The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-18
HAPPY TIMES FOR TRUCKERS Strawberry Growers in
 Good Humor. CARLOADS FOR MARKERS Rustling Scenes of Activity at
 CastleberrY. Peaches and Tobacco Around Brewten Premise Te Yield Fine Revenues For the Progressive Alabama
 Producers.
BY CHARLES L. HAROLD.

the investors of this town and county are applauding the recent .triumphs of the farm.
 The story of skyward wheat. of bouncing potatoes, of yaulting toma- toes, of soaring corn and the bucolfc hustle the country wide Is sweet mu- sic to the growers of Castleberry.
 The wheat and potatoes have had their inning: tomatoes and corn always have theirs. Now the wizards of the strawberry patches propose to knock them home run or two. And they are playing the game. too. for all 1t Is worth.
 Of course. it is not because the as- cension of wheat is reflected in a high fer price of bread that the farmers of lConecuh and Escambia Counties are roofing. It is the natural sympathy of the country life devotees. If you are going to live in the country you might as well live. That Is the way the pro- gresive plowman views the matter to- day; 1t Is the way the landlord is view ing it. also. and to live in the modern sense of the word there must be a de- i. cent price for the products of labor on the farm. So. if there is q boom to prices of some farm commodities there is naturally e. feeling that improve ment will come all down the line.
 This sympathetic rise of farm prices does not come always by any means. There be times when cotton drags and wheat moves as a sirocco. Potatoes have been in the swim and strawber- ries have bitten the dust. with thous- ands of their rubicund smiles never rising from the sandbeds. But it does look now that the farm Is truly hummer and industrials are down ip the mouth.
 Wherefore. the growers of berries. the growers of peaches and the grow CTS of tobacco in this section are in. clined to be In a good humor. Truck farmers are willing now to dethrone King Cotton-renounce allegiance so long as he will monopolize all space, thought and starvation. He has place in the makeup of the farmers life. but 1t is being gradually equal ized with the corn. the berry. the peach and the tobacco weed.
 At one time it. looked as if the weather would turn enough somer- saults to damage or ruin the straw. berry crop of this county. It rained and 1t turned cold. and 1t turned cold and raaned. Then a hot spell was Of the growers. But on the home stretch things broke better and a crop was made after all. The early bird al ways caught the worm. The berry grower of castleberry is early and for that he is famous. In the annual
 
 the Western berry. the locae Rlondike variety skins it's opponents to the tune s of about two or three weeks. That iS what brings prosperity for time to this community. That is what makes these days the busiest period Of the town It sends every bit of the negro picking talent to the fields and to obey the "get busy command.
 It is rumored here that the growers Of North Carolina have been disap- pointed with their crop. Buyers have had their agents in both that State and this and so far the local fellows have not been recalled. This is taken fp mean that so far it is a walk-away have shipped to date nearly twenty carloads to the North and East The principal commission eenters where the. berries are headed are Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburg The high level of s4 and $50. net. has been reached and crates are now selling around that mark.
 weather Helps Berries.
 The cool. crisp weather of the last week has been welcome here. It has tended to preserve the berry against the softening effct of continud rain For this reason the berry that is yet to be shipped Is expected to improve in quality over the early shipments. Very few crates are shipped to Alabams points. The shippers cannot be inter
 
 reconciled to the fancy prices that the East and West are paying. They may get in later when prices tumble. but not for the present.
 Just that point Is what makes the hustle at this season. The chief vir- tue in the local product, as pointed out, is in the early growth. The soil Is naturally strawberry soil. The climate is ideal the labor is most of the time accessible and partly expert, and many other items are favorable. The actual quality of the berry Is also excellent, but it is early and that makes for the high prices.
 So, when the Carolina strawberry hits the market the pyramid may be expected to begin falling. It usually does.
 Many season. when. with all the rush to get the berry from the field to the car. only a third or half of the crop is gathered the enormous com petitors strike the commission cities. They often come with one wave and. of course. local shipments to that sec ton break off suddenly Prices that make it slightly profitable for the large growers of Carolina and other near States do not pay local shippers to those centers. But so far, the tumble has not come and the shipments may continue for several days yet They have been shipping over two weeks and
 
 town is about seventy or eighty cars annually.
 Peaches and Tobacco.
 They raised but few berries at Brew ton thls year. But they are claiming two good crops-peaehes and tobacco The peaches around Brewton and Cas- tleberry look good at this stage of cultivation. The report that Georgia will be short on Its corp has brought comfort to local growers. It has been clearly proven that with scientific at tention. careful spraying and regular war on the deadly worms that attack the trees themselves, peaches can be successfully raised in the counties of Baldwin. Escambia and Conecuh. The quality of the fruit Is splendid and does not fail to sell Drofitably.
 The enthusiasm over tobacco con- tinues An offer has just been received at Brewton to take all of last years crop at the unusually high price of $1 50 per pound. There Is some hesi- tation to sell at this figure The local growers seem to know they have the genuine article and may get even a better price than this. Preparations are now nearing an end for next sea sons planting. The plants may be moved from their beds and set about May 1. By the middle of June 1t Is ex- pected to exhibit the magic and giant stand of Sumatra that attracted so much attention last year and invited national experts to examine the exper- lrnent