The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-28
GOING IN FOR ABIG CROP.
TRUCK FARMERS PRBPAR ING FOR
A PROSPEROUS SEASON.

Next Month the Planting Time and
Seed Dealers Rushed with Orders
The Cold Snap a Forerunner Of Big
Yield Both in Truck and Fruits-Chat
ham County's Acreage in Truck
Farms Rapidly Increasing.
Business may be dull in some lines. but
the seed dealers have their hands full just
now. The planting season has just begun
and the planters and small dealers are lay
ing In large stocks OF seeds or fling orders
TO be delivered next month. The recent
cold snap killed a great deal Of the planting
Of the last month, and this causes an add
tional demand for new seed.
''Our local business is heavier than our
jobbing trade said wholesale dealer yes
terday. "Some Of the large planters buy
more seed than any Of the small storekeep-
ers throughout the country. A large planter
often requires 200 barrels Of potatoes at s.
a barrel and a large quantity Of seed
peas, beans. cabbage aud cucumber
seed. So you see large planters
bill amounts TO something. A
truck farmer has to 60 to considerable
expense on his crop before he begins to
realize any returns and one OF his heav-
lest expenses is for seed"
Other seed dealers we're seen and ex-
pressed themselves IN about the same man
ner.
THE FARMERS BUSY.
Some Of the truck farmers were also seen.
They are now preparing their land for plant
ing A few are putting in early peas and
potatoes. February is the planting month
with the farmers around Savannah, how
ever, and next month the seed will be put
in the ground as fast as possible.
The farmers had pretty good season
last year. and, from what can be learned,
they are going in for heavy crops and in
creased acreage this year.
Nearly all the large planters will increase
their acreage somewhat, and many smaller
planters who have not heretofore done
much will go into the business extensively.
The acreage in truck around Savannah
last year was estimated at somewhere be-
tween 1900 and 5000 acres. including large
and small. This years increase will prob
ably bring the acreage up to fully 5000
acres or over.
The crops on which the planters will go in
heavily next month are potatoes, beans and
peas, with cucumbers, lettuce and a few
other side crops. More than one-half the
acreage will be in potatoes and beans, and
peas will almost divide the remainder,
leaving small percentage for other crops
A SMALL CABBAGE CROP.
The cabbage crop in this section, 10 is now
admitted by all, will be very light There
were about $50 acres, in cabbage around
Savannah, and nearly all Of them were killed
by the cold weather The small crop, how
ever, will bring high prices, as the cold
played the same havoc elsewhere all through
the trucking region. 1t is an old say
ing that cold winter makes a big crop, and
the truck farmers are ell looking forward
20 good crops this year. The same thing
applies TO fruit, and If 10 proves true there
will be the biggest fruit crop this year the
country has ever known.
A good many people do not understand
why the truck farmers bring such large
quantities of seed potatoes from the north.
A large planter explained this yesterday.
The home-raised seed makes just as good
potatoes, be said, but northern seed is pre-.
ferred because the potatoes mature so much
more rapidly. Early growth in order TO
catch 90 early market being the great de-
sideratum OF the southern farmer, the
northern seed is naturally preferred. 1t is
noticed that the longer any variety of po-
tato is planted in this section, reproducing
from and grown here, the longer 10 takes to
reach maturity. In other words, the plant
which has been accustomed to the short
summers Of the north begins to accustom
itself to the long summers of the south.