The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-14
lEP dRl OR STRAWBERRY CHJP
SIiShyOecrease ip Average From
Crop Of 1876
Gruurrs arc Demanding Smaller
Gar Load Mimimuuf-Crop Ilts
This lear Expected tn b. Anywhere
Prom 1000 to :. 500 Car Loa4s.

The Carolina Fruit and Truckers
Ja-uaI OF this city recently addressed
letters 10 mary OF the leading straw
herr, and vegetable growers asking
hat they report on the increase or de-
crease in acreage n the dlurr'nS
POINTS In the issue OF that Journal
which will appear today copies are
given OF many replies receiver ana
from these reports the paper makes
IT, comment on the crop In part as
follows:
From letters and special reports
hy the growers direct 20 The CarohhR
Err,,i, and Truckers Journal from me
largest and most important shipping
points in the strawberry ana N"E'l'ole
district of the TWO Carolinas, " VIII
he seen that there is possibly n SbGht
decrease in the acreage this year rs
compared with 1906. when the snip
mcnts reached a total of ..65i carloads.
The 1907 crop was no criterion by
which 10 Judge anything. rs ;her' was
less than half crop gathered the
,rices being about the onE i'n'"re
or the crop that year that was sats-
r. tory.
The crop for 1905 will therefore,
20 anywhere from 2Cno 20 goo car
loads with ANYTHING lilo favorable
seasons from now on. tn growers
generally have given closer attention
10 the cultivation and fortilizatio" OF
the vines. and they look healthy.
strong and vigorous n this time civ
inc every evidence q an abundant
Weld ~ extraordinary I'm" fruit in
the spring Much 10 our delight and
TO their profit the growers have found
oLt bv experience that Il pays 20 dill
gently cultivate their strawberry h"ids
al different seasons OF the v"ar. and
this in part accounts for the present
splendid condition of the vines today.
As n matter Of fact th" higher and
better the cultivation tn" hiCnCr and
better the grade OF fruit produced,
and when vou come TO 'h'n' about Il
tho higher and lottcr the yrad" OF
fruit the better and mre satisfactorily
Il carries 10 the point Of destination.
THE railroad and Refrigerator peo-
pie can therefore. figure on a crop of
approximately 2.25O carloads n tho
least. and with the Information theJ
have before them thus early in the
SEASON there is no excuse or apology
tltev can offer for failure 10 transnort
such crop TO destination DCOmptly
era on time The courts have held
that failure on the part n raIlroa1s
10 do this lays the company issuing
the bills Of lading liable fpr lll gam
ages that may occur Our people have
sustained such severe losses on this
account in the past that th"v viii pros
ecute with vigOr and determination all
claims OF this character In future.
"A distinctive feature OF these let
ters is the almost unanimous demand
Of the growers for a smaller carload
minimum on strawberries and cante-
loupos. a demand that will have 10 be
conceded or the railroad and refriger-
ator people will have TO pay several
times over the difference in damage
claims or suits on berries In transit.
Cor il is out of the question for Ar
mOur's cars TO carry anywhere be-
yond the Potomac more than two
LAYERS Of crates across the floor OF
the car Two layers Of crates
should therefore be the carload min
imum and maximum whether II be a
large car or small one TntiI this
much is granted Tho Journal favurrSa
fight to the stand still
In conclusion We want TO sav that
with the present .lgh'e before ur tho
prediction Is freely venturcd that this
territory will produce enough straw
berries this wear for ANYBODY 10 get
all they want. During tho pl~s five
wears II IS safe 10 say that 'hc growers
have never been able 10 gather all the
berries maturing barring. of course.
last year-and the slight decrease in
acreage this season vii no doubt en-
able everybody 10 harvest the berries
as they ripen. This will therefore.
bring the total Of shipments approxI-
matnly UP 70 an average crop. running
anywhere from 200 10 $500 cars. An
other thing, II coming events cast their
shadows before. two-thirds OF the 1908
crop will be sold Oon consignment
the remaining third moving by Mat
form sales. This will be a distinctive
change from last seasons opera,,ons
"hen about two thirds OF the berrinu
were bought UP at the different sta
tons. and shipped out. the Other .bIr5
ToinE out on consignment