The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-08-21
THE COAST LINE TERRITORY.


The annexed extracts from an article
by Mr.. Bennett Dobbin, entitled ''The
Territory of the Atlantic Coast Line, {"
and printed in the July number of the
Southern Magazine, will be found in
teresting: Truck farming in North
Carolina on any large scale is an indus
try of comparatively recent growth.
One of the pioneers in it was Mr.. G.. z
French, recently postmaster at Viii
mington. Mr.. French began some
years ago the experiment of raising
vegetables for shipment at Rocky
Point, in Pender county, few miles
north of Wilmington, on the Whining
ton 6 Weldon Road, and he has done
from the beginning large and profit
able business. On his farm Of 700 acres
he raises Strawberries, peas, beans, po
tatoes, beets, radishes, melons, cucum-
bers and all ordinary vegetables. AS
outgrowth of his successful experience,
and because of peculiar and specially
favorable conditions of soil, this has
come to be an important trucking
centre
From Wilmington to Goldsboro there
has been in the last few years very
great development in this business.
Faison's, station just below Colds
boro, has become specially noted as a
place of shipment for Strawberries. At
Mount Olive, north of Faison's, Mr..
James A. Westbrook has been con
spicuously successful in growing straw
berries. Fourteen years ago Mr.. West
brook bought a small, worn out cotton
farm of seventy three acres, Of which
only forty three acres were cleared.
The small buildings on it were in decay
and it was practically without fences.
With this farm and one horse and
81, 900 in money, he began the business
of truck farming, making strawberries
his principal crop. Comparing his
status then and now, his seventy three
acres of exhausted cotton fielos have
been transformed into a model and
highly productive vegetable and fruit
farm; he owns, besides, four fine fruit
farms in North and South Carolina, q
valuable farm in Florida, an oyster
farm on the North Carolina coast, a
grist mill and other properties, and a
substantial bank account, all acquired
with the earnings of his truck farm.
The net cash receipts (that is the aggre-
gate proceeds of sales less freight and
commissions) this year of this Mount
Olive farm, of which sixty three acres
are in cultivation, thirty acress bearing
strawberries, will be not less than $50, :
900. The net cash returns from straw
berries alone were $4,000. The cost of
cultivating Gncluding fertilizers pick
ing, packing and shipping Strawberries
will approximate 800 an acre, or pos
sibly may at times run as high as $125.
Estimating the cost of the berries from
this 3O-acre patch at the maximum,
1925, (t need never reach that of So,
$50 for the whole, there is left clear
profit of $40, $50, or $345 an acre. The
price thisyear ran from sixty five cents,
received at the first of the season
through successive gradations down to
twelve cents at the close.
In this connection, the folio owing
statement from Mr.. J. o. Loftin, of
Mount Olive, N. c., will be of interest: {:
''In May, 1893, bought !, ZOO straw
berry plants, and having had no pre-
vious experience, took the advice of
the gentleman from whom I bought
them in regard to raising them. From
these plants I raised enough more to
make eleven, twelfths of an acre by
September. began shipping the 9th
of last April and shipped in all fifty
five crates of thirty-two quarts each,
for which received gross $417. so. and
the expenses were as follows:
Cost Of plants, manures and working. 5000
Picking, packing and hauling. g.............. 5l.40
1rateS;. i 49, 81 rS
s2O6. 40
Net profit on eleven-twelfths $2l1. 10
''The first two items are estimated
and are somewhat in excess of what
the actual figures would be could they
be obtained. OF course the expense of
a single acre is much greater, proper
tionately, than on larger area.
II also raised enough plants to set
out an additional acre, which will
come into bearing next spring"
Mr.. Loftin might have added that
the cost is greater the first year than
afterwards.
1t has not been many years since the
land on this division of the Atlantic
Coast Line. that is bet tween Goldsboro