Smyrna times., 1920-08-25
SUSSEX TOMATO GAMERS
HAVE FEW OFFERS TO MAKE
FIXED PRICE AT TWENTY FIVE
CENTS A BASKET AT OPENING
Organized Growers Stand by Fifty
Cent Rate as the NIinimum-Can-
ners Threaten to Close Plants

Cent Rate as the Minmum-Can-
ners Threaten to Close Plants
Sussex county tomato canning fac
tories opened in many sections last
week, the large one at Georgetown
owned by Governor J. G.. Townsend
and other factories he owns in other
parts of the county all starting 20
buy. twenty-five cents a basket was
offered for tomatoes. Hundreds Of
farmers in this section have Joined
with the Farm Bureau members in
refusing to pick tomatoes for less
than fifty mentsmmm hrdluuufwyppp
than fifty cents a basket. AS a le-
suit such d small amount of toma-
toes came in that if the farmers keep
their pledges to plow under the toma-
to vines before they will take less
than fifty cents, the canneres will
have to close in a few days
Representative of the twelve to-
mato growers association in Sussex
county met in the Court House at
Georgetown Wednesday afternoon and
discussed the tomato situation. With
instructions from the several assOcia-
tions to hold out for so cents a basket,
the fifty representatives voted unani-
mOusly to stand by the action of the
association which met at Hurlock,
Md, few days since. The Situa-
ton in lower Delaware has resolved
itself into one calling for prompt
action on the part of the packers
and commission merchants if they
desire the fruit, but they need
not expect to purchase them for less
than so cents. The growers, fifteen
hundred strong, say they will turn
under the crop sooner than allow
them to be sold for less than the
agreed price. The laws governing the
several associations are such that if
one grower breaks the pledges he
. would have to forfeit more than he
would possibly realize from his crop.
1t costs from $50 to $120 to pro-
duce an acre Of fruit, and by the
time the grower harvests the crop
and delivers it to market it repre-
sents an outlay of 35 tc 40 cents a
basket, exclusive OF the time spent
in cultivation.
Larger amounts of loans given OF
Delaware farms was urged at the
meeting of the Delaware State
Bankers Association held in George
town last week Speakers declared
that Delaware banks should loan
i - per cent on farm security instead
of the usual 30 per cent.
Laurel Stands for Fifty Cents.
The tomato situation around Laurel
has assumed very serious aspect and
Z unless there is a compromise between
grower and packer much of the crof
n will be lost, as the farmers claim they
4 will plow the vines and fruit under
and SOW the land in wheat, utilizing
k the decayed fruit as a fertilizer.
In the early spring the Gamer,
Il claimed that the scarcity of coal, the
& high cost of labor and the amount
q of last years pack which was still
3 on hand would prohibit them from
contracting for the fruit at a price
81 that would pay the farmer for grow
ing it. On the other hand the falme
was also facing a labor shortage anC
n the high cost of fertilizer, and woulc
not contract at the packers figure
but planted the crop to sell at marke
u prices. 1t has now developed tha
- the farmer has a large crop of to
i matOes on his hands and canno
afford to sell at the present price o
% cents basket when he has #
pay Ia cents for the baskets, five 0
six cents for picking and pay hi
hired help prohibitive prices 70
hauling.
A netting of the Laurel Produc
Growers Association was held las
week and the sentiment favored tn
fixing of price sufficient to NEE
the cost of growing Farmers fror
various sections on the peninsul
were there and it was voted unani
mously to let tomatoes rot in the field
sooner than let the Gamers hav
them for less than fifty cents TIL
Gamers had recently agreed not t
pay more than twenty-five cents.