Middletown transcript., 1912-07-20
DELAWARE TRUCK FARMS

If a business man knew of a ready.
made market that would absorb all the
goods that a factory could turn out at
prices that would yield from thirty to a
hundred per cent profit of the annual
turnover, and that these goods always
have been and always will be in steady
demand he would put his money into
such an investment without a moments g
hesitation. Ii his plant would never be- :
come ou:-of-date, but would actually in
crease in value with constant use he
would think he had found gold mine, if
he could make himself believe such a
thing possible.
small truck farm within few hours
travel OF any large eastern city is such a
gold mine i'll the hands of any intelligent
and industrious man, and it is within the
reach OF poor man. In the state of
Delaware, for instance, are thousands of
acres of splendid land well suited for fruit
farming and market gardening. These
farms are within striking distance of New
York, Philadelphia. Baltimore Washing
ton and other cities with a combined
population of about ten million people
who now have to draw their supplies Of
alleged fresh frnits and vegetables from
distant points such as Florida, Texas, Cali
fornia Oregon, Bermuda and the West
Indies, yet fresh stuff, grown near at hand
always commands premium. Delaware
peaches are famous, and that state has a.
ready established such a high reputation
through the work OF those who have gone
into the business that all its fruits and
vegetables are sure of a ready sale. The
advertising has been done and the mar
kets have been established, but the out
put of the state does not meet one-tenth
OF the direct call for "grown in Delaware"
stuff that now exists.
Delaware is used as an example because
the fame of it's products is so well estab-
lished and its people so badly neglect
their opportunities, but the same is true
of nearly all the other eastern states. The
call in New York is for Rhode Island tur.
keys, Philadelphia capons and squads and
Long Islard ducks, just as it is for Della
ware peaches and grapes. But Delaware
has this advantage land is cheap. The
city dwelIer with little capital and a de-
sire for healthy out door life can establish
himself on a twenty acre fruit farm in
that state foI what it would cost to move
h fau ily and household furniture to
Oregon or the Canadian Northwest.
Intensive cultivation is what pays.
Twenty acres is all the average market
gardener needs to give his energies full
scope, aud good living can be made on
half that acreage. 1t is quality and fresh
ness that counts in big city markets, such
as New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
A single hotel will take all that several
such farm can produce and will pay more
than the regular market price in order to
get fresh stuff every day. This class of
trade is we'll established, and many of the
best hotels and restaurants advertise that
they receive supplies daily from their own
farms. Of course, few If any of them own
farms, but they have farms under COIL
tract in the way described.
1t does not cost much to start and there
is always future in the business. After
such farmer has accumulated a little
money, be can branch out into the hot
house business and can raise fancy fowls,
all on his original twenty acres, so that
he will be busy aud have money coming
in every month of the year.
New YORK COMMERCIAL