MARYLAND WEATHER SERVICE 339 



for canneries and market, with all the different crops that contribute 

 to the supply of the city dweller, are found in more abundance as 

 the hauling distance becomes less. On the Western Shore the dis- 

 tance from the city at which truck growing is profitable, is in a gen- 

 eral way found to be closely related to the distance easily covered 

 by wagon hauling in marketing the produce. Such produce as 

 melons which are brought to the wharves in the quick sailing boats 

 of the Bay, are grown at a much greater distance, and the staple 

 canning crop — the tomato, is extensively grown on the Eastern 

 Shore and shipped to the city by steamer. 



The Eastern Shore, as a whole, is much more of a small fruit or 

 truck region than the Western Shore for the presence of good rail- 

 road transportation to the northern markets in addition to the steam 

 and sailing vessels assure the grower probability of prompt market- 

 ing. The water-carried produce usually goes to Baltimore; the 

 railroad transportation is mostly to the cities farther north (Phil- 

 adelphia and New York). The commission merchants of these 

 cities send their buyers into the truck and especially the fruit re- 

 gions of the State, and buy the crops of the growers at the farm in 

 many instances. This is quite commonly done upon the Easterit 

 Shore, and in the apple area of the western part of the State, and 

 is of benefit to the grower in that he has his market come to his 

 goods instead of having to send the goods to the market. The level 

 nature of the Coastal Zone, and the deep rivers penetrating the land 

 far back from the Bay, assist materially in the development of the 

 region as a truck and fruit section. 



Of the truck crops, tomatoes lead in acreage and yield, with 

 sweet corn second. Cabbage and melons are next in importance, but 

 the method of recording the crop is quite different in the two groups. 

 The first group, tomatoes and corn, are recorded in bushels ; the sec- 

 ond, by the individual unit, head of cabbage or single melon. Peas 

 and beans are quite important as truck crops, but just what pro- 

 portion of the yield should be credited to the truck and which to 

 the canning list is difficult to determine. It is quite possible that 

 any given load of produce might be raised as a truck crop, but 

 through the various channels of trade finally reach the consumer as 

 canned sroods. 



