The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-28
OUR FARMERS
EXCHANGE VIEWS
The Second Day of the Great Convention IS
Full of Life and Interest
for All.

the average price in the Northern mar
kets, viz, $50 per basket, after deduct
ing the freight and commissions, 1t VIII
net fully 81 per basket, thus making the
net returns for the crop, from one acre,
81. 200. From this Is to be deducted the
expense of cultivation, fertilizer, pack
ages, harvesting, wear and tear, etc, max
ing a total expense per acre OF 1894.
"Th lettuce plants being set IN beds IN
October and November, the crop is har-
vested through the winter, and all cleaned
up by March. At this time the beds are
thoroughly plowed and raked, and a crop
of cucumbers planted, to be harvested in
May and June, ahead of the field crop.
500 bushels of cucumbers is al average
crop per acre, and at the time these are
ready for market 81 so net is not too high
a figure to name, thus giving $3.50 per
acre.
Deduct from the net receipts, VIZ,
$3.50, this expense for second crop $40,
and we have $3.50 to add to the net re
ceipts from first crop, giving a total OF
81, 446 net profits from one acre.
The soil best adapted to truck farming
is a sandy loan with clay sub-soll; much
of the soil IN the east Is sandy without
clay sub-soil, and on this good crops are
produced, they being earlier than on
sitter soils, but on the other hand the
sitter soils produce more.
The sitter soils are preferred for cab
bage and lettuce which are grown through
the winter, they are supposed to resist
the cold to a great extent on stiff soil.
Good crops may be grown On almost any
soil with different degrees of success.
Equally as good truck crops may be
rr0u, h,o,1rh tho onptra ond yunStaIp
portions of the State, as in the east, but
of course later in proportion to the dist
ance from the Gulf Stream, which is sup
posed to be a potent factor in tempering
! the cold waves. From a financial point,
however, success is doubtful, except where
grown for home markets, from the com
petition with the larger trucking sections
lying north"
MIR. Q. W. BLACKNALL.
Following. Mr.. Dunn's address, President
Winston read d paper by Mr.. O.. W.
Blacknall on THE Present and Future of
Strawberry Growing III North Carolina"
Mr.. Blacknall was unfortunately prevented
from attending the meeting in person.
Here are the principal points touched
upon in the paper:
The possibilities Of strawberry growing
in Eastern North Carolina far surpass
those of any other part of the United
States. if not of the world. These posi-
l bilities are the result of natural condi-
tlOns and are eternal.
LAS it is we may safely grow all the
4 good berries that we can pick and ship
in proper condition. The comparative
narrowness of the trucking belt will for
2 ever prevent the great glut of trawber
rios ayop now co oftan occ1rrIno IN the
west. And the mountains will doubtless
4 always remain barrier sufficient to pre-
vent the influx of enough western berries
to glut our ever growing Eastern mar
t kets.
l. t'Overcropping, the growing of a larger
acreage than is justified by the quantity
of land at ones disposal, necessarily pre-
vents rotation which is more essentlal
with the strawberry than perhaps any
crop that grows. A man begins by put
d ting say one-tenth of his land suitable
0 for stra wberries in that crop. He clears
500, 5000 or perhaps a great deal more
e an acre. He rapidly increases his acreage
5 with more or less uccess till either all OF
q his available land is IN strawberries or sc
near all Of 1T that rotation is impossible
Consequently the same lots. or fields are
n kept in strawberries year after year, OF
perhaps plowed up and gwen one grudging
5, crop of cowpeas or some kind of soiling OF
summer crop, and then hurried back into
n Strawberries again.
'In a few years there comes a change
The plants lose their old time color and
vigor. The berries despite better cult
walton and manuring than ever Won
II size up 1t Is harder to get them pick
ed because picking Is more tedious.
t cone evil begets another evil. His unt
rotated fields and feeble plants become al
inviting harbor of all pests and diseases
4 Thus the two evils have practically tn,
same source. And it is hard to exagger
a ate in words the insidious power FOL
harm of either Of these evils.
The glib paradox that half is NOR
y than the whole becomes a fact when ap
piled to strawberry acreage. Better il
the long run one acre properly rotate
t than two, three, nay than five kept t
t. dwindle on soil that protests in so man
n ways against such unwisdom. And wit
re proper rotation would come natural,
IN many better things-smaller acreage, bet
lie ter cultivation, better manuring. bette
n picking, better packing and better Pre-
Is fits. The diseases and insects that al
tack the strawberry plant have not we
e. proven quite as harmful as those tn
general fruit grower has to contend with
N Though IN the aphls and the weevil W
e see evils which will be great or small i
re proportion to the intelligence and perse
sp verance with which they are met and con
as batted.
OF lowing to the nature of the straw
berry plant 1t is hard to successfully con-
Of bat either disease or pests on it.
Twenty eight years experience i
lie strawberry growing has convinced me tina
e these pests and diseases like the devil ca
m best be fought with fire. Burn them uI
N But how burn pests and diseases an
III spare plants? 1t can be done. and W
he find the material right at hand. and a
re lust the proper time to do it. AS 500
e, as the crop is gathered NOW the plant