Smyrna times., 1917-09-26
GROWERS BOOST THEIR BANK
ACCOUNTS FROM TOMATOES
NELSON ONE GROWER GETS
oveR $500 FROM SEVEN ACRES
-.,.+o Market Has Some Spectacular
sidding to sI.lo Basket-oOubt-
tJif Next Season viii Repeat

-,.+o Market Has Some Spectacular
adding 10 Sl.lO "a Basket-Ooubt-
tLif Next Season viii RePeat
Probably there is no topic CT con-
cessation that is more discussed among
,Sa farmers and land owners III and
sbout Smyrna than the spectacular
D'oo in the market prices of tomatoes.
Ias+ I week at Smyrna Landing the
L;obest point of the season was reached
~5on 81 10 was paid for a load of
.omatoes. The growers who did not
.ortrsct have teen in it this year. AS
~ example of how profitable tomatoes
hove been to growers, W. E. Nelson
~ the 8. A HAZEL farm near Smyrna
hos inst finished picking and real
;.od S18O4 70 from his patch of
.oven acres or better than $257. 90 to
,bo acre. This is but one case in a
number about Smyrna. The fact
that Kent tomato growers, or at least
tbose who had not contracted with
the Gamers for their crop, received
as high as 81. 10 per basket, an
unheard of price in this section,
during the past week, would Indicate
that while tomato growing may not
he ouite as lucrative as gold mining,
vet the profits are sufficient to start
8 good-sized bank account for many
growers. For real, actual value,
bowever. 25 cents per basket has been
considered very high price for to-
mstoes in this section, and many to-
msto growers considered themselves
yery fortunate last spring when they
contracted for their crops at that
price. The contract prices in past
wears have ranged from 10 to 20 cents
per basket, with the average about
Is cents. But early this season it
became evident that the tomato crop
would be short, despite the fact that
much larger acreage had been
planted this year than formerly, and
the prices, thru wild bidding, soon
passed the contract mark and began
to soar skyward.
3 Gamers Hard Hit by Spectators
When the market price ranged
about so cents per basket, many grow
ers who had contracted for 25 cents
were sorely tempted to dispose of
their crop elsewhere at the market
prices, and number of them sue
cumbed to the temptation. AS a re.
snlt Of this, down state Gamers, in
order to protect themselves, were
compelled to bring suits against the
growers, and quite a number OF such
cases were brought in Kent and Sus-
sex counties, resulting ia victo1ieI
for the plaintiffs. In one of these
cases the plaintiff was Governor Johl
G. Townsend. Jr., of Selbyville. Bu
while market price of 80 cents pc
basket tempted the growers who ha'
contracted at 25 cents, they we're cas-
still deeper into gloom when the price
continued to soar until they passe
the 81 mark and reached the unpre
cedented figure of ST. 10.
Such Conditions improbable Again
here Ia uOnoo appraban,;o1 m kb
part Of the Gamers that the abnorma
high prices received for tomatoes thi
year will cause many of the grove
who usually contract for their crop t
mold back next year. 1t is pointe
out however, that the growers coul
hardly hope for a repetition of tn
same conditions that exist this seaso
next year. While some are alway
ready to take chances on open market
there undoubtedly will be a muc
larger acreage planted in tomatoes
Aent County next year, and if tn
crop Is normal, instead of being shol
as was the case this year, the markt
would be deluged with tomatoes an
Inc growers would probably find thel
urug on the market. If this shoul
occur the growers who failed to col
tfsct would be the losers thereby
mus the grower who contracts at
ugute that will allow him a goo
margin of profit is better off in Il
,ong run, as he is protected again
loss' even though his profits may n
De as large if the unexpected shou
sceur again. With tomatoes bringir
81 a basket, to many growers it
lust like picking money off the vine
Inc worse feature of the case, ho'
ever, Is that the consumer will ha
70 pay for the big prices in the end