Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-04-10
Diversity of Crops.

crops. " Sweet and Irish potatoes, kale,
sinage, cabbage and turnips have been
duly considered, us the most certain
crops to give just returns for honest Ia
boz 1t can be shown also, that the
musk melon can ho grown with profit
i'll poor land py hill manuring, and that
no farmer can afford to dispense with
the planting Of onions; from one to five
acres, according to the extent of his ag-
ricultural operations. 1 have felt del
icacy in naming too many kinds of crops
for fear some of my friends taking UNI
bragg, might say ''we have been farming
too long to be taught what TO plant by
one who does not plant as much us even
as Il hill of corn.' 1t may be presump-
ton in the writer to attempt to advise
those WHO have had so much more en-
perience, but if we can get them ont of
the ruts, in which they have been so
long moving and enable them to better
their condition we Go not care for their
criticisms. That our theory is correct.
that it is to the advntagcAof our farm
ers to have variety Of crops and to
learn to utilize everything grown on the
farm We verify believe, if they would
keep themselves out of debt and pros
per. A case III point which came to
the attention Of the writer has its lesson
which could be learned with profit, us
follows y neighbor who was in need
Of l0lbs Of flour, complained that times
were hard, money WAS scarce and he had
nothing on the farm to sell. He was
asked ii he had any turnip greens-said
that lie had, but they were worth moth
ing. At the suggestion of your writer
he cut two barrels, sent them to Phila
delplra. realized $3.50, bought his flour
and went home out of debt, for the flour
at least.
We don't know in fact what we have
to sell and what will pay us, until we
look mould the farm, ship what We
have,and if it does not bring us arcvenue
which is satisfactory them try something
else. But farm products having been
heretofore considered, we wish in this
publication to call the attention of our
farmers more particularly to small
fruit culture-such us the strawberry,
blackberry and the grape, and especially
the latter, as in my opinion the
most likely to give to our farmers
the most happy returns for their labors.
The grape has pedigree, as old as writ
ten history, indeed we might add as old
as traditional history. We can turn
scarcely to a page of the Bible that in
wolves the need at that particular time
of nourishment or stimulants that the
grape is not the first to meet the wants
Of hunger or thirst. In more modern
times grape culture has been source
.of national wealth. For instance France.
that has exported her wine products be-
You'd the range of figures to enumerate
and Spain which has for centuries sup
piled the world with raisins owe the
stability Of their finances to their grape
industry.
California, too. in our own country
has made rapid strides in the grape in
dustry, and thereby added to her mater
ial wealth millions of dollars. Her wine
products in fact are now competing
with the best French marks, and as q
source of revenue can hardly lie overesti
mated.
The great grape fields of What is known
as 1.-THE upper river section" of New
York State shows tie value too of the
grape industry. There they count the
production not by the pound but by the
ton, which sells for from to 90 cents
per pound.
They are being grown too with
great profit in Ohio and have been
for years. John Wentworth, the author
Of the best works ON grape culture, who
died some years ago worth several mil
lions of dollars made the great bulk of
his fortune from grapes. In no part of
our country in fact has grape culture
been afailurc, when it has received prop
er attention and farmers of the Eastern
Shore. should certainly, in view, of the
decided advantages that they have of
soil and climate, engage extensively III
the growth of grapes as ameans of prof
it, and ii proper attention be given to
their vineyards. and a failure should be
the result, it will be the first case in the
history of mankind of similar nature.
Careful cultivation and hybrydization
lave done wonders for all fruits. We
boast here in this county but one case
where b. these methods improved fruit
has resulted. We mean in the case Of
tile Hyslop strawberry. In this pro-
duction Mr.. Hyslop has been bene-
factor-and his berry will no doubt at
tain a wide celebrity. In other fruits
and i'll egetables-there is a wide field
for experiment, and l urge upon our
farmers that they experiment freely
letting failure only grid them 10 re-
newed effort. Thanking you for the
space you have given me in your vallia-
blepapcr on diversity of crops, 1 am
Respectfully, &C.,
T. G. ELLIOTT.
Mappsburg, Mar. 80, 1886.
Presid Ing Elders Appointments.
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