Page:Eastern North Carolina Encyclopedia.djvu/40

 One type of the industry can be described as the early truck type, while the other is known as the main or storage crop. The early truck type is limited to the northeastern part of the State, with the principal centers of production in the counties of Currituck, Pasquotank, Beaufort, and Pamlico. The Big Stem Jersey variety is used almost exclusively in these counties, being planted early and, with shipments starting in July, continuing through until October. Approximately 700 cars are shipped from this section each year.

The State has both natural and economic advantages for the development of the sweet potato industry. The climate and soil are well suited to producing large yields of potatoes of high quality and the close proximity to markets is of distinct advantage. The cultural practices with sweet potatoes are not so intensive as are those of most truck crops. The sweet potato thrives best on only moderately fertile soil, and will even produce good crops on poor soil. The sandy lands of the Coastal Plain Section yield abundant crops, 300 bushels an acre being attained with only average attention.

The development of the sweet potato industry on the basis of a specialized crop industry, with the growers organized to properly produce the crop, provide adequate storage facilities, carefully prepare the crop for market, intelligently develop markets, scientifically distribute and sell the crop, offers one of the best horticultural opportunities in North Carolina.

The commercial crop of lettuce is produced in the lower part of the Coastal Plain Section, and amounts to approximately 700 cars each year.

For the area planted, and the time the land is occupied, lettuce is probably the most profitable crop of the Coastal Plain. Owing to the mild climate, the warm, responsive soil and bright winter sunshine, lettuce is successfully grown during the fall, winter and spring months.

According to the location, climatic conditions, and season of the year, lettuce growing in North Carolina is conducted under three different methods: (1) Steam-heated and irrigated frames; (2) covered frames without artificial heat and irrigation; (3) open field culture. The open field culture is practiced in the warm southeastern part of the State. The frame method produces earlier lettuce, and this usually finds a better market than the later crop. Market records show that North Carolina frame-grown lettuce commands a high place in the best markets. The spring lettuce, which is the most important of the lettuce crops, matures at a time when the northern market is hungering for something green; and if good lettuce is put on the market in first-class condition, the grower can rest assured that it will sell to advantage.

Lettuce being a rapid growing plant, maturing in from 70 to 90 days from the time of planting and growing more profitably under intensive culture, lends itself well to a rotation with other quick-growing high-profit crops, such as cucumbers, eggplant, and cantaloupes. Since the methods of successful lettuce culture are very intensive, they are necessarily costly; but the profits are correspondingly large, a good crop usually brings $800 to $1,500 per acre.

Cabbage is grown commercially in the Coastal Plain Section as an early truck crop. The cabbage grown in the trucking regions of the Coastal Plain Section is the early cabbage produced for northern markets. In this section it occupies a foremost place among early truck crops.

The light, sandy soil and the mild bright climate are especially suited to the production of early cabbage. The seed of early varieties, such as Jersey Wakefield and Charleston Wakefield, are sown in beds at intervals from the first of September to October. The plants are transplanted to the field during the latter part of November and the first of December. The crop is harvested and shipped to market during the months of March and April. Cabbage yields heavily, and is one of the most profitable truck crops for Eastern North Carolina.

Watermelons are grown in all parts of the State for home consumption and local markets. For shipping to northern markets they are produced in the warm, light soil of the Coastal Plain Section. Melons of unsurpassed size and quality are produced on the sandy soils in the long-leaf pine section of the State.

Watermelon production for shipping to northern markets is one of the most important trucking industries of the State. For the commercial industry, the varieties grown are the smooth, firm melons that ship well.

The growing of cantaloupes is one of the most important horticultural industries in the State. Commercial cantaloupe production is confined to much the same territory as watermelons. Where careful attention is given to producing high-quality melons and adequate marketing facilities are provided, cantaloupe growing offers splendid opportunities.

The crop is planted and treated very much as are cucumbers. Although they are more often grown in the open, cantaloupes are sometimes grown in frames after lettuce. Coming as they do, they fit in well in rotation with lettuce in frame or field culture. Lettuce comes off in March and April and cantaloupes occupy the ground until July, when they in turn vacate the land in time for a crop of cowpeas. For shipping to northern markets only the small Thirty-Four