RISE OF COMMERCIAL CULTURE 59 



the establishment of a private car Hne for fruit transporta- 

 tion, to be operated on a plan similar to that under which 

 sleeping cars had long been run in the passenger service. 

 He commenced operations with a few cars in western Ten- 

 nessee in the spring of 1887, operating first on straw- 

 berries destined for the Chicago market. Owing to the 

 distrust of shippers in regard to the effect of ice upon the 

 fruit, he was compelled to buy fruit with which to fill the 

 cars for shipment. A few tests demonstrated the practi- 

 cability of the system, however, and the new service rap- 

 idly became popular. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Thomas 

 shipped strawberries from Florida to New York success- 

 fully in refrigerator cars." 



After this the development of refrigerator service was 

 rapid. From a beginning of six cars in 1887, sixty were 

 operated in 1888, 600 in 1891, and over 60,000 in 1901. 

 The business has been taken up by many private lines and 

 railroads. The cars travel over the different railroads, as 

 needed, being used first in Florida and Texas, then in Mis- 

 sissippi and Louisiana, and gradually working northward 

 as the season advances. Icing stations are placed at 

 intervals along the main routes of travel. Berries are 

 shipped 1000 to 3000 miles and arrive in excellent 

 condition. 



More than half of the strawberries marketed in North 

 America today are raised so far from the markets that they 

 require refrigeration. Rapid transportation alone failed 

 to carry this fruit to market in good condition. Without 

 refrigerator cars the great strawberry industry of the south- 

 ern states would be extremely hazardous, if not impossible. 

 C. M. Hovey, who has been called the " father of American 

 strawberry culture," won his claim to recognition by a 

 lucky chance. We are under far greater obligation to 



