Truck Farmers Sending Produce to New Markets, April 16, 1926

Truck Growing in North Carolina. . . The Staggering Sum of $11,030,237 Was Realized Last Year

Raleigh, April 16—North Carolina truckers realized a staggering sum of $11,030,237 from a total of 15,555 carloads of fruits and vegetables and 600,000 express packages shipped during the 1925 season, it is shown by a complete check, the results of which have just been announced by the State Department of Agriculture.

Sweet potatoes brought the growers the most money, it is shown by the figures, which were complied by Albert E. Merker of the marketing division. This vegetable returned $2,800,000, followed by strawberries, which brought $1,892,000, and peaches, $1,366,200.

Duplin was the heaviest shipping county in the state, and, also, the county leading in diversity of crops. A total of 2,219 cars were shipped from Duplin; 1,749 from Pasquotank; 1,359 from Moore; 1,199 from New Hanover and 1,007 from Wayne. Many other counties shipped between 200 and 1,000 cars of truck produce. The number of commodities being shipped out of the various counties in carload lots varied from Duplin’s 11, down to 2 and 3. New Hanover shipped 10 commodities; Pender the same number; Sampson, Wayne and Columbus 9 each; Craven, Pasquotank and Robeson 7 each; and Carter 6.

Duplin is the heaviest cucumber and strawberry shipping county with 50 percent of the state production of these commodities emanating from that county in 1925. Moore led in peaches; Scotland in cantaloupes; Pasquotank in May peas, Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes. The latter county, however, draws upon Camden and Currituck counties for its shipments.

Prospects are good for the coming season, it is pointed out. In this connection it is interesting to note the growth of Candor as a peach shipping center, which does a business amounting to $723 daily over a period of 40 days, according to the estimate of Patt C. Harman, secretary of the Candor Peach Growers’ Association. A recent survey shows that North Carolina has 21,201 acres in peaches, upon which are 2,289,711 trees. Moore county ranks first and Richmond second.

With 3,020 acres planted in melons last year, the state is coming to the front in the production of that succulent commodity. Some 2,000 carloads were shipped, bringing $147,000.

From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Friday, April 16, 1926

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-04-16/ed-1/seq-1/