The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-09-10
Possibilities Of Trucking Industry
Address BY Louis Reuter- Before the Brookhaven
Nwanis Club at Luncheon Wednesday. Aug. 3

We have more than 1000 trucker:
in the vicinity Of New Orleans, and
few of them apply modern meth
DDS OF cultivation or fertilization in
the production of the tremendous
vegetable crops that are grown and
distributed by hundreds of carloads
to Northern markets. They work a.
long the same lines as were taught
20 them by their grandfathers, inn
proving a little as they go along;
some Of these, gardeners have ad-
yanced in their business, while 9TH
ers have the sad experience each
year Of being in debt. Some Of these
gardeners work at least five to ten
years behind the others. That is the
general and common way OF all truck
farmers.
The major portion Of our local
truck farmers are Italians, and oper-
aFs their farms usually within i've
to ten miles Of the city. They are
a thrifty lot, most of them work
hard, cultivate anywhere from 5 to
25 acres Of land, some more and 9th.
ers less. While labor is employed,
especially during the shipping season
yet the Italian truck farmer is us
ually successful in acquiring large
family, who start to work very ear
" in life. Their apparent ignorance
Of birth control. eliminates an i'm
pcrtant expense item-labor.
These truckers plant all sorts OF
crops. During this time of year,
they are busy sowing parsley, beets,
carrots, endive, cabbage, turnips,
lettuce, mustard, etc. A few beans
will be planted; also some radishes
during the latter part Of September
and October.
Paintings of beets, carrots, radish-
es, turnips. lettuce, mustard, etc.,
will continue throughout the entire
fall and early winter months. Dur
ing the spring, extensive acreages of
bush and pole beans, roasting ears,
beets, carrots, turnips, Irish potatoes,
radishes. etc., will be planted. Some
early varieties of the garden peas are
also planted in September and then
again in January. Egg plants and
peppers constitute another import
ant late spring or early summer crop.
Tomatoes are grown almost exclu-
sively for local demand, as the per-
centage Of moisture in the tomatoes
grown around New Orleans does not
permit our stocks to be shipped in
competition with tomatoes grown
elsewhere where conditions are more
favorable.
Fully 80 per cent of our garden
ers know very little about the scien-
tihc end sof gardening; they just
grow on because they always have
and their neighbors always did. They
work very hard, haul their stuff to
market or to shippers. Very
N them consider soil fertility.
p Trey usually manure their land,
and lately are induiging in the use
ol nitrate Of soda to help along slow
crops on piece Of ground that
should aave been properly fertilized
before the crop was planted.
The truck gardeners in the vicin-
ity Of New Orleans have many natur-
al advantages-soil climate, labor,
icing, packages, and transportation
facilities. These same advantages
are equally as dominating right here
in Brookhayen.J Every conceivable
element that works towards making
this section the biggest and most
profitable truck growing center in
the entire South is in evidence.
Market gardening and truck grow
ing form the most speculative
branch of farming. The profits in
truck growing are quite variable. In
some instances they are so large that
people are loath to believe the ac4
counts, while in others the net re-
turns are triffing. There are records
OF single acres yielding $1,000 to
$4,000, at least one half of which
sum should be net profit. It is hop
ed that these statements will not be
misleading. Commercial truck grow
ing is considered to be profitable, but
its success or failure depends more
upon the ability Of the man than any
other single factor.
The large city markets are often
crowded with a surplus Of certain.
vegetables. but strictly high grade
products nearly always command
good price. The need Of our cities
is not more vegetables. but better
vegetables. When the problems of
distribution and other questions con-
cerning the marketing Of vegetables
have been satisfactorily solved, veg
etable growers will be able to oper-
ate to better advantage and with
greater surety.
Too much Importance cannot be
attached to the grading and packing
OF vegetables. The shippers Of Cali
fornia would never have crossed the
continent for nearly 5000 miles to
market with any hope Of profit If 1t
were not for their scientific, artistic
All means are exhausted
70 make every package as attract
I've as possible.
In my opinion the problem Of mar
keting bears closer relation to pro-
ats than the production, and II Is
often more intricate Experience has
taught the gardener that modern
methods Of marketing must be used
to realize the largest net returns.
Some gardeners are expert producers
and failures as marketmen. On the
ether hand, am personally acquain-
tea with several large vegetable
growers who are excellent shippers,
and are thoroughly familiar with ev-
ery detail Of marketing. There Isl
always an exception to every rule.
The problems confronting the mar
keting Of crop are quite different
to those that are connected with the
growing. It is for this reason that
Il - 50 important to have someone