The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-08-01
THE NORTH AND WEST
DEPENDENT UPON THE
SOUTH FOR FOOD

cOrdlng to Offlclal reports,
to 83S carloads, of which 1888 car
loads went sent out by the South,
almost wholly to the North and
West, against a total shipment in the
entire North and West of 81 car
loads of locally-produced potatoes,
and of this beggarly amount of ST
carloads, 20 were produced in Cali
fornia and 8 in Washington.
Starting with the. early potatoes
of Florida several months ago, ship
ped to the extent of some thousands
of carloads, on up through the pota-
borrowing region of the Carolinas,
the Charleston section alone having
produced 100000 of potatoes
sent North and West, and then on
through the potato-growing regions
of the far South to Texas, this Sec
ton has contributed tremendously
to the food supply of the nation.
Without this production of potatoes
the North and West would have fac
ed a potato and fruit famine during
the last two months which would
have startled the country.
On July 12-and these or the Of
fetal figures of the United States
Department of Agriculture Virgin
ia alone shipped 6S6 carloads of po-
tatoes, mainly to the North and
West. The total shipments of Vir-
ginia potatoes this year to other Sec
lions will amount to about 100000
barrels, worth to the growers about
$2O,OOO,O0O and yet a few months
ago we were told by the Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture that the
South would be permitted to stare
unless it raised its entire food sup
ply, because lars would not be fur
nished for the shipment of food
supplies into the South!
With a view to a complete study
of the shipment of early vegetables
and fruits from the South to other
sections, we have secured from the
leading railroad systems of the South
statements showing the number of
carloads of fruits and vegetables
shipped during twelve months from
this section to Northern and Western
markets, each road reporting the
amount of stuff that had originated
on its own line only.
The total amount of freight of
foodstuffs of this kind furnished by
the South to the North and West is
probably over 100000 TONS, the
actual figures received from the
transportation lines which reported
being 100000 carloads, to which
should be added over 10000 carloads
annually handled by express from
the central South alone and the
shipments for non-reporting roads
partly estimated. The aggregate is
easily 1000 carloads, with a ton
mage, as stated, of over 5000 900
tons of food, estimated on the low
basis of rs tons to a carload on the
average.
The magnitude of the shipment by
express alone is indicated in a state
ment from the Southern Express Co.,
of Atlanta, which shows that during
the five months from January to May
of this year that company handled
from Florida 1,5-3,041 boxes and
crates of citrus and other fruits and
vegetables.
During the shipping eason ending
with April this spring the express
company handled from Marshallville,
Ga, 15,629 crates of asparagus for
eastern and western points, and
from South Carolina, North Carolina
and Virginia sections that company
has so far this season handled $685.
S39 crates of vegetables and fruits,
and the season is hardly we'll under
way.
All of this has been done within
five months by the Southern Express
Co. from the limited area of the
Central South, including Florida.
Of the total of 100000 carloads
of fruits and vegetables, one road
alone hauled stuff originating on its
line to the extent of $4,000 carloads.
The value of this produce has run
from $3.50 up to $4,000 a car, and
if we put an average of $500 per
car, we would have a total of over
100000 600 worth of early fruits
and vegetables furnished by the
South to the North and West.
This fact is not generally taken
into consideration when the South
is officially criticized for not raising
its own foodstuffs. Whenever the
exact figures can be obtained, as
they should be secured at the next
Census, we believe the total for