The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-05-19
TRUCK FARMING.
Growth of Industry in south-What
One County in South Carolina
is Doing

Discussing the Southern truck
growing industry as factor in the
Standardization of the nation's s diet,
the Manufacturers Record said last
week:
'Nlneteen solid carloads of straw
berries passed through Rocky Mount,
N. C., one day last week on their way
to the Northern markets, seven Of
them bound to New York, six to Phila-
delphla, four to Boston, and one each
to Pittsburg and Syracuse. Atlanta
commission men calculate that, bar
ring accidents, Georgia will ship this
year at least 5000 carloads of peaches
valued at $2,000,000, rccoro-preax-
ing crop. Mr.. j. NJ. Mallory, the in
dustrial agent Of the Central of
Georgia Railroad, has recently made
public figures showing that in Georgia
there arc now G,49S,l55 bearing peach
trees, S7G,0S5 peach trees that will
come to bearing this season, 9O,345
bearing plum trees, 3S,1O9 bearing
pear trees, 1,600 bearing lig trees. g
600 bearing cherry trees, 3,Ol5 bear
ing pomcgranate trees, 900 bearing
Japan plum trees, 1862 acres plant
ed III watemclons, 4,122 acres in
cantaloupes and 52l acres in potatoes
and other vegetables. From the coast
country Of Texas there is now a
heavy movement Of truck, one road
handling 6l carloads in two days last
week. The watermelon movement
from Texas is about beginning, and
from the territory south Of San An
tonic it is expected that at least L.
600 carloads of melons will move
Within the next two or three weeks.
'"Tnese facts are indications of the
steady expansion Of the area in the
South that is rapidly becoming the
great market for the country and
from which thousands of cars are
annually carrying to Northern and
Western market fruits and vcec-
tables approaching in value 500, ,000,-
600. The trucking industry originated
in the Norfolk section of Virginia
about half a century ago has within
the past 20 or - Years, and especial
ly during the past ten years. extend
ed down The coast to the Mexican
border, and is firmly planted in the
highlands Of Arkansas. Tennessee
and Virginia. The procession of early
fruits and vegetables northward and
eastward now begins to swell its an
nual volume from Texas and Florida
in January or February, and the
strawberries, watermelons, canta-
loupes, peaches, apples, cabbage, kale.
sprouts, tomatoes. yams and other
fruits and vegetables not only are
striking evidences Of the tendency to
diversification in Southern agricul-
standardization of the national
menu.
"The growth Of tire industry has
had almost dramatic ramificationS. In
a comparatively small area near Viii
minton, \. c.. for instance. land that
10 years ago was worth hardly IS
an acre is now held at $3.50 an acre.
From it re shipped annually from
10000 to 100000 crates Of berries the
net profits from 1888 acres in straw
berries in 1907 havin" amounted TO
T333 ,SI}. Other net profits were: Let
tucc, one and onc-half acres. 1872 10:
radishes, nnc-half acre, $54.05;
onions, two-ffths acre. $3.50; cauli-
flower. onc-ninth acre, 1910; bccts,
onehalf acre. $500; turnips, one
quarter acre. %35 go: cabbage. one and
.one-half acres, $l23.5S; beans. one
yacre, $257.27; cucumbcrs, two-fifths
acre, $ll4.57; egg-plants, one-half
acre, $}92.17: tomatoes, scven-eighths
acre, 1867; peppers, eighth acre,
$3.50.
"One county in South Carolina
near Charleston yields each season ST.
100000 in cabbages or young cab
bage plants; $S50,000 in Irish pota-
toes; $560,000 in cucumbers; 100000
in green's; $l35,000 IN Strawberries;
100000 in asparagus; $4,000 in
green peas; $4,000 in sweet potatoes,
and 100000 in beets, lettuce, rad
ishes, etc. From the Chattanooga,
(Tenn.) section increasing shipments
Of strawberries are made annually;
Florida's fruits and early vegetables
are steadily increasing their variety
and volume; Mississippi and Loui-
siana are becoming greater and great
fO1 ~ fln