The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-08-05
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SUNNY SIDE
6 07Ns GEORGIA PEACH.
PropouS Season and Good Transportation Facilities Have
Given the Peach Industry a New Impetus n the South

before the peaches are loaded, there is but
httle To fear from heat. and then as the
car Is promptly moved jus; as soon as II can
be loaded, there is but little time lost
The work Of loading the car is generally
accomplished in one day, as the shipper
has a load ready before the peaches are
put ia the car. Then just as soon as the
last crate is placed in the car and the door
locked an engine is i'm waiting to pull the
car away. and as fast as the wheels can
turn the peaches are hurried on to the
terminal OF the road. where "A fruit train
IS generally being made up that will take
the ear without delay to its destination.
How the Shipments Are Made.
When shipper has a load of peaches
ready. he notifies the railroads that he
VIII be ready TO load i'm so many days. The
road then notifies the refrigerator line and
an empty ice ear is at once delivered TO
the road. For illustration, n shipper has
load of peaches at Pomona, little fruit
station on the Central railroad. forty miles
south of Atlanta. lie asks for the car this
afternoon. and the refrigerator car com
pany at once is notified. The car is iced
tonight. and a little after midnight, on
the first train leaving i'm that direction, the
car is carried to Pomona. The shipper is
expecting the arrival of the car, and by
the time that the car is placed on the side
track al the station, he will have a load of
peaches ready TO be placed i'm the ear. This
work of loading is then continued all during
the day. and by night the is ready TO
leave "a is taken off on the first train for
Atlanta. and, when it reaches this city, the
car is again reiced. The reicing takes only
"a few minutes as the road is ready with
the ice ana the men to 80 to work Just as
soon as the car makes it's appearance In
the city Without delay IL is delivered to
a northern connection. ard the trip to mar
ket is again resumed. If necessary. the
car is reiccd at Chattanooga. or probably
al Nashville Then il is not reiced until
Terrc HaUtc. Cairo or Evansville is reach
ed. After this second recing is giving. it
makes the trip into Chicago without further
attention.
The competing lines from Atlanta TO Chi
caEo have been wing with each other this
season in making the best time and some
marvellous runs have been made. The best
record was mad" on the first car that left
Atlanta i'm the month OF june and reach
ed the Windy ely just thirty-three hours
later This car was reiced only once ar
ter leaving Atlanta, and was found TO he
IN perfect condition when its destination
was reached. Tho cars loaded with peaches
are rushed with all possible huste and a
fruit train has right of way against all
frcight trains II IS traced h wire. and
every movement OF the car is registered
at Both ends ni TIE line. The shipper is
able Sd t,ll jus: where the car is at any
Icu- Or. day. and the Chicago par 'haser
ais knows "a woweut that il viii arrive
in ChicIAu. Nothing is allowed To delay
the car aud should the train to which
80 is :ttaca-.l break down, the peach car
1.ouid either h. pulled The balance of tho
was uy special engine. or 1t would be
attached fo "a regular passenger train so
ing in that dire ton.
Thc Cars Are WcU Iced.
The .efIs. ra'ar ears are Of the best pat
terms known In the railroad world. and
are net thu property of the roads butts are
owned by the refrigerator companies.
They ar, strongly aul, and well adapted
Tor fI, r,gt.... The- generally have "a ca
Iaeir" =. h." 'ns ~ zee. v! ieh IS loaded
Il :, Oh -" ,r," So. T if@ as = up
tair,l -. tar t,p. aHd th" oihei mas end
ic- boxes The main objection that has
o., MAGIC 10 the top ices i~ mat IN
fruit would be ruined if the boxes over
bead wer, to become ieaky. provided
there .s no chance of leakage. the top
tr.rs are considered good but il is said
10 Dee risky TO usc chem on long hauls. as
the hot air from the peaches naturally
rises CD tha top uf the car. anG coming IN
contact Mil the cold bottom OF the Ice
boxes. Is moisture Is formed which IL al
most sure to cause tn" water To drip down
into the iruit
water viii only ruin ihe fruI to- is nearest
the ,ul 81 the ear ina which the icaNing box
Is located. mere are cars. however liill
contain both overhead and end ice boxes,
and if mo- leak should occur, the fruit would
keep for weeks and weeks without being
damaged
The Home of the Peach.
Georgia is fas, making a reputation as
a great peach raising state, and the
number of ears that are annually ship
ped are Increasing each year This
year the crop viii reach 1000 cars. and next
year. provided the season is good. many
more cars viii ts required TO move the
crop
There are more than twenty-five points
from which the cars are billed aud the
little towns Of south Georgia rank hIshcsI
i'm the number of GAYS that are shipped.
Al TIA, head Of this list stands Marshall
vile. Next in ordtr comes Fort Valley,
and then follows Griffin. Pomona and More
land. TIL largest shipper Is the Hale
Irait Company. and this one concern owns
more thsu one thourand acres of Elbertas.
The trees are all iH good bearing condition,
anu the amount Of peaches that is ship
ped 10y this one company is simply amaZ-
ing. The company is planting more trees
every year and viii. I'm the course Of time,
ship as many peaches from its orchards
as any one state of the union. 1t IS now
the largest peach farm in the entire world
and the acreage is being annually increas-
ed.
The Cost of Production.
There is not crop that is known to
the peach crop, ana there is more money
To bee made from the raising of peaches
than can be got from any other product
of the soil.
The trees are very inexpensive and can
be set out at almost trinng cost II the
season is proptious and the trees are in
good order. one acre VIII produce a car,
ana tine car will net about 500. The gath
cring of the crop is Insignificant when com
pared 10 the harvesting OF the cotton or
corn crop. Labor is very cheap during
the fruit season and negroes viii work
Tor "a nominal figure The peaches can be
pulled very rapidly and one hand can gather
a car of peaches where the same hand could
i.cS ,uIy tvN pout.u~ u cotton. me
crates ia which Tho peaches are pa eked cost
abput r. cents eacu and nearly all the
lar.. shippers manufacture their own
crates and baskets.
The fre.Eh; on a car of peaches from At
lanta 10 Chicago is $l2eS0. The rcfrigcrat-
or ca- cost amounts to $50. making the
transportation of the car Including the ice
and other necessities cost SZllS0 The
freight from Griffin and Pomona is $40
higher hut the cost Of the refrigerator car
remains The same. TIL" rates 10 the east
ern markets are about the same ass they are
10 Chicago. and more than = per cent OF
she shipments arc directed to New York and
Baltimore. ROY Al DANIEL.
A Letter of WnshinEton's.