El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-21

: AOO "AAO4
and. when cron Yields are normal and
prices for the fruit are wen maintained,
I the growers frequently harvest from
/ $3.50 to $500 of berries per acre In one
] instance an acre OF straw berries pro-
? duced $1,000 in single season
Such are the agricultural possibilities
/ Of the strip, thanks 70 Sgl4 allu CLlilate,
/ that crops of different xmas are grown
] in rapid succession on the same land
I A given acre may bear a crop OF winter
lettuce, spring crop OF I c1e a
summer crop OF cucumbeIs OF melons,
and another fall crop OF lettuce.
The trucking district in the neighbOr-
( hood Of Charleston, mas an established
reputation for early SPIInSS cdpoase-
( From thence are ANNUALLY shlpped mil
/ lions of "a bbage plants for both fall and
: sDrine- planting at more southern and
more northern caDDass SLOW5u5 pOlnJS-
4 1t is estimated that more Jnan 29,geO
I acres on the mainland and the sea is
J lands around Charleston are devoted TO
J truck crOps-the largest acreage being
= given TO Irish potatoes, the next larg-
J est to cabbages. and extensive areas TO
] cucumbers. beans, peas and sweet Pc
: tatoes- Asparagus is harvester from
/ nearly 1000 acres OF lana
Where Strawberries Grow.
Horny county, S. C., grows approx
mateIv $500 acres Of Strawberries each
(! year; and in Columbus county, just
/ across the line in North Carolina, an
area even greater is devoted to these
{ be-~ias The Wilmington. n. C.. dis
I trfct is specially noted for its bed and
grown under coverings OF canvas to
I prevent injury by the mild winter
frOsts- The lettuce natures IN early
March From half an acre of il one
grower last year obtained S1I56, or at a
rate in excess Of $500 per acre. When
farming becomes as profitable as that,
few industries can vie with 1t in at
tractiveness.
In the neighborhood Of Norfolk
something like $4,000 acres Of land are
devoted to truck crops. This is prob
ably the best known, as well as the
Oldest trucking district in all the strip.
Early Irish potatoes are the CHIEF crop.
Strawberries are next in importance,
yielding at least S1.O000OO per annum
TO the growers. Kale and spinach.
grown as winter crops, are harvested
10 a value Of nearly $1,OO0,OO0 each
Economical Marketing Methods.
AS time goes on, the cultivation Of
the strip for trucking purposes will be
vastly extended, its products viii be
cheapened, and thus fresh vegetables
and fruits viii be made available for
hundreds Of thousands Of city jewellers
who nowadays cannot afford TO buy
them in the winter and early spring
ton and marketing with incidental re-
duCuOn Of the profits Of the middle
men. will help to solve this important
problem.
One of the most important advances
made by civilization during the last
score Of years has had 20 do with the
devising Of methods whereby the pro-
ducts Of distant agricultural regions
are made available for the markets Of
our cities A conspicuous example Of
this is furnished by the system OF
handling dressed poultry subject
likewise discussed in the forthcoming
Year Book
Our ETandmothers tell US Of the time
when the "chore boy" welding the ,
~ dara inflated the chickens that
had been Matched on the home farm
ana fed and cared for by the women Of
the family, to be utilized for the feed {
ing OF the farm people we learn from {
our mothers Of the days when the
farmer brought his poultry, together /
with butter and fresh vegetables, into !
the city from his nearby farm But (
nowadays the chickens to be eaten in I
New York or In san Francisco are ]
Matched and grow up in Kansas, Iowa, |
Minnesota, or Kentucky, and instead |
Of the rumble OF the farm wagon we I
hear the patient chug-chug Of the long I
freight train as 1t winds over the
prairie and climbs the mountains on I
its way to the hungry millions who /
live far away from the great producing ,
sections Of that Indispensable bird-the /
common barnyard fowl
For 20 years the railroads have been I
carrying to eastern and western cities ]
dressed poultry from wider and wider 4
radius. Texas turkeys and Oklahoma I
chickens are shipped to New York and I
san Francisco. and (such are the Won |
perishable fOOdStuffs) they reach those /
distant Centers in better condition than /
did the ice packed chickens a few |
years ago after travelling 100 miles I
or so.
When the farmers flock has reached /
a remarkable stage, he sells il to the !
poultry packer. or to his agent. and the ]
birds reach the packing house located (
IN the producing section In great 3
wagon loads. On arrival the fowls are
hungry, thirsty, and tired; hence not B
in condition to be killed Many Of
them are thin, because few farmers
iced their poultry enough to fatten
ers have established feeding stations.
where from 10000 to $4,000 birds,
housed in specially constructed feed |
Ing batteries, are given clean grain /
mixed with buttermilk for from seven Z
to IA days. Such feeding for two
weeks doubles the weight Of young
chickens, while causing a great i'm
prOvement in the flavor and tender
ness Of their flesh
The feeding stations are light and
airy They are also clean, because dirt
prevents the birds from gaining
weight What progress this whole
sale feeding represents is better under
stood when the juicy milk-fed bird is
tasted and compared with the ranger"
chicken that fOrages far and near for
a HElng- me system or crate 1atten-
ing mere described Is an OutgrOWth OF
an old system on many farms Of feed
ing milk and clean grain for several
days before killing.
If dressed poultry is to travel long
distances. and TO be kept fresh from
two to three weeks before it reaches /
the table Of the consumer. ii must be
handled by scienDSc methods. The
birds are killed by cutting the jugu-
lar vein with a slender straight-edged
knife. Then that portion Of the brain
tissue which controls the muscles hold
ing the feathers in place is destroyed
by a thrust Of the same knife. and the
feathers are thereby so loOsened as to
be easily pulled out. The cutting Of
the blood vessels in the proper way
permits the blood to drain out of the
carcass until Il is practically blood
free. This is essential if the bird is
to keep" we'll Incidentally, the feath-
ers (utilizable for various purposes). |
are not contaminated with blood. BY
this system. less than two minutes are
required for killing and the removal OF
all except the fine down and pin feath-
ers- Cleanliness being one of the
watchwOrds OF modern poultry dress
ing, heads must be freed from blood
and neatly wrapped in paper, and the
feet must be scrubbed if they are dirty.
Then the birds are sent to the chill
room