The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-11-22
Cabbage Crop Of kenosha and Ra-
cine Counties the Largest in
History Of the Industry
RAlSERS PLAN AN EXCHANGE
Big Fortunes Being Made by Farmers
Who Give Their Land Over to
the Cultivation of Cabbage
and Kindred Products

HdC CdOOdSC raising mas DOGQ
demonstrated to be a most profitable
industry in Racine and Kenosha
counties at least, must be truthfully
admitted by farmers and others. Dur
ing the past ten or twelve years the
business has grown to enormous pro-
portions. 1t is said that crops have
averaged as high as twenty to twenty
five tons to the acre, and brought the
growers from 81 per ton to as high as
$50 and $50. Several well known
counties have made comfortable for
tunes by storing the yield and holding
it until market prices went ont of
sight, SO to speak.
Hundreds of acres are now devoted
to cabbage growing and more land is
There was time when the small
grower was willing to sell his crop as
soon as cut, but the larger ones held
off and one year it was said that
parties who cultivated 500 to 600 acres
of the Case farm north of Kenosha,
cleared up 500, 900, but this is prob
ably exaggerated. Growers soon
tumb1ed to the fact that commission
men who came and bought the crops
were making SIS to $6 ton and they
decided to rake in the profits them
selves.
This year the crop is the largest
ever known, being something enorm-
Gus, especially at Berryville, Corliss,
Uniou Grove, Franksville and Somers.
Just how many thousands of tons
have been grown it would be difficult
to estimate. Railway companies
have not been able to furnish cars
enough. One large dealer said that
he had already shipped $50 car loads
this season. about $50 cars in excess
of other years, and he expected to
ship many other carloads. This is
the experience of other growers
throughout the large cabbage belt.
| Prices have not scared very high
thus far. It has been as low as ST. SO
per ton for the early domestic and at
present runs from $500 for ordinary
Holland stock to 5000 for the fancy
article. These are the prices paid to
growers.
The growers say it will possibly go
up to $12 or $14 late in December, but
this is problematical. Anyway no
g1ut is expected in the market. A
report has reached here that owing to
insufficient warm weather along the
eastern coast and through the eastern
states, which have been depended up-
on to provide certain sections with
cabbage, failure of the crop is re.
corded and that in consequence the
price of this vegetable has gone up.
If this is found to be true the middle
west will have to supply all of the
markets and the result will be an in
crease in the prices that will mean
small fortunes to those who have a
good supply stored.
Some of the largest growers in years
past were Hansche Bros; tJim"
Walsh, the king, now retired; Guen-
ther Co.; Han1ey Bros; A. Z. Curtis,
w. S. Pratt. At one tirne the ques-
ton Of establishing a cabbage ex-
change was discussed in order to keep
up the prices and may be brought to
successful termination yet. While
the shipping is quite lively at present
there is considerable of let up. In
the district there has been an average
shipment of lbs cars per day, mean
ing 1000 tons every twenty -four hours
and this is certainly going some.
At Franksville there is a Pittsburg
buyer on the ground and not being
able to secure cars to ship what he
purchased, he has piled up five hum
dred tons and is holding it until he
can ship the same.
PASSENGER FARES REDUCED
IL = avox AHso MI nl.of n