228 THE UNITED STATES 



on account of the distance, and there was great risk in- 

 volved in sending the produce to Northern markets on 

 account of the time involved in transit. To meet this, 

 the railroads have furnished special service, and the pro- 

 ducers have combined and formed associations in order 

 to secure advantages in reduced rates, and, also, to effect 

 improvements in the manner of handling both at the 

 point of despatch and at the destination. As the result 

 of all these conditions the far South and South-west can 

 now compete with the more Northern localities in the 

 regular seasons, and, besides, furnish the produce during 

 winter months at prices within the reach of all. 



While the principal movement of the traffic is from the 

 South to the North, vast quantities of Northern -grown 

 potatoes, cabbages, onions, celery, etc., are transported to 

 the South every winter, so that the Illinois Central at one 

 season of the year hauls train-loads of such produce North- 

 bound, and then, a few months later, hauls the same kind 

 of commodities South-bound. 



The Southern States traversed by the Illinois Central 

 and Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroads are probably 

 the largest fruit and vegetable-producing States in the 

 Union. Crystal Springs, Miss., on the Illinois Central, 

 is, indeed, the largest tomato-shipping point in the world, 

 and other of our stations are as notable in the raising of 

 strawberries and vegetables, car-loads after car-loads of 

 such commodities being forwarded during the different 

 seasons. 



As an indication of the improvements made by the 

 railroads in the facilities for handling this perishable 

 traffic, I may say that in the beginning shippers were 

 obliged to use either common box cars or cattle cars, or 

 send by express. As regards the last-mentioned course, 

 not only was it almost impracticable, on account of the 

 high charges, but the produce met with hasty handling, 



