The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-17

What to Dot Will Soon be Time
for Other Truck Crops to Go For
ward and the Outlook for Getting
Their on the Market is Far From
Encouraging-Leading Truck Grow
or Stated Yesterday That Loss Dur
ing Past Week Had Been More Than
$4,000.
The truck growers in this section
and especially in New Hanover county
are very respondent over h severe
losses they have sustained during the
last few weeks by reason of poor
transportation service. One of the
largest lettuce growers in this section
and one who is certainly in a posi-
ton to know whereof he speaks stat
to a representative of The Messenger
yesterday that the losses during the
past six weeks in New Hanover coun-
ty alone would amount to more than
$4,000 and more than $4,000 Of this
amount was lost during the week just
ended. Since lettuce first began 20
move there has been considerable
trouble and by reason of he uncertain
time that it reached the markets the
price during the greater part of the
time has been low. During the past
week the prices have been high and
when the farmers at the first of the
week saw what lettuce was bringing
they were certain that they would
reap rich returns for their shipments
but they were doomed to d%isappoint-
ment for it is said to have been al
most impossible to get a shipment
on the market any where near when
lit should have reached it's destination.
The result has been that the lettuce
was in extremely bad condition when
placed on the markets and hence
brought poor prices.
On Thursday morning one truck
grower made a shipment of selec.
stock to a New York firm expecting
lit to be on the early market Friday.
Prices on Friday morning are said 20
have been very high. Yesterday after
noon the truck grower received a tel
egram saying the shipment had jus5
arrived and would have to be held
over until Monday. This lettuce was
cut last Wednesday so it can be seen
it will have been cut five days
before being disposed of. The result
will be that it will be stale and al
most worthless.
There are said to be instances
where cars of lettuce have been left
standing on sidetracks for more than
a. day when they should have been
going northward at a fast rate of
speed. The bad service is by no
can confined to express shipments
but also to refrigerator cars. 1t will
soon be time for other truck crops
to go forward and the growers say
they see no improvement in sight.
This does not necessarily mean that
there will be bad service when the
berry season opens for the special
NlalU olO I1Oh opS1oLSo.
the large shipments of lettuce are now
made by refrigerator cars nearly all
the small growers send their lettuce
by express.
On more than ~ occasion during
the past few weeks has this paper
recited the losses that have occurred
by truck arriving on the market late
and the great need of a night eX-
press service. In the majority of in
stances it is said that where truck
should arrive in time for the early
morning market it does not arrive
at it's destination until in the after
noon and often has to be held over
: until the following day. A night ex-
press service out of this city would
relieve this when shipments are made
by express, for it would leave here
at $50 in the evening instead of
having 10 remain here until the FOL
Rowing morning at about 9 o'clock be-
fore it gets away from Wilmington.
The time lost is Il hours. There is a
night passenger train out Of Will
mingten but it carries no express
and this is what the truck growers
are fighting for. 1t is said that The
express people are willing for the SER
vice to be inaugurated but the railroad
authorities say arrangements cannoI
be made for handling the cars ove-
the r. f. & road which runs from
Richmond ito Washington.
A Baltimore paper in speaking OF
the conditions, seems to think that
produce is arriving in P~hiladelphia