The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1905-06-17
FARMER AND PLANTER
MONEY FROM TRUCK CROPS.
ou.Iittes m Successful Trucker Must
Possess Rules for Pronta-
BILE Marketing.

farming has been a series OF SURPRISES I
even to those living in that faVofea ,
section, and who had confidence In It's
future and possibilities.
When. about 1868, at Goldsboro,
Davis Cloud & Co. Of Virginia, at
tracted by the advantages OF the sou
and climate of that section OF the state
began the cultivation of Strawberries
on a large and commercial scale, HUE
was it thought that in the Few years
that have elapsed the industry would
develop into such magnitude as it mas
now assumed. The compartments OF
the express car, which carried their
daily shipments, have been replaced
with solid trains composed exclusively
of express cars supplemented with long
fast freight trains of refrigerator cars
loaded entirely with strawberries.
The Day of Small Things.
The industry that those gentlemen
introduced into that section has wid-
ened and developed until to-day there
are thousands of farmers who are en-
gagged in berry growing in what Is
known as the strawberry belt. extend
ing from Goldsboro to Chadbourn' tne
products of whose farms bring into the
state from other sections more than
million dollars annually. NO otner
branch of the trucking industry mas
been instrumental in developing the
| country more, nor in giving employ
ment to so many people, as strawDer-
ry growing.
II was about the year 1870 that MI.
John Rhem, of New Bern, nau'e
North Carolinian, conceived the idea
of growing general truck-peas, beans
potatoes. etc.,-at that place for north
ern markets. Mr.. Rhem was pioneer
in general truck farming in this state;
and some years afterward extended MS
operati6ns into other states south OF
MS. In those days he was probably the
largest truck farmer along the Atlantic
coast. growing in one year as many as
600 acres in garden peas, besides otner
! vegetable crops.
! Cabbage growing was introduced In
to the eastern part OF the state on
{ commercial scale some years later
Morehead City being selected as the
Mace to test that special industry. so
D we'll did they grow in that locality thai
1 il was but a short time before tne
& growing of that crop was prohtaoiy
{ introduced into other parts OF the
! coastal section, and now cabbage are
{ successfully grown in almost every com
l. munity. carloads of them pens
Skinned from Newbern and othel
points daily throughout the season.
Newbern Leads in shipments.
I On account Of the very fine climate
soil and transportation facilities, New
hern is still in the lead nthis stat
as a shipping point for general truck
Large quantities of lettuce, asparagus
:. peas. beans, cabbage, potatoes, cucum
= hers. cantaloupes, etc, are shipped II
= their season from that point to the OH
ferent markets in this state and VII
:. ginia as well as to northern markets
9 Perhaps the steam plants for iettuc
- growing at that place are the finest 1
the south: also the profits from lie
= uce grown as they grow it there, al
almost marvellous. My impression
- that lettuce was grown as a none
crop at Fayetteville and at WHINING
:, ton before it was at Newbern, an
- great quantities are yet shipped fro'
- both of those places annually.
/ give this brief review of the trucl
ing industry in this state that we ma
~ see from what small beginnings gre
,re Industries will grow.
=. should one who was familiar wi
~, the barren savannas and piney Voc
an, along the lines of the old w. & W. ra
: road and the w. c. & A. railroad nc
= nass there in the midst Of the shippil
II season seeing the wagon loads OF RI
~ strawberries and observe the acuvl
: and hustle of shippers at the statio
n which were unknown until within I
) past few years, he could understa
how the magic touch OF the industrio
truck farmer and berry grower .
transformed those desert-like plat
into fertile farms, making that count
the most productive part of our sta
To Make n Successful Trucker.
However, let no man deceive III
M self by thinking there is nothing
N do in the trucking section but to ''rs
in the shekels." The successful TIL
n farmer must of necessity be thorou
going. progressive farmer, ever on
alert. There is no branch OF farm
9 in which intelligent labor, snap, p'
Q and good Judgment is SO absolut
necessary as a truck farming.
Z must keep abreast of the times,
d push his work instead of allowing
q work to push him. he VIII study
= markets and their requirements,
,s soils. environment. etc. This Is
10 cation. He broadens and develops
l. to a better farmer. His ideas exp
IN and his ideals are raised. He finds
Id he must cater to the best trade TO
y the best prices. He must be strali
n forward in his dealings and meth
so as to gain ard hold that trad
,sr have known ceSain growers to
zoe one or two cents more for their
sss ries than some other shipper WI
90 get simply because their berries
ctr honestly packed. the berries IN
lower tier of cups being just as
as those in the upper tier. and the
q. Tho hoffom of the cupS Jus