The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-19
SEASON NOT SUCCESSFUL.
what Truckers Say of the Crops and
Their Prices.

Their Prices.
The work Of the truck farmers In the
neighborhood Of Savannah is now about at
a standstill Nearly all of the crop has
been gathered and but little remains for
the market. Among the vegetables that
are yet TO be gathered are some few beans
and Irish potatoes. These, however, are
not for shipment, but will be used princi-
pally in the local market.
They are coming in now and find ready
sales.
The first Of the crop of these two vege-
tables was shipped north and realized
good prices. Potatoes brought as much
as "a per barrel which is more than is
usually realized upon them. Several years
ago they ran as high as 81, but such in
stances. the truckers believe, have been
relegated to the past. These vegetables
form the bulk of the produce of the truck
farmers, and great care Is shown In their
cultivation Tomatoes also are impor-
tant and receive great deal Of attention.
The first of the crop finds a ready market
when shipped to the north and east.
considerable quantity of them are
yet unmatured and when ripe will be sold
in Savannah instead OF being shipped, Mr..
NJ L. Exley, one of the most prominent
of the truckers who ship to the markets
of the north and east says the season has
not been a successful one for the far
mers
While the prices received have been I'M
iformly good, the yield has not been more
81. co -
The prices have not been high enough to
overcome the loss in quantity and the UNI
successful season is the result. Some of
the truckers are said to have made money
but they are not many, and far more agree
with Mr.. Exley that the season has not
been good.
The falling off In the yield is the result of
poor conditions in the early and middle
spring. During the planting months the
ground was kept too wet BY constant rains
and a result the seed to a great extent
did not terminate. Potatoes were destroy
ed by rotting and they together with other
vegetables, had to be replanted in some
instances two or three times in order to
secure good stands.
This entailed considerable extra expense
for seed, the work OF replanting and fer
tilizing in those cases where the farmers
regarded II as necessary. The constant
rains washed the fertilizer from the soil,
and many considered it needful to put a
new supply under the second planting.
After the copious rains of the early spring
a season of drought followed that injur-
ed the growing crops. The dry weather
came on suddenly, and for this reason,
it is believed, was more hurtful to the
vegetables than if the change from wet
weather to dry had been gradual. Sweet
ance in about a week
The truckers of this vicinity do not de-
vote much attention to the cultivation of
sweet potatoes however. Some raise
them, but the bulk of those used in the
city come from neighboring counties.
The farmers will begin to plant again
about the last of August and early Sep
TENDER. Some will plant vegetables for
the northern markets at that time, Is well
as the regular winter vegetables sNh as
cabbages and turnlps. Just at this time
the northern truck farmers are supplying
the large cities. The south has the ad-
vantage usually of being able TO raise
later crops than the north just as it can
produce earlier vegetables.
For this reason 1t is sometimes profitable
to the southern trucker to raise a late
crop for shipment, as frost will have killed
the produce of the northern farmers long
before 1t touches the south The army
caterpillars made a good deal of trouble
for the farmers about July |. There
was perfect plague Of them.
They came suddenly and played havoc
with the hay. The grass blades were
eaten off leaving but the midribs.
Under the influence of the plentiful
rains the grass has taken on new life,
however and a good hay crop may be ex-
pected. The caterpillars made their exit
as quickly as they appeared, remaining
only week or ten days, as an eyesore
to the truckers.