The Punta Gorda herald., 1919-05-01
END OF SEASONS
TRUCKING IN SIGHT
Has Been Very Profitable to Near.
ly Every Trucker
PLANTING POTATOES NOW
Learn Next Years Lesson From
Season Just Past-Few Acres,
Plenty Fertilizer, Intensive Cul-
tivation; Is What Pays.

The end of the trucking season
for South Florida is drawing
near. Cucumbers have already
nearly been picked, peppers are
nearing an end and tomatoes are
now being picked. w hen these
are done, the trucking season is
over for this year.
Punta Gorda truckers have
reaped a harvest this season, that
is, most of them have. Those
who were willing to learn the
game and played it right, have
good, fat bank accounts now.
Those who are unwilling or un-
able to learn, have lost their fer
tilizer and labor and have little,
if anything, to show for their ex-
perience.
The lesson taught was this:
small acreage, plenty of fertilizer
and lots of cultivation, won large
acreage, little fertilizer and labor
scattered over too many acres IN
cultivation; lost. Most men who
come here from the north try to
till too many acres and lose out.
Some Of them learn in q year or
two that it does not pay to try to
cultivate more acres than they
can afford to fertilize and culti-
vat right, and some never learn it.
This latter class usually gets dis
couraged and goes back home to
give Florida farming a black eve
to every one with whom they talk.
Observation has taught this
scribe that there are three or
four crops that can be depended
upon to bring the grower money,
Probably the best money Y-bringer
is the cucumber, but it is also the
one most susceptible to insects,
disease and frost.
Another money crop is the
sweet pepper, called the ''mango |
pepper" in the north. 1t is not |
as susceptible to deisease, insects
and frost as the "cuke," but re-
quires repeated fertilizing. 1t is
also a good crop that lasts from
three to six months.
String beans is another good
money crop. Beans are easily
grown and usually bring good
prices, but it is ack-breaking
job to pick them.
Tomatoes are easily raised and
require, perhaps, less fertilizer
than either Of the others mention
ed, but the market is often off on
tomatoes, as the writer two seas
ons discovered to his sorrow.
Egg plant is an easy crop to
raise and usually brings fair
prices, but the market is unstable
and often shipment results in
only bill for freight.
Irish potatoes and cabbage. are
easily raised, but are bulky, and
the market is unsteady and often
one cannot sell them for enough S
to pay the freight. The local
markets are absolutely to be dis
regarded, if one expects to get '
any money out of these crops. t
Sweet potatoes is one of the /
easiest crops to raise in South '
Florida, yet many men cannot b
raise them at all The ground I
should not be plowed for this crop h
strange as that may sound to one t
reared north of Mason and
Dixon's s line The sweet potato |,
we have in South Florida is NOT e
a sweet pototo at all, but yam. Il
1t is not true tuber and the roots k
must strike something hard be- Il
fore they spread out and make t
potatoes; hence the ropes" that
most northern men grow in their ii
irst attempts to grow yams. N
Dig the grass and weeds off the Il
ground and pile them in rows Itt
bout IA to Is inches wide and tt
ry to have row to every five IL
Get of ground. Let them lie and
OF until the rainy season begins h;