The age-herald., 1901-09-22
HOW THE NORTH FIRST KNOW IF
 SOUTKS WINTER VECET TABLE CROP
It All Came About from a Small Bunch of Mint Which South
 erner Carried to New York

shores of Maryland and Virginia, while probably the finest trucking country in the world is located on the Atlantic coast from Norfolk to Southern Florida The development of this district in re- cent years, particularly along the Flor ida coast, has been almost marvellous. It is possible in Florida to produce fruit and vegetables in open air at a season of the year when it is practically im- possible to raise them fin any other part of the country, except under glass, and in consequence there has been a great demand for Florida products at very high prices The success of this bus mess has been so gratifying and the profits so large that 1t has become one of the chief industries of the State.
 Shipping centers.
 As the trucking business depends all most entirely on proper transportation facilities, it is absolutely essential that the proper centers for the reshipping of garden truck should be along the lines of railways or located at some seaport, where ready communication can be had with the large cities, which are nearly always .Ae distributing points for this class of produce. In this respect the South Atlantic States have been partic- ularly fortunate and have been greatly aided in their development by superior steamboat accommodations. From Nor folk, Na, there are lines of ocean steamers to Philadelphia, Pa. New York, N. Y., Boston, Mass, which dur ing the height of the season dispatch several steamers every day, loaded all most entirely with garden truck. In ad- dition to these are daily lines to Wash ington, D. C., Baltimore, Md, and Rich mond, Va, which carry large quantities of truck among their miscellaneous car goes. Charleston, s. C., Savannah, Ga, and Jacksonville, Fla, also have a large fleet of steamers when land enormous quantities of truck in New York, N. T., and Boston, Mass. In the territories tributary to Norfolk and Baltimore there are numerous bays, rivers and creeks, upon which small steamers, sail boats and hatboats are used to trans port truck from the farm to the central point where 1t Is to be reshipped direct by steamer or railway.
 Inc increasing demand for land in cer- tain regions of the Southern States, ow- ing to the establishment of great num- bers of truck farms, has resulted in a remarkable advance in the value of property, and many farms on the At lantic seaboard which were almost worthless or valued at from $2 to $5 per acre before truck farming was in- troduced, have increased in value from $40 to $500 per acre, according to 1oca- Sioi Wllh teBdfu tO lIle
 The Average Truck Farm.
 An average truck farm will contain from ten to fifteen acres, while some of the larger farms contain from seventy five to 100 acres. A ten acre patch, well cultivated and slkillfuly worked will often produce 5000 worth of garden truck in a season.
 In the years 1896, 1897 and 1898 New York received 2,4S5, ,715 2,632 TIC and 3826,- 035 packages of vegetables respectively, from Southern territory and in the sin gle month of June 1899, over a million packages were received from the same sources. During the height of the sea- son 1t is no unusual sight to see piled on a single railroad wharf along the river front in New York City 100.0 Southern watermelons awaiting deliv- cry, while as many as 200 car loads of Southern peaches have arrived in sin gle day.
 Norfolk, Va, Is the greatest garden truck center in the South, it's location giving it many advantages. The soil of tie surrounding country could hardly be improved upon and the climate Is well adapted for the business, being in- sured against sudden changes in tenn perature by the close proximity of the great gulf stream. Moreover this dis trict is almost surrounded by water and Is indented by numerous sounds and channels from the ocean, from Chesa- peake Bay from Hampton Roads and from the Elizabeth and James Rivers.
 Next to Norfolk, Va, Charleston Is