Middletown transcript., 1871-05-27
From HtNh and Hme.
TRICK FARMING IN THE SOUTH.
NORFOLK, Va. April 18th
?. pgxSgy

Norfolk is the great center of the truck
ing business of the South The other
places are comparatively mere gardens
This ncighborhood is vast plantation Of
peas, strawberries tomatoes, Irish pota-
toes, cucumbcrs. blackberrcs, etc. Here
the business was first commenced aud here
it is carried on most advantagcousv. be-
cause transportation by the Old Dominion
Steamship Co. or as an old gentleman once
styled them, the - New York and Norfolk
Ferry Boats. is rapid aud certain The
boats are built with special adaptation to
this business, and they run all the year
round with as punctual regularity rs y
Fulton Ferry boat, and herein is the frs;
rt.et requisite Of success in the trucking
business Moreover, .he soil and climate
are favorable. This i,.si element has been
sadly out Of gear for the last IL years, so
tina, few have made any money, but the
wear everything So flr IS running in nat.
nral order, aud there is every prospec, OF
profit enough to make np for TN losses OF
the past two improbable ycnrs The soil
is black sand, mixed with quantities OF
vegetable matter. and conta ns scmc clay
aud lime Good land near tho City sclls
at 500 per acre. and for every mile from
the center it is safe to take off Sl0 Of price
Most of the truck farms are located on
West Branch whore owing 10 shelter from
+ the northwest wind the soil is supposed Ia
produce earliest The manurcs are lime
and s,ablc.mannrc This last is brought
from Baltimore and Washington cities, and
sells at the waters edge at ten cents pei
bushcl. Norfolk and Portsmouth also add
+ to the supply.
The only crops going forward from lhi:
section just now are radshes and som,
rhubarb. The first is not paying cypen
scs, Last year these were the only crop,
on which any money was made, hence thii
year an unusual quantity has been plant.
ed Ore gentleman told me the proceed,
Of the sale of these articles would not NOR,
than pay for barrels aud freight Ncarl,
all the carly vegetables come through ihi
place, even those grown near Savannah
They arc brought here by rail, are ihcl
sent by Bay boat to Baltimore. aud arr
thence distributed by rail The cars ar,
run through with the fast passenger trains
and hence reach New York comparatively
fresh Mr. Sbio, Superintendent of tn
Scaboard Air Line. told me that they nv
craged ahou, two carloads day on thi
freight during the early season, say fror
March 2oth to May LIST Their the Nor
folk vegetables and fruits begin to com
in, and those grown in the for Soaiii can
not compete with them /, is. however
ns busy scene "a one need wish TO loo
upon after the train has arrived and twcn
r " or thirty negroes have to transport thi
, kind Of freight to the steamer in just in iiv
minutes. The ratiling of the hnnd.truck,
aud the jolly cries of the boys, the putin
of steam from the escape-pipc, the glare {
|, the lamps. combine to make u scene ,
seeming confusion. yet the most perfe,
, system really prevails. This rush doe
, not last much more than month aud the
comes the steady pull of work and tran.
portaton done by the New York line
steamers
Same Early York cabbagcs and aspar;
gus are also going forward from this sc,
: ton, though but little has as yet been dor
in forwarding the latter. The chief earl
crops Of this section are Strawberries m
green peas. 4 gentlemen told me tn,
there were full 800 acres in straw bcrri
5, around Norfolk and Portsmouth. RI
same gentlemen, Jos. A. Cannon, Es,
told me that most of them were Wilson
Albany. with few Stewart and Southel
Pride. From some cause tho Jucunt
will not grow here or further South in Il
!, Atlantic belt. but grows well inland abo'
9 Richmond and near Raleigh.
The first Of their main crnp is pea
: then Strawberries. then Irish potatoes a,
beans. followed by cucumbers. tomato
aud blackbcrrics. Irish potatoes ha
g paid as much as $500 per acre. Tom
toes grow we'll hsres but do not aouri