Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-05-06
Florida Letter.

For the TINES;
The vegetable interests of Florida are
very large. Shipments of peas and beans
begin about the middle of November and
continue till about July l. A great deal
of lettuce has been shipped the past winter
and brought good prices. Cabbage, dur
ing March, sold for So per barrel in north
ern markets; a small lot of peas sent to
New York in March sold for So. so per
6ushei crate, netting about $4 per crate.
Freight rates to New York are AZ cents
per crate express sc cents Good toma-
toes are now selling for So to 80 per
carrier, less than one bushel. The dry
weather is now causing great shortage in
the crop and causing advance in prices.
April and May are the two dryest months
OF the year. The sun is very hot, the
thermometer standing to-day at 11S de-
grees in the sun and 81 in the shade. The
heat is not noticed here as much as in the
north, as the air contains but little moist
ure. Generally good breeze is blowing
and as soon as one gets out of the sun he
is cool and comfortable. The summer
rains begin in May during June it gener-
ally rains every day, sometimes for but
minute and lasting less than an hour. Corn
natures during this rainy season; grass
grows very rapidly sweet potatoes are put
out; the running vines from the seed pota-
toes is stuck into the ground and if the
ground is moist grows rapidly. Irish
potatoes are now being shipped two weeks
ago they sold from 81 to $40 per barrel.
express to New York 81 cents. They do
not yield as well as north, chiefly caused
by lack of fertilizer. Most of the Florida
soil is too dry for potatoes without irriga-
ton. One has to look out both for too
much and too little rain. Heavy rains
during the past season about planting time
caused much loss from rotting of seed.
Peaches are beginning to ripen strawber-
ries and blackberries are plentiful, the lat
ter being wild. They grow only in the
low ground; blueberries grow plentiful in
the flat woods and are ripe during May
and June. Some seasons we get but few
owing to dry weather.
Corn is now knee to waist high. The
southern style of farming would make the
Yankee farmer laugh. Here everyone who
comes from north of the Mason and Dixon
line is called Yankee. Corn yields from
10 to 40 bushels to the acre. Large fields
are planted in ''Florida landn without fer
tilizer and the wonder is how it will yield
any crop. 1t is said that always three ker-
nels are dropped in the hill, one to pull,
one to push and the other to come up. The
poor pine land of Florida is too poor to
raise an umbrella on. 1t grows only small
pine trees and wire grass on which grass
hoppers starve. Some of the pine land is
quite fertile as shown in the growth of the
pines, some Of which grow over two feet in
diameter, though the average is IA to IS
inches. Rough lumber costs $40 per M
delivered. This is the southern pine full
of pitch. Dressed lumber costs $14 to
SIG, of fine grain, susceptible of high
polish
Dry goods are sold higher than in the
north; groceries some higher caused chiefly
by higher freight rates. 1t costs much
less here for clothing than in a colder coun-
try; an overcoat is hardly ever needed.
Now and then day in winter it is very
raw and it seems it must be freezing but
the thermometer shows temperature of
only - to 55. During the summer we
feel as cool at 80 degrees as you do north
at -, caused, | think, by rapid evapora-
ton. H. l.. WHITE.
Yalaha, Fla, April "a. '96,