TliUCK FAEMING. 



585 



and 5,000 busliels, and, as 50 quarts is above the average daily picking", 

 it loUows that at least between 2.560 and 3.200 hands are indispensa- 

 ble to gather this siugle cro]>. The late ex-Governor Ilaiiimond, of 

 South Carolina, correctly predicted that in case of emancii>atiou the 

 negroes would collect in groups upon the outskirts of the towns, and it 

 is the better class of this population, willing to perform some work, 

 chat supplies the truck farmer with the needed labor, Tliis is fortuiiatt^ 

 f(»r society as well as for the negroes and truck farming, or some of his 

 other predictions might also have become realized, foi- tlu^ indnstiy 

 gives occupation and support to a large proportion of these otherwise 

 idle people. 



LABOR. 



Truck farming being but a branch of the general agriculture of the 

 South, it is to the same God-given instrument, the negro, the farmer 

 must look for his labor. It is rarely, even iu the vicinity of Norfolk, 

 that recourse is had to any other race. The pernicious share system 

 has never ^et invaded truck fanning. Hands are paid generally in the 

 viciuity of the cities every Saturday evening, at a certain daily rate, 

 and if honest work is expected and no idleness or loiteriug permitted, 

 full justice and prompt pay should be, and generally is, forthcoming. 

 According to the Annual Keport of the Department of Agriculture for 

 1879, the average rate of monthly wages on the plantations in the in- 

 terior of Georgia was $10,73 without board. When the truck farmer 

 hires by the mouth, which is rarely done, he pays about $12 with rations. 

 The usual daily rate from Mobile to Norfolk is 50 to 60 cents per day for 

 women and 60 to 75 cents for men without board. At Savannah it is 

 50 cents and 60 cents, respectively. A few trustworthy hands, particu- 

 larly valuable during the marketing season, or those attending to stock, 

 may receive a slightly increased pay. Some farmers pay selected hands 

 5 cents per basket for picking cucumbers and tomatoes, and 1 cent addi- 

 tional perorate for packing them, whUe others employ the gang for the 

 purpose, depending upon their personal supervision to have it done 

 properly. 



The table below gives the usual rate for the labor mentioned: 



The hours of labor are from sunrise to sunset, with variable allowances 

 for meals duriug the different seasons. 



LOCATIONS. 



As no crops of vegetables satisfactory either in quantity or in 

 quality, and consequently in pecuniary returns, can be produced with 

 out liberal applications of manure, nor when grown can bo safely con 

 veyed to market and offered to the trade without convenient transpor- 



