The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-07-15
Ghe 9armer.
Truck Farming.


Boston today" Such was the remark OF
one Of the big market gardeners 81 Nor
folk few days ago, as he tore the envelope
containing the welcome telegram aad put
its contents on file. Then he added:
~ have $50 barrels in Boston this
morning and 245 barrels in New York.
1t hardly seems like making money in the
ordinary sense. It's like finding il, and
he gleelully entered the items in pond
erous ledger.
The market gardener, or to speak more
properly, the truck farmer. who spoke thus
eultivates $50 acres of land in the truck
growing belt which lies along the Princess
Anne road leading westward out Of Nor
folk, and which comprises section about
ten miles square. 1t is not generally
known that this tract, which is owned by
about $50 men, is the source upon which
all of the great seaboard cities draw just
at this season for Its supply Of spinach and
kale. and little later for its strawberries,
early cabbage, potatoes, green corn and
tomatoes-aIl of which esteemed esculents
are so necessary to the well ordered dinner
table
Already the season for the early vegeta-
bles from Florida and Georgia is on the
wane. Very soon now the rainy season
sets in for the FlOridian truckers and
washes away the last remnants OF their
products. Their season runs from Christ
mas through the chill months of January
and February. The gardeners around
Savannah can keep it up little longer, but
bad weather sells in for that region also
about the first of April, and the large fields
in the peculiar sothermal belt around Nor
folk pick up the burden of filling the vast
Northern mouth with vegetables until the
Eastern Shore of Maryland and the strip
of truck farming land stretching from
Baltimore into Delaware are able To re-
spond to the never ending appeal fol
s'more
Let the many readers Of the Sun take
stroll over typical truck farm about two
miles from Norfolk in company with the
writer. You emerge from the purlieus, 80
to speak, of the city on a very doubtful
and puddly wagon track called the Princess
Anne road. This road was created in the
time that William and Mary reigned on
the throne of Great Britain and Anne was
vet to hold the sceptre of sovereignty. 1t
may have been repaired since then, but It's
present condition warrants a grave doubt
on the subject You look ahead and
around you. Not fence Is to be seen.
Not head of stock, and the only trees to
relieve the monotonous landscape are some
stunted ones. that stick their shaggy heads
out of the scrub fringe along the little arms
of the Hampton Roads that wriggle their
WAYS inland and whose tides rise and fall
at the impulse of the mighty waters Of the
Chesapeake. This apparently deserted
and arid tract before you and around you
is the great truck farming tract whose an
nual Weld is millions, and without which
the epicures of Boston, New York, Phlla-
delphia and Baltimore would linger many
moons in anticipation Of the culinary de-
lights of early peas, potatoes, cabbages,
corn, tomatoes and Strawberries before
they would enjoy them. As far as the eye
can see the plain is as level as billiard
table. dotted here and there with Il frame
house or so. plank barns Of great or small
dimensions and at intervals jaunty little
cottage or chalet, which belokens that the
proprietor lives on his domain.
Looking at the soil along the edges OF
the road where it has never known fertili-
ger. you see that it is of that light, clayey
character which is characterized by farmers
generally as ''purty poor" As matter
Of fact, the land is poor. In its native
state il is utterly unable to produce any
thing but black Jack scrub, but the scientific
farlner-not in all cases an aboriginal one,
either-has taken it in hand and has titled
and fortified it into state of generous
richness. For every crop he uses tons of
stable manure, well deeomposed and strong
in ammoniacal properties. For some
special crops he uses fertilizer. generally
compounded for him after his own formula,
for each one Of these farmers knows just
what his land needs and can tell to what
extent certain crops will impoverish it and
what will be needed to build up its stamina
again.
If you desire to become more intimate
with the exact plan on which one of these
farms is run, (and with slight Earjations
they are all run alike,) you turn into
small side road leading through the farm
straight as an arrow up to small frame
house The road is so narrow that two
teams could not possibly pass each other
on it. The house Is the superintendent
and you are hidden to find that gentleman
across the fields, where he is watching the
operation of planting 80 acres of potatoes.
Six colored laborers, with six mules ard
six single shovel plows, are laying off the
rows, while two more colored deputies are
filling in the trenches with stable manure,
which they fork out of two carts thai are
driven over the rows The work is pro-
crossing rapidly.
Over in a shed near by eight colored
women are seated in a row cutting up the
potatoes for planting, leaving one or two
eyes in each piece. There will be 100
acres planted 10 potatoes, which will mature
about June l, aud 20 of these will also be
set out with adult strawberry vines. which
will bear little later than those in the so
acre plot of vines, which have not been
disturbed.
The writer states his conviction that
this is making every edge cut with a ven
geance, and the superintendent opines that
the science of market gardening lies almost
altogether in making every edge cut.
ave cut both ways and buzz saw in the
middle" is his sententious rejoinder.
The potatoes are planted in the trenches,
the pieces being placed ten inches apart,
and are covered with an old fashioned
double shoveled pillow, guided by colored
man and drawn by mule. Mr.. Superin-
tendent was asked if any special chemicals
were used in the top dressing fertilizer.
He replied that mixture of phosphoric
acid, potash and ammonia is the formula
used on that farm, aud is especially manu-
featured for the owner by well known
fertilizer firm, but in what proportions he
declined to state. The chances are that he
did not know. Plaster is also used, but in