Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-01-03
PORTSMOUTH, Va,
December 25, 1867.
Col. S. l.. FREMONT

| Col. S. l.. FREMONT
Dear Sir Il received your letter several
days since, but concluded to hear the views
of several vegetable raisers, and several
vegetable commission men, before / an
swered you
| The truckers prefer light, dry, warm
soil. Their crop is over too early to be in
jured by drought, and they wish land not
subject to be damaged by wet.
Guano and stable manure are most used,
but lime, ashes, bonedust. compost and
other manures are very useful.
PEAS are sowed in drills four or five
inches wide, so that they hold each other
up, and sticks are not needed. They are not
much injured by cold. They are shipped
in old -four barrels, which are bored full of
large auger holes, and have the top head
of common cotton cloth for ventilation.
| 500 barrel in the pod. Their cultivation
| is not expensive, and the crop is very prof
| table.
POTATOES are raised in the usual way, ex-
cept the ridge is smaller and fatter than in
CARoLINA-they are covered by ttco burrows
of an ordinary one horse plow only. They
are shipped in the same manner, in barrels,
as the pea. The first go from here May
18th, and sell for $8 per barrel.
TOMATOES are sowed in hOt-bed under
glass, just as ladies often raise early plants
When six to ten inches high they are
planted exactly the usual way. Three days
before ripening they are gathered into one
bushel boxes, nailed up with slat top for
ventilation. The first go from here June
25th, and bring $18 per bushel.
CUcUMBERs, CANrELoPEs, and ONIONS are
| likewise very profitable crops, and will bear
transportation.
The truckers sag the lands on yoaN' road
offer The greatest inducements for their busi-
| ness.
Their calculation is on this basis every
| ten miles South is one day earlier in pro-
duction Norfolk is the most Southern
point of general supply of early vegetables.
Any place Of daily communication that can
produce vegetables seven days earlier than
Norfolk will get all the high prices for the
articles they supply. Hence they say any
place 60 or 70 miles South of here can be
relied on for taking all the high prices
| from Norfolk.
A Mr.. Cherry raises peas, potatoes, to-
matoes and peaches at Edenton. Mr..
Howard here, who ships them for him,
says he is always 8 to 10 days earlier than
Norfolk, and always gets the highest
prices.
PEACH TREES are planted 20 feet apart,
and cut off t,co feet above the ground
when planted, TO make them branch low.
SCUPPERNONG VINES are best planted 80
feet apart, which is so vines to an acre.
We can supply very large quantities of all
the vines i'll our catalogue, and when in
quantities at much lower rates than set
down therein, in consequence of change OF
money matters.
Baird Il Roper, who have barrel factory
here to make SO cent barrels for the truck.
ers, have invented b0r which, from the
excellence of its ventilation, the vegetable
shippers say, will enable men on your road
to send their articles to market in very
fresh state in addition, they say the boxes
: are sold cheaper than the barrels, can be
shipped down your road in bulk and the
boxes put together by any farmer, while
the barrels, if shipped in bulk, could moi
be put up except by cooper. ....- -.
!, I hope to be in Wilmington in few
days, when we can converse on this sub
ject.
If at any time you wish further informa
ton on these subjects, please let me know
and I will try to serve you with pleasure
as we'll for the interest [ feel III the matter
as for the many obligations am under tt
you. Yours truly,
JOS. s. CANNON.