The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-15
STRAWBERRY CROP
Average Along Atlantic Coast
Line Largely Increased.
Prospects are Very Brighi---crops are thought
TO be Fully Week Earlier Than
Last Year.

Editor T. w. Whitehead, editor of the
Carolina Fruit and Truck Growers
Journal. has been making a careful study
Of the truck prospects along the line of
the Atlantic Coast Line. and gives the
results in the latest copy Of his paper:
within the next sixty days. and pos
sibly within six weeks, strawberries will
begin to move from this section in car
load lots, says the Journal. The indica-
tions are that the season will be fully
n week ahead of last year and the first
car load shipment went toward last sea-
son on the 2Sth of April. The vines are
in good shape and everything is favora-
bic for some fruit of an extraordinarily
high grade quality. From experience and
observation our people are yearly learn
ing the Importance and value of grading
closer. packing better and picking more
carefully. These are things that count
much for the grower as well as for the
dealer when the returns come in, and
only those who have had more or less
experience in the growth and shipment
Of berries can just exactly appreciate
the Importance that attaches to thls
feature
'Strawing has been the order Of the
day now for some little time, and the
fields are already beginning to present
something of q beehive aspect. The
crate factories are all running in full
blast and taken altogether the outlook
ie quite favorable for a good years bust
ness lust ahead. The increased acreage
will increase the volume of business, and
TO those who are familiar with the past
seasons operations this statement can
best be appreciated. Year after year
il is being demonstrated that this terri
tory produces the finest grade and quality
of strawberries produced anywhere in
the United States, and can be gotten to
the great consuming and distributing
centers of the Northern, New England and
Middle States quicker, and at q time. too,
when nature calls for something OF this
character. The vegetable and Irish po-
tato crops throughout this territory are
also up to the average. and bid fair at
this writing to make good showing
during the coming season.
Asparagus has already begun to move
from the Charleston section and lettuce,
radishes. etc, are beginning to go for
ward from different points on the At
of which are bringing good averaga
prices.
Reports from Missouri, Tennessee and
Texas would indicate that between the
floods and freezes the strawberry crops
of those sections have been practically
ruined. Some estimate the damage al
Is per cent; others say so per cent. will
cover it. If that be true, then the coun-
frxy
linas and Virginia for Strawberries this
season, as the eastern, shore of Maryland
crop is very much short of last year
"rhe strawberry and vegetable acre
age in the two Carolinas continues to
increase with each passing year. How
long this condition of affairs will go on
remains to be seen. In strawberries the
acreage increase this year will be about
crease over 1901.
AS showing the vast army of people
engaged in tho strawberry business alone
we would state that while the total
acreage foots up GAIA acres, the number
of growers has reached the stupendous
figures of 2,4S9. Many of these growers
employ from so to roo hands during the
picking packing and grading season, and
it is a safe estimate to say that fully
$4,000 people are employed during the
shipping season to move the crops. 1t is
thus easily to be seen what an enormous
amount of money is paid out in this
section every year that goes into daily
circulation. Add to this the sum total
of the amount returned to this section
from the berries and vegetables sold
and the wonder is that We are not the
most prosperous and Independent people
on the globe. Indeed, the figures ar,
astounding"