The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1868-01-02
PORTSMOUTH, Va,
Dec. 25, 1867.

Dec. 20, 1867.
Col. S. l.. FREMONT:
Dear tr::-I received your letter several
days since, but concluded to hear the views
of several vegetable raisers, and several veg
etable commission men, before answered
you.
The truckers prefer light, dry, warm
soil. Their crop is over too early to be in
iured by drought, and they wish land not
subject to he 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 inch
es 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
flour barrels which are bored full of large
anger holes, and have the top head of coin-
mon cotton cloth for ventilation. The first
go from here May 9Th, and bring $40 bar
rel in the pod. Their cultivation is not ex
pensive, and the crop is very profitable.
Potatoes are raised in the usual way, ex-
cept the ridge is smaller and fiatter than in
Carolina-they are covered by two burrows
OF an ordinary one horse pillow only. They
are shipped in the same manner, in barrels,
as the pea. The first go from here May Is,
and sell for IS per barrel.
Tomatoes are sowed in a hot bed under
glass, just as ladies often raise early plants.
When six, to ten inches high they are plant
ed exactly the usual way, The days before
ripening they are gathered into one bushel
boxes, nailed up with a slat top for ventila-
ton. The first go from here June 25th and
and bring SIS per bushel.
CucumberS, Cantelopes, and Onions are
likewise very profitable crops, and will bear
transportation.
The truckers say the lands on your road
offer the greatest inducement for their bust
ness.
Their calculation is on this basis: every
ten miles South is one day earlier in produc-
ton. Norfolk is the most Southern point
of general supply of early vegetables. Any
place of daily communication that can pro-
ducc vegetables seven days earlier than Nor
folk, will get all the high prices for the ar
tic.es they supply. Hence they say any
place GO or 20 miles South of here can he
relied on for taking all the high prices from
Norfolk
A Mr.. Cherry raises peas, potatoes, toma
toes and peaches at EdcntOn. Mr.. Howard
here, who ships them for him, says he is al
ways to 10 days earlier than Norfolk, and
always gets the highest prices.
Peach trees are planted 20 feet apart, and
cut off feet above the ground when plant
ed, 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 in our catalogue, and when in quanti-
ties at much lower rates than set down there
in, in consequence of change of money mat
tiers.
Baird d. Roper, who have barrel factory
here to make so cent barrels for the truckers,
have invented box which, from the excel
lence of its ventilation, the vegetable ship
pers say. win enable men on your road to
send their articles to market in a 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 not be put up except
by cooper,
1 hope to be in Wilmington in few days,
when we can converse en- this subject.
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 in the matter as
for the many obligations am under to you.
Yours truly,
JOS. S. CANNON.