The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-02
q n GROW ~DESPONDENT
Kerry Growers Urged Not to- Plough
Lp Strawberry Ficlds-CroD Has
Not Becom Too Large.

The Carolina Fruit and Truck
'rower Journal has the following
editorial in regard TO the recent losses
occasioned by the car shortage and
wisely urges berry rower not to be-
come respondent over the loss OF .
part OF h berries for one season:
1t is occasionally suggested In some
sections that the W plow up
!heir strawberry fields and ouit the
business. There is no occasion for any
such action on the part of the grow
ers. and this. paper would discourage
ohv such ideas or the pronunciation of
any such doctrines. The people have
sustained heavy losses this year by
the .aI shortage and poor schedules.
We are free to admit. out this may
NOT happen again IN a lifetime of ;he
average grower. Besides, the rail-
roads will be COMPELLED TO make good
the major portion of The losses in due
time. and the grower Will not BE- SO
badly worsted after all.
GeorgraphiCal, climatic and other
c"dicons have made this the natural
home and head center for strawber-
cies. Here we have the soil. the ell
mate and knowledge of production
tie three essentials of strawberries.
our close proximity to all the great
consuming markets and Distributing
centers give the first and greatest adj
V2ntage over all other districts. This
We must preserve n enjoy Tt is
ours 70 have-a God-given right.
From a purely monetary standpoint
we could not afford 20 throw I'D our
hands and cry "surrcrier' at th.S
finc. No other crop IT, this section
produces ANYTHING like half the finan-
cia returns when properly gathered
and If the ktlantic Coast
Lin can't transport the crops along
that llle a charter will be asked for
and granted BY the next LEGISLATURE.
of this State and Virginia for another
railroad to parallel the tracEs of the
Coast Line from Wilmington to Pich-
monds. Another line co.ld be speedi-
lv built from Chadbourn to some
point on the Seaboard. say Abhotts-
turr or Clarkton. and the blockade
would thus he The money
is ready for such an undertaking and
could be gotten in tangible shape i'm
shor: order.
This territory, is rich in resources
n powerful in possibilities. and we
cannot. therefore. afford TO
ana ~etrograde We Must unless We
.ress inward and onward in the WORK
or DEVELOPMENT and EXPANSION. Ills
we cannot do without ADEQUATE rail-
Ao"c thu bdiIsDcTldIlOn 1ac1litlcS to
move the cIoDs and especially the
perishable ones.
AS Tor the claims of some that the
berries wnuld have broupht practically
nothing If all of this years crop had
gore into he markets on time. We
would say that this is too much like
crossing a bridge befor, YOU get To II
On he other hand we are i'm positior 70
say that had h schedules of the
railroad onipal;ie been made and
carried out the present system OF thu
East Carolina Trick and Fruit Grow
ers' Association. through it's clearing
house at Rocky Mount. is so tnorourh-
ly organized and COMPLETELY aouir,r,ed
init there would not have peer an
over stocked market I'm the United
states. Not only that. but the increase
OF consumption north of lis during the
past five wears has .een equally as
great as the increase of production
down here at the base of %ppIi All
statements to the contrary. or tha-
the berries would have rough little
or nexI 20 nothing had they all been
is gratuitous and without
foundation There are thousands AMI
nun1reds Of thousands of people I'm
the Northern. New England and Nil
Ole western States who never se. 4
sirawberry. but could be induced TO
buy and eat them il they were rlaeed
on the market before them n a mar
ketaoie and eatable STYLE. There hns.
therefore. been no over supply of ber-
rie5 this year. and we see t.l
Iiidicate the growth and deyelopuent
Oh the industry To o point that would
such a condition i'm the fn,,,rr.