The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-26
Facts of Interest About
an Important Indus
try to Wilmington
BIG RECORD
Shipments of Truck Increasing
Rapidly Every Year-End of Straw
Some Important Statistics Worth
Reading and TreasurinS.

So rapid has been the advancement
of this section of the state in the Guilt
walton and shipment of Strawberries
and vegetables and so bright are pros
poets that the most unobservant lay
men is compelled to awaken TO a full
comprehension of the fact that this in
dustry IS getting to be one of the very
largest in the South. The people of this
city should also realize what all this
means to Wilmington. which is the pin
nacIe of this industry. Here is virtu-
ally the home of the East Carolina
Truck and Fruit Growers Association
which is most extensive IN it's workings.
For Wilmington the trucking industry
is already a big thing and is going to
be bigger. and it shOuld be duly appre-
ciated.
Concerning the strawberry and vege-
table situation in this territory The
Carolina Fruit and Truckers Journal
in its issue of tomorrow will say:
Since our last issue strawberry ship
Tnents out of this territory have been
going forward at a rate little dreamed
OF when the season first opened now six
or seven weeks ago., and the end is not
yet in sight. To date the car load ship
ments in refrigerator cars have been
o 1,S12 car Dad with the express
shipments reaching about 54.66S crates
against Il, 259 crates last year.
"Beginning with April 10th there has
been daily a steady movement Of any
where from % to 125 car loads of straw
berries from the territory covered by
the East Carolina Truck and Fruit
Association, for which Will
mlngtO is the accepted head and CEN
ter. In their distribution these ship
1nentS have covered all the leading cities
and towns of the northern, New Eng
land and Middle Western states. and
while prices were not SO high in the
beginning of the shipping season as We
ave known them in past years, neLer-
- the general average has been
:-gh If not quite up to the stand
I'd the aggregate volume has been
> if not 80 per cent. ahead of any
previous year. Up to this writing no
less than SOC. 900 crates have gone for
ward out of this territory, yielding the
growers a net sum of more han 81, 125,.
600, and still shipments continue to go
" each day. How long is a ques-
ton that mankin seems incapable o.
determining-certainly for another week
or ten days.
The crown berries have been moving
already for a week. and are selling at
good average prices. The fruit is beau
tiful to look at and is of an exceptional
1y highly Favored quality. The berries
are free from dirt and trash. sound and
well developed and are good carriers.
In some sections Il few of the rOwer
report the outlook bright for n second
crop to follow close on the heels of the
present crop. Not 4 few OF our read
erS will remember the second crop last
fall and winter. and the apprehension
felt for the early crop this season from
the same acreage. The mid-Winter
crop. however. seems to have exercised
no bad influences on the vines. and
many fields at different points in the
strawberry district are again white with
blossoms. This is. indeed. something
new under the sun. and what it will Ill
timately develop into remains for the
future alone to divulge. Should it turn
out. however. that this territory Will
produce two crops of strawberries every
yea then our people will indeed have
discovered a PandOra's box for a fact
The Journal has had accounts of innum-
cradle growers averaging anywhere
from 500 to $3.50 per acre on strawber-
ries this season. and if that is to be
doubled why hen we should soon be
the most prosperous and independent
people on the globe.
In the ChadbOUrn section. and at
various other points on the Wilmington, |
Columbia and Augusta railroad, the
growers ave made good one this |
year, and of the growers along the Will
mington and Weldon. the Atlantic and
Yadkin. and Seaboard Air Line, the
same - true to Il greater or less eX-l
tent. The season has been very nearly
if not quite as long as last year or of
any in the history of the industry, and
the grand total of results will in the
end figure out something astonishing.
In the Norfolk section the berry
growers seem to have had an experience
no less gratifying this year than the
rover over this way. as will be seen
by u report from that city on another
page. Taken all in all. the berry and
vegetable growers this season have had
a good year of it. Potatoes. beans. |
peas, huckleberries and blackberries.
etc. are already going forward from
this section in good quantities and the
returns therefrOm are quite satisfac-
tory Unless all signs fail the first day
of June will find the berry and vegeta-
BILE growers with more ready cash h
they have had before in years. To be
added TO this Will be the cantaloupe and
melon crop, peaches. grapes and the
fall crop of potatoes and vegetables.
From points along the Seaboard Air
Line between Wilmington and Hamlet
several car loads of strawberries have
been shipped this season, and from the
same territory next year shipments will
be fully 100 per cent in excess of this
year AZ nan points along the Sea-
boar! Air Line the soil is peculiarly