of his products, and usually de-
votes himself TO such specialtias as are best
suited to his soil and climate.
AN INFANT INDUSTRY BEFORE 1860.
Previous to 1860 truck farming was ar
infant industry, unknown except to a very
limited extent along the steamboat anc
railway lines leading out fifty miles or SC
from a few of the larger northern cities
Southern Illinois appear to have been al
that time the leading truck centers Of the
country.
The rapid growth of cities and towns
however and their consequent demands fol
a greater quantity and variety of vegeta
bles throughout the whole year, the changed
conditions in the south after the close of the
war, and the extending of old and the build
ing of new lines of railway, all combined tC
extend tue business, until a very considera
BILE portion of the vegetables consumed II
cities and towns are produced from 500 Il
| 800 miles away. Instead Of having vege-
tables in their respective seasons, BY
drawing upon the various sections Of
the country, nearly all the standard vege-
tables are produced throughout the year
Late in the fall and early in the spring
Florida and the lower Mississippi valley
supply the eastern and central cities anC
California those of the far west and mount
ain section, until the advancing season, a
the rate of abo1t thirteen miles day, starts
the growth and consequent supply up along
the Atlantic coast and the great Nisslssipp
valley, when the full season Of midsummer
in the north continues the supply unit
autumn frcstS once more compel return t.
the south, where q fresh crop awaits tn
demand of the market.
DIVISION INTO DISTRICTS.
In order to handle more conveniently th,
mass of statistics relating to this industry
the country was divided into districts a.
follows:
l. New England District-The field crop
supplying Boston and other New England
cities, and the greenhouse products supply
ing all the large cities of the east.
?. New York aud Philadelphia District
New York state, Long Island. New Jersey
and Pennsylvania, which contribute
largely to the New York and Philadelphia
markets.
8. Peninsular District-Deaware and the
eastern shore counties of Maryland and Vir
ginia. which supplies all the northern enc
some of the central west markets.
T. Norfolk District-Eight southeastern
counties of Virginia and eight northeastern
counties Of North Carolina, which largely
supplies northeastern and central western
markets.
5. Baltimore District-W Western Mary
land, West Virginia, and that part of Vir
GINA not in the peninsular and Norfolk dis
tricts, largely tributary to Baltimore
Washington and northern cities, as well a
local canning factories.
6. South Atlantic Distriot-North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Georgia aud Florida
supplying northern markets, east and west
Z. Mississippi Valley District-Alabamn
Mississippi. Louisiana, Tennessee and Ken
lucky, tributary to north central an,
northwestern cities.
8. Southwest District-Texas, Arkansas
Missouri and Kansas, largely tributary T.