The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-27
BIG FORTUNES IN TRUCK.
ovEB 100000 IN FARMS IN
CHATHAM COUNTY.


TFnnated at S5oo,ooo-Ths Truck
Growing Industry Rapidly Becoming
One of the Great Industries Of the
south.-The Savannah Territory the
Best Adapted and Located for
Growing and Shipping to the Big
Markets-A Great Future for the
Truck Business.
Truck farming has become one of the
most important industries Of Chatham
county. 1t is the most important industry
outside of Savannah, not excepting any,
even rice planting.
This will seem an extravaganza statement
to many people Of Savannah, even, most of
whom have little idea Of the industry which
has grown up around them. AS one Of the
largest truck farmers in the country said
yesterday, the New York commission mer-
chants know more about the amount Of
truck that is raised around Savannah than
the people Of Savannah do themselves. the
truck farmers not excepted
$1,000, 900 IN TRUCK LANDS.
The truck lands Of Chatham county now
under cultivation could not be purchased for
$1,000, 0OO and the gross receipts from their
products this year win be something over
$500. 900.
And yet the business is in fits infancy.
These are not fancy figures. The truck
farmers of Chatham county are now re-
ceiving from 800 to $500 an acre for
potatoes One of the largest growers
showed a MORNING NEWS reporter yester-
day a telegram which he had Just received
from New York announcing the sale of
carload OF potatoes at IS so per barrel. That
was the lowest sale ne had made this season,
as potatoes have been bringing from Sc so
TO IS so per barrel in the northern markets.
THE GREAT POTATO YIELD.
Fifty barrels of potatoes is considered a
fair yield, sixty barrels to the acre being q
common yield, and 100 barrels and even
more are frequently raised. Multiply the
number of barrels to the acre by the prices
per barrel, and it will be found that the re-
ceipts per acre are actual and not SUPPOSE
BILE.
Well posted truckmen know that on the
smaller crops, such as oucumbers, tomatoes
and fine table vegetables, with favorable
seasons and good markets, an amount per
acre is received that would seem fabulous to
the uninitiated. The fancy crops often fail
to hit the market. however.
A MORNING NEWS reporter has during
the past two days visited the officers of the
railroad and steamship companies, talked
aud commission men and inter
viewed several Of the largest truck
growers, with a view to getting an idea of
the extent of the truck business in this
county, and the present acreage and yield as
compared with the acreage and yield of
previous years.
5000 ACRES IN TRUCK GARDENS.
Exact figures are difficult to get, as there
is no one channel through which all this
&.
previous years have been made, but esti-
mates ars brought down pretty fine
The acreage actually devoted to truck
farming in this, Chatham county, both for
foreign shipment and home consumption, is
not large. Five thousand acres will more
than cover the whole trucking territory.
Or this about 100 acres are devoted to
potatoes this year, and the remainder is, or
was, planted in cabbages, pease, beans, to-
matoes, cucumbers and other vegetables
A member Of a firm which has supplied
the truck farmers and handled their pro-
duce for years, counted up nearly fifty
farmers whom he knew to have from five
to eighty-five acres of potatoes each, the
whole amounting TO about 900 acres. This
did not include the numerous patches of the
market farmers.
Some OF the farmers were found after ward
who had as high as 125 acres in potatoes
each. showing that the merchant had made
an underestimate. One thousand acres is a
close estimate of the acreage in potatoes In
Chatham county this year, chiefly around
Savannah and TO the west of the city TO
Monteith, on the Charleston and Savannah
railroad.
BIG POTATO CROP.
There were a number of failures from
blight aud other causes, but fair crop gem
orally was made. The average yield will be
from forty to fifty barrels per acre.
The prices have been higher than for
years, beginning at 50 so per barrel In New
York, and holding steady now at IS to IS,
at which prices IL is believed they will
continue for some time. The Savannah
farmers have the bull by the horns
this year, SO to speak. The Florida crop
was soon out Of the market, the Charleston
and New Orleans crops are poor, aud the
Norfolk crop is later than usual, so Savan-
nah is serenely holding her own and supply
ing the market at high prices.
Last year the truck farmers rushed their
potatoes TO market while they were green,
In order to get them in before Norfolk and
other points got into the market, but this
year, not having competition to fear, they
are allowing the potatoes to mature before
digging. and in this way getting a much
larger yield per acre and proportionately
larger returns for the crop.
about $1,000 barrels of potatoes will be
shipped away from Savannah this year
Estimating an average price of IS per barr
rel gross the truck farmers of Chatham
county will receive $3.50, 900 for their po-
tatoes.
ALL MAKING MONEY.
The farmers all acknowledge that they
are making money this year. Potatoes are
not the only crop, by any means A large
crop Of cabbages was shipped this year at
good prices. Beans are another very profit.
able crop largely raised here. The crop was
cut short by the dry weather, but high
prices were received for what was made.
Early pease are largely planted here also.
There is now large crop OF tomatoes and
cucumbers on the ground, which will soon
be on the market. A quantity Of smaller
stuff is planted, which generally brings good
prices.
INCREASING EVERY YEAR
The truck business around Savannah is
a growth OF recent years For a number Of
years the business has been carried on tc
some extent, farming simply for the home
market, but not until the last few wears
has the business of growing
truck on large scale for
the northern markets been carried
on here. Now the business is growing ran.
idly and will double itself in few years.
probably in the next three years. Besides
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