Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-11-29

are the principal winter crops here
and are being put out in large guam
ties. Other vegetable are put out as
early in the Spring as the danger Of
frost is past, perhaps early in March.
But a late frost often catches the ear
ly planters, destroying the young
plants or entailing heavy expense in
covering them. We have had a few
sharp frosts within the past week
and they may continue to come oc-
casionally until in March, though en-
tire Winters without frost are notun-
known here. Beautiful orange groves
may be seen within a few miles of
this place but, generally speaking,
orange growing is notprofitable this
far north A few neglected trees
and some fruit are found in almost
any yard. To insure thrifty growth
and good fruit they require fertiliZ-
ing and cultivation about the same
as vegetable crops. Packing season
has been on for about two months
and may continue until in February,
depending much upon the amount OF
cold during the winter. Five pack
ing houses are in. operation here and
yesterday shipped out 80 car loads OF
fruit, the largest shipment for any
one day this season so far. Prices
range as high as a dollar box on
the tree now but by Christmas may
bring but little more than half as
much. We buy from the grocer for
a dime, a dozen of such fruit as Ma
poleon dealers sell at two or three for
| nfnr nd
juicier. Apples are not grown here
but are in the market at about the
same prices as oranges in the north,
and are sold the same way, by the
piece or dozen. Small northern grown
cabbages may be had at dime each.
Onions we sold by the quart and go
at a dime. Lima beans are sold the
same way and bring fifteen cents.
Sweet potatoes are selling on the
street to-day at thirty-five Gets a
bushel and at the groceries for twice
as much. They rot quickly and one
cannot safely buy more than two or
three weeks supply at time.
Irish potatoes rot very quick too
and are not much grown though they
bring good prices.
To stranger it looks as if the
truck grower might do very well, but
it is fact that few of them are max
ing much money and many are evi-
IDENTIFY very poor. They say the pack
ers and commission men steal their
crops, and they may find evidence in
their favor with the fact that the
dealers accumulate rapidly while the
planter often finds himself at the end
of the year no better off than when
he begun.
Perhaps much of it is due to i'm
providence. The mildness of the eli
mate, the long seasons, diversity of
crops, and the fact that a new crop
may be grown in forty days if fail
ure is made of the present one, breeds
in the cracker farmer a habit of
depending upon kind nature when he
had better be relying upon himself.
A poor man can live here much
cheaper than he can in the north.
Five or ten acres of land may require
as much labor as his entire family
will want to expend: A comfortable
house and surroundings may be built
for very few hundred dollars, and
with these he soon becomes content.
Old age and the proverbial rainy days
furnish about the only inducements
to get up and hustle and keep on the
move, and in this mellow climate,
where productive year means ten
months instead of five or six, old age
seems long way off.
1t is quite warm to-day, perhaps
between 10 and 80. Heavy clouds be
token rain.
/ am writing on the front porch
wearing neither coat nor vest anc
wearing such other clothing as wore
last July and August. The perfume
of roses and plum bloom fill the air
and it seems little like the bleak No
vember to which I have been accus
toned. 1t.