The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-27
Carolina Crop Double That
of Last Year
BUT PRICES ARE LOW

Season Will Last Throughout July
More Money in Cantaloupes Than
in Cotton.
Especial to News and Observer
Maxton, July 24.-The Carolina can
ta1oupe market is at its zenith, the crop
this season being twice as large as
that Of any previous year. The ship
ments now being made are the heavi-
est on record, having begun a week
age, and shipping in car load lots will
continue throughout the month. Last
Saturday 81 cars of 'loupes were ship
ped from Laurinburg, the biggest
'loupe market in the State, and twelve
from Maxton- These break all previ-
Gus records. From the opening Of
the season till last Saturday 10 cars
of 'loupes had been sent from the vi
cinage Of Maxton, composing a radius
Of 20 miles. The highest price paid
for car load lots was $2.75 cents per
crate, the lowest rs cents. The unus-
ually large crop is responsible for the
minimum price, but there is some
profit even at that.
About sixty cars have been shipped
from this point, the prinicapl markets
being Philadelphia, New York and
oSloA WI LIZ IodpS ID oShL
to every part of the country, the near
est market being Washington, the
fartheSt Chicago, to which shipments
have been made. There are so cars
Oad yet to be shipped from Maxton,
each car containing about 42O crates.
There are three classes of thee can
alOupe for market, h standard, AS
to the crate, bringing from 81 to So;
the Jumbo, SO to the crate, and the
Pony, 81 to the crate, bringing from
go to IS cents pc crate.
Agents for the commission houses
claim that the 'loupe crop in Dobeson
and Scotland counties is twice as large
as it was last year. Vile this is prob
ably true, it is also a fac that the
acreage has not been appreciab1y in
creased. The growers are producing
more crates to the acre, it being said
that $50 crates to the acre is q fair
yield. Some growers produce ESQ
crates to the acre.
One of the most successful growers
in this section is Mr.. A. J. McKinnon.
of M%axtOn, who is prominent both as
a business man and as an a~gricuitur-
list. He states that the cantaloupe IS a
good crop to handle. It has done Rob-
eson and Scotland counties a wonder
full amount of good, having been one
of the potent influences hat caused
the introduction and adoption of the
latest farming ideas and machinery.
attended by a general awakening and
desire to mprOve farm conditions. Re-
suits are evidenced from Parkton and
Pembroke up to Old hundred No
where in the State can superior farm
ing be observed. Scientific thought
and action are applied.
The quality Of the 'toupe this year
is as excellent as the crop is large
More attention has been given to grad
ing it and it is shipped in better CON
dition than ever before. MT. FL Kin
rnn 10S haen = leader In The Move
ment to have a high quality 'ioupe.
which always coma7os a GOOD mar
ket and high price.
The cost Of growing the canta)CLrc
varies und er certain conditions, the
average cost being $50 per acre.
The particular variety Of !"nipe
grown here is the Eden Gera. :~om
Colorado seed, costing 81 per s.jnd.
Ordinary seed can be purchased from
80 to rs cents per pound. but the
fruit is large and unTnarkctahic. 'flc
tendency of home grown seed bein- tie
produce a larger 'loupe. The Coi~1a
do seed at So per pound IS corsi,! rod
cheap.
There is a division OF opinion as to
profit from 'loupe growing. Col. z.
F. McRae, a we'll known farmer Of
this place, in discussing the question,
says when people deal in cotton
and other futures on the New York
exchange they have to combat the in
genulty Of I0G pTDie SSlOn1l CTdCerS,
but when they risk their money and
labor on melons and 'lOupes they not
only gamble with the shrewd and
sometimes dishonest produce dealers.
but the also gamble p h forces
of nature and the seasons. It is 2 de-
batable question whether trucking has
really been remunerative to tho pro-
ducers in Robson. and Scotland couE-
ties. The pioneers made money
some of them big inOney-and even
as ate 100! there were large sums
realized upon 4 small outlay Of capital