The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-13

the OH Clarendon pflo.'( p1ct tures-
que example of truss cons, s1eion that
was great loss when it va g. stroy-
ed not long ago. The fact is ,.lat the
people Of the interior of North Caro-
lima are watching this sIackwater
movement on the river with more or
less of wonder as to what it will re-
suit in. A water rate fir IN New York
Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston
to Wilmington and Fayetteville means
water front into the heart of the
State, and a decided shifting of
freight costs III many of the cOnmu--
mites that are miles back from the
coast. It means more or less of dis
arranging of traffic arrangements if
+ means anything, and it means a
much discussed subject before conclu.
sic MS are reached Wilmington is
pert Of entry with a good commerce.
The inland waterway is preparing 4
route on which shallow craft may
| make the voyage from Fayetteville to
the markets of the entire Atlantic
seaboard to Boston. An unbroken
cargo from New York to Fayetteville
| will signify something. It will sig
| nifty several things.
| Section Of Abundant Resources,
Fayetteville banks much on these
several things. For some years the
production of early vegetables has
| been a feature Of the farms in the
| Fayetteville territory. Here is a re-
| gion just a few feet above tide water,
| with light mellow soil. with the
| early climate and bounteouS rainfall
peculiar to the coast counties Of the
State. From Hoke to New Hanover
is a belt that is earlier than the truck
ing belt around Norfolk Water trans
portation on the Cape Fear adds a
million acres of warm soil and an
earlier climate to the trucking area OF
the United States. Half a dozen cen
terS of development are in evidence
in this belt. The work that Hugh
MacRae is doing near Wilmington is
the most conspicuous example. 1t is
supplemented by the strawberry work
in the Chadbourn horizon. Smaller
factors include various sizes down to
the individual gardens, but they al
tell the one story OF the unlirnite ed
possibility Of truck production, and
the cheap delivery Of it in the coast
markets when water transp il
available.
Question OF Climax
It is not a question of competition
but of climate. The truck belt reaches
from Southern Florida to New Eng
land, and from fall to midsummer
The population Of that part Of the
United States east Of the Ohio river
and the Tennessee and Kentucky
boundaries is the market for the pro
ducts Of the gardens Of the coas
States. That section is increasing a
; the rate of nearly three-quarters of
million people a year. That popula
. tiOn draws its supplies from the coas
country. Florida gets the first chance
and sends in the highest priced stuff
Because Of high cost Of carrying t,
market Florida sells less in the Nortl
. than States farther up the coast sell
: Georgia and South Carolina conn
next. Then comes North Carolina
and by the time this State is reached
s, the supplies increase, both becaus
4 the market is more convenient ant
because the cheaper freight charge
finduce people to buy more freely 0
. things that are becoming more seas
enable 1t is spring when the Nortl
7 Carolina stuff begins to reach tn
z North and people up that way wan
E greater abundance Of garden stuff Il
the spring than they do in the win
Z ter. A steadily increasing population
e is outgrowing the supply. North Car
5 olina must increase the yield Of it
e coast country gardens faster and fas
Q ter each year, which means but on
I thing. Water traffic on the Cape Fea
q opens a great reserve Of territory t
: feed the people OF the growing coun
I try from Wilmington to Portland
: Maine.
Looking Ahead.
t Fayetteville sees a day ahead whe
e the Cape Fear valley will be one G
: the most intensive cultivated section
L of the United States. and the rive
will be a great channel Of traffic. Bu
that IS only one thing. Accident
e change the currents of events. an
O (Continund on Page T~o)