226 THE UNITED STATES 



this railway runs in a direct line from Chicago 

 to New Orleans, and, for a considerable part 

 of that stretch of over 900 miles, serves many- 

 centres where the local interests are mainly 

 agricultural. 



With a view to obtaining definite facts and 

 figures, I communicated with the president 

 of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, Mr. 

 Stuyvesant Fish, and at his request Mr. T. J. 

 Hudson, the Company's traffic manager, has 

 drawn up for me what I now venture to offer 

 as a profoundly interesting statement, based on 

 the results of his thirty years' experience in 

 the service of the Illinois Central. This is what 

 Mr. Hudson says : — 



Before the advent of railroads each town or city was 

 dependent for its fruits and vegetables on the surround- 

 ing country, and then the supply was only abundant 

 during the particular season when such products were 

 grown. As the facilities for rapid transportation came 

 and progressed, the farmers enlarged their operations, 

 until now cities and towns in all parts of the country 

 are kept supplied the year round with fresh fruit and 

 vegetables. The traffic is immense, and has grown to 

 be of such commercial importance that in cities like 

 New York, Chicago, and St. Louis entire streets are 

 given over to the handling of the business. In many 

 places whole farms are used entirely in the raising of 

 truck (market-garden produce), so profitable have pro- 

 ducers found it to be. They take advantage of the 

 newest discoveries in connection with agriculture, as 



