Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-11-01
OUR TRUCKING INTERESTS

Famous Centers of the Business In
Different Parts of the Country.
Some Of the principal centers of the
trucking business are as'fOllOws:
Beginning at the north and east, we
have first Long Island and then the
peninsula, including Delaware, parts Of
New Jersey and the portions of Mary
land and Virginia lying east Of the
Chesapeake bay. Following down the
Atlantic coast we'flnd Norfolk, Charles
ton and Savannah, each the center OF
an important trucking district. The en-
tire state of Florida may be considered
as constituting another district, though
this might well be further subdivided.
Extending from north Florida up
through middle Georgia is the great
watermelon region. Then comes Mobile
and the adjoining territory in south AL
abama,and New Orleans, with the delta
regions of Louisiana. The great extern
sion Of the business during the past
few years along the Texas coast enti-
ties this district to special mention.
Passing north from Mobile and New
Orleans along the Mobile and Ohio and
the Illinois Central railroads, the busi-
ness is establishedyat various points In
Mississippi. the most notable being
Crystal Springs, (which has long been
the greatest tomato shipping point In
the world.
Farther northtaresthe west Tennessee
district, the melon region in southeast
Missouri and the long established cen
ter in, southern Illinois. Still farther
north, rare the rather important district
about Muscatine, Ia, and Benton Har-
Dor region of western Michigan.
California is mostly known as
fruit growing state, but she. too. ships
large quantities Of products that can
properly be classed as truck. Inc
businessiis by no,means confined to the
areas mentioned, as there are many
other points h'almost equal claims
for recognition.
Most,Of these districts grow great
variety, Of produce, but there are points
that have become famous for the pro-
duction OfisOme speciality, like, Kalama-
zoo, Mich. for celery; Crystal Springs,
Miss, for tomatoes, and Rocky Ford,
Colo, for cantalOupes.
Just what causes have led to the
present distribution of the business 1t
Is not in all cases easy tovdetermine.
OF course convenient and Eapid trans
portation has always beens one Of the
controlling factors. The suitability OF
soil and climate has obviously been
another important element;
The soil conditions of the various
trucking centers are very diverse and
make 1t difficult to decide just what
kinds of soil will and what will not adj
NIT Of the building up of n successful
trucking business. Twelve of the To-
calities mentioned aboveShave more
or less sandy soil, but 1t varies from
the almost pure white Islands of some
parts of Florida and the southern part
of the peninsula to the rich, black,
sandy loans Of the tTexaslcOast and Of
southeast Missouri.
OF the other localities New Orleans
has deep black falluvial' soil; Crystal
Springs, Miss. a,light clay loan, with
some admlxtretof sand; west Tennes-
see and SOUTHERN Illinois, stiff, yellow
clay, with n thin covering of loan.
There are other vast areas with
equally suitable soils and equally well
situated as to transportation where
the business has never gained n foot
hold. The industry is confined some
what strictly to we'll defined centers.
where advantage can be taken of car
load freight ratea-F. s. Earle.