The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-12
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
MANITOWOC, Wis, July Tiff
the able compositor and alert proof
reader will allow me, 1 would like to
say to the readers Of the G. 10 b e that
I write from the "land Of peas and
plenty" When madam, whose lot is
cast in the city, where the pleasures Of
summer in a garden are unknoWn, goes
into that poor substitute for a garden,
the grocer's assembling Of vegetables
preserved in cans, to select her dinner,
her fancy may be caught by the half
tone picture Of the great lake steamer,
on the car. of peas the grocer sets out
for her. If at all imaginative she may
wonder where Lakeside" Is and how
the peas got into the can where they
came from. Right here in this land Of
peas and plenty is the material. For
the qualification of the curiosity of
madam and the information of others
who may be casting about for Lew
avenues of capital and industry, I
purpose telling how the peas get into
the cans for the good of those unfor-
Inmates who have no garden patch of
their own and those who, in unsea-
sonable months, like to have the vege-
tation of summer to relieve the food
monotony of winter.
Years ago the farmers hereabouts
discovered that they were right In
what may be called the pea belt" in
which the pea may be matured free
from the ravages of the bug. Before
that Canada was supposed to have the
climatic monopoly Of this vegetable.
Then followed and has ever since con-
tinued the cultivation of peas as one
Of the regular crops of the farm, the
peas being allowed to ripen in the field,
gathered, threshed and sent to market,
mainly for use among those who go
down to the seas in ships. Some eight
or ten years ago an enterprlsing man
thought he saw In the conditions here
abouts an opening for the industry Of
canning the peas while still in green
state and forthwith embarked in 1t in
a small, tentative way, gradually devel-
oping it until it is now one Of the lead
ing industries of the town. Landless
himself, he rented land of the farmers,
the rentals increasing as the farmers
caught on to the profitableness of the
new business, until now the regular
price paid for the use of the land is ten
dollars an acre, or eight II the renter
retains the haulm. AS the business grew
a duplicate establishment was put into
operation at Sheboygan, twenty-five
miles stossthe south. Seven hundred
acres Of land within radius of four
miles of the city are this year pea
farmed by the proprietor of Lake
side" He personally superintends the
blowing, cultivation and planting and
harvesting Of this Bankruptcies in
addition to the superintendent Of the
factory. The patches, varying in size
from two to ten acres, are planted so
as to give continuous arriving Of pick
ing conditions that engage the small
army Of pickers from about the goth Of
Jur.e until late September.
If madam will ride out with me a
mile or two Of a morning she will
see where the peas come from and how
they are gathered and will have a
scene for her eyes that has much Of
the picturesque in it. Here in one of
the pea fields, since early morning,
the pickers have been at work. They
are formed in lines on opposite sides
of the field the line stretching from
one end to the other. 1t is composed
mainly Of women and children. They
are almost exclusively Poles, who have
brought with them from the old coun-
try their semi-barbaric love Of bright
colors and these, in skirts and waists
and head-gear, stand out vividIy
against the bright green Of the pea
vines Like lines Of men in regiments
they move slowly across the field,
gathering into baskets as they go, un-
! til the two lines meet in the center and
the field is cleaned Meanwhile hack
OF the lines filled baskets are being
carried to the center, where they are
/ ernptied into bags and ticket received
/ In exchange, which Is good for ten
cents In cash, the price Of bushels