The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-02
Ghe Wessfrwer.
tue GARDEN SPOT OF AMERICA

We do not believe the people Of east
ern NORTH Carolina realize the iinpor-
lance of the trucking interests Of their
section. They do not take in the vast
ness of the industry at present, to say
nothing Of the possibilities of The near
future when the thousands of acres OF
waste lands are brought under the
same cultivation as are the
which now produce lettuce, radishes.
Leans, peas, potatoes, strawberries and
ether fruits and vegetables for the
northern markets. The people read
the statements in the daily papers that
so many car loads of farm prod
ucts were shipped north the day before
without taking in the full meaning OF
the statements. Pause for q moment
ard consider the facts and their mean
ing. Try to realize what his trucking
business means to the truckers II to
all other people of this section of the
state. What does a car l9ad of straw
berries represent in moneys worth to
the section from which it is shipped:
For every car load that is shipped
north so much cash money has been
the grower of the berries, (they are
not shipped on consignment to north.
ern houses to be sold for what they
will BRING and he has paid out 30
much to the men, women and children
of the community for picking the fruit
and so much to the manufacturers Of
crates and baskets and to others for i'll
cidental expenses. Then think what
SUM of cash money must be expended
turned loose among the people daily,
when the shipments run from ninety to
a hundred and ten car loads a day;
and then remember that the strawber-
ny business of this section is only in
its infancy at this time; hat year by
year the area planted is increasing and,
what is still better, the demand for the
fruit at the north is keeping pace, if
not running ahead of the supply each
year and the facilities for quick and
safe transportation improving each
year. The demand is Unsuitable and
the means in u section Of producing
them equally ineXhaustible.
But, thanks to our genial climate
n fertile soil, we are not confined to
the production of this one delicacy for
the northern market. We can come in
with the farmers from Maine to Flori-
da and produce anything needed for
the table of the epicure hat they can.
On this same land we Il grow sue
c~essfully sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes,
asparagus, beans, peas, lettuce, cauli.
flower, carrots, parsnips, satisfy, and
any other vegetable one can name, and
then that same land will produce corn,
cotton, tobacco and any other staple
crop man may choose to cultivate.
No farmer should be content with
one crop a year; for if he properly cul-
tivates his and he can make from two
to -four crops a year upon it.
This is no Idle boasting. Any farm.
er or trucker in his section of the
state will tell you that every word OF
the above is true. Eastern North Caro-
lima is the veritable garden spot of the
United States and Wilmington is the
central point of that garden. 1t is true
we cannot produce n lemons
and p~ineapples in competition will
Florida or citrus fruits, grapes and
plums as California. but we are fal
ahead of these sections in the scope
of our farming n trucking industries
These sections are limited to certain
farm and orchard products. Here there
is no limit. We produce everything
from the coarse cow pea to the dainty
asparagus; from the wild huckleberry
OF the swamps, (Which crop, by the
way, is worth thousands upon thou
sands of dollars to the owners of the
swamps where they grow,) to the more
delicately favored strawberry, in the
meantime producing upon the SAM
land the grOsser farm products neces
sary for sustenance of man and beas
N staples of the cOuntry's markets
Who then can deny that this is the
garden spot of America? And if it i.
CJJfh nnu- -1,D+ LII - -
hence when all the now waste land !:
Under cult ration.
A private message received by reia
tives in the city last night brough
the sad news of the death of Mrs
Collier Cobb and young child whic.
occurred yesterday afternoon at Dur