The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-17
MAY BE MELON RECORD YEAR.


The Plant System Claims 1t Has
Handled 3,CCO Cars SO Far, While
the other Savannah Lines Have
Done Good Business-Ocean
Steamship Company Carrying
Large Shipments of Melons East.
Indications Point to the Most Profit
table season for Years, Though
Prices in New York Have Shrunk.
The Drop May Cause Growers to
Seek More Inviting Markets.
The movement of watermelons has
about reached its zenith after having en-
joyed one of the fullest crops and most
prosperous seasons for years. The Off
Gals In charge of the transportation de-
partments Of the roads that penetrate the
melon growing territory agree that the
crop has exceeded their expectations. An
idea of its volume may be had from the
present gIutted condition Of the market
in New York, The city of all others known
to appreciate the luscious Georgia melons.
Georgia has not only supplied New York
with its present over-abundance of me-
TO ill large orders from nearly all the
Northern markets. This has not been
done by sacrificing the home markets,
however, as they have been quite as ac-
tive as ever before While sa.es have been
brisk throughout the season there has
been a great desire for melons this season
for some unexp, ainab!e reason. The
&c
heretofore, but there did not seem 10 be
the Old tine desire to grab early and often
for melons. The fact conditions were
such as to keep The prices fairly uniform
up to this tine may TO some extent have
had The effect of dampening the activity
OF local markets.
Mr.. w. J. Haylow, superintendent of
transportation Of the Plant System, has
given particular attention 10 the large
movement of melons over its lines this
season, and the result is that he has some
accurate Information about the crop.
While he can only speak for the Plant
System, the number of cars it has hauled
so far this season may furnish the basis
for an idea of the enormous crop which
has been grown.
Up to the present time Mr.. Haylow
states that 5000 cars of melons have been
handled by the Plant System for North
ern markets. Last year the num Der nan
died TO this time was only 2O00 cars,
which gives another idea of the size of
this years crop. Conditions generally
were very unfaYorable last year. however
and farmers were well contented with
what came to them. Before the season
closes a comparative statement of this
and last years crops will doubtless open
the eyes of farmers to their possibilities
of melon growing, and the large crops
that may be produced under favorable
conditions.
From records that have been kept ii
the movement it is shown that the larger
part of the crop the railroads have hand
| led up to this time has been grown If
| Mitchell Brooks, Thomas, Coiquitt, WORT
| and Dougherty counties All through the
! central and southwestern portion of thu
| state excellent crops have been grown
! though they have not been as large a:
| they are in the counties named 1t is
noticeable fact, however, that the grow
! ing area is steadily increasing year BY
| year, ard th0t the tendency among farm
| ers is 10 take up this important industry
| wherever they have lands suitable for tht
| purpose. The farmers have come to learr
/ that no crop yields quicker returns 81
! that the only assurance they want fo
| satisfactory results is a fairly good indl
| cation that the demand win be such a.
| TO keep prices above the low-Water mark
| A few more years like the present MAY
| cause many to eventually take these con
siderations for granted.
The Ocean Steamship Company ha
! been doing its share of the melon business
| Every steamer for New York has beer
carrying from Ten to twenty or more cars
and unless the Eas tern market remain
| 2lutted the chances are this moyemen
VII continue for several days yet Rail
road ofhclals calculate on hauling melon
East until Aug. l. by which time the
| think the substance of the crop win hav
| 3een consumed
Commission men seem to think the pros
| porous melon season is in a large measur
que 10 the reported shortage of the crop il
/ Florida this year. The Plant system i
reported 10 have handled only 2OO0 cars Q
Florida melons, which is considerably les
tnah the number of cars handled last sea
| SON Whethe.-. he Florida crop was sbor
is not officially known bur it would seen
there is no better index of its size thai
the quantity of melons hauled out by tn
Plant lines.
According to the Morning News New
York quotation on melons yesterday whtc
were based on Saturdays market, it woul
seem that The price there is too low t
| encourage shipments, Melons are quoted
per carload at SO and $3.50 and per hun
bred at So and SIG. AS the home marke
| cannot consume anything like the suppl
| growers will be compelled to ship whethe
the quotations suit the III or not The
| have th~2 privilege of selecting their ow
market, however ana the chances are tner
| VIII be considerable looking around durin
| the next few days to see which market of
fers the best inducements. A change O
this kind would, of course, have its offec
on the transportation lines that have bee
handling the bulk of the business up t
| the present.