The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-04
THE HCFME.


in square, which during hours is filled
with teams Offering great variety OF
country produce, long building, with
roof, but open sides, the floor paved and
curbed, central line off booths facing
each way.
AS no supply of green groceries Is kept
by any stores, nor fresh ltleats. the mar.
kept is busy place: and one sees all
classes here, from the we silthy man on
his way to business to the dsolored Aunty,
with basket, and carrying away live
ohloken-indesd, procession of the
humber people may be seen, vending
their way home with squs;wking fowls,
though dressed poultry is TO be had in
cool weather.
On an autumn day one firsls the aisles
like flower show, gay With blossoms.
chrysanthemums and dahlias, and yege.
tables of vivid hue-green, orange and
purple-piles of rhubarb and celery. nine.
apples, pears, tomatoes (the latter until
near Christmas. and the FLORIDA ones
very early and very cheap squads, SOUR
rels and-what STRAY berries in October
and even raspberries. The Cumberland
Triumph strawberry can be depended on
for a second crop in autumn.
Fowls are bought alive in GOODS and
kept by the curb of the markeb-turkeys,
eighty cents to dollar eachs broilers,
| two for a quartersom etimes; meat. ten
and fifteen cents pound; plenty of
ducks, few guinea fowl and geese.
Young foxes are brought in from the
mountains, and opossums, toward which
every colcred person casts longing eyes
| The foxes are sold to small boys as nov
ell pets, or their pelts to the buyer of all
such things from the mountainous.
Fish and oysters come from the Allan
tic and Gulf coasts, also some large fish
from the Tennessee River, and CLAIMS,
which but few there care for OF know
how to use.
At all seasons except when a 'norther'
desceuds, or there is bit of real winter
weather, flowers are for sale from early
spring bulbs to late znnias and cosmos.
Roses do well in pits, and English violets
bloom in December and at intervals
| later.
Holly is brought in by the wagon load
and some that is very choice is stripped
| by carload lots from North Carolina
with mistletoe and galax leaves-beauti-
full green or maroon leaves that last fresh
all winter and are lovely table deoora-
ton with ferns. Large green lecoehae
branches, resembling young lemon tree
shoots, are also very decorative, and keep
grean for many weeks in water.
CHANGING along, one finds many novel
ties, such as ground clippers, MuscAttine
grapes, and Sarvis berries. These grow
on a pretty tree, and look like large
checkerberries or small hawberries. They
are eaten fresh, with sugar and milk,
and liked by those used to them from
childhood.
One stall has nothing but strange roots
and herbs for medicinal use. Mulberries
go unpioked, being thought very harm
full. Green gooseberries are abundant,
but ripe ones are not to be had, nor cur
rants very often, but plenty of blueber-
ries.
Eggs come by wagon and boat load and
by train, until one can revel In many
extravagant uses of them for cakes and
buildings. I have bought them three.
and once six, dozen for quarter in the
summer, from wagons that collect
| through the country and come to market
once or twice week. OF course this is
not the common price but they are sell
dom high.
Asparagus and oaulifiower are nice and
abundant, but there is no knowledge or
liking for sweet corn or Northern Hub
bard and marrow squash-only the sum
mer bush squashes and huge winter
pumpkins.
But melons abound. Two-horse wag-
ons in long PROFESSIONS bring in water
melons and nutmeg.
Hunters bring in game-venison,
punches of woodpeckers, sometimes bear.
One of the quaint sights is grizzled.
pleasant old negro, selling rustic seats
and baskets. His wagon on gala days is
bright with flags: his steed, spotted
steer, attached to the shafts by a single
OK yoke, but otherwise harnessed with a
horses harness, even to hold backs, and a
bride and blinders, and, most comical of
all, on this patient beast cavalry curb
bit, with rope reins.
Another glimpse was tall white man,
selling chincapins. He had necklace
after necklace, each longer than the first,
like Queen Margherita's pearls, till they
reached his knees. The ohincapin is a
sweeta corn that grows in burr like
chestnut. These are strung and festooned
across the booths, with strings of gay red
Tabasco and Chill peppers. 1t is curl
Gus old law of Tennessee that secures
from aggressive creditors an OK yoke and
a string of red peppers.
| Chestnuts do not grow there, but GUAM
tities of black walnuts and large hickorys
and some butternuts or white walnuts.
as they call them in the South. Pea
nuts, too, are valuable crop in Tennes-
see, exported by way of Norfolk, Va. the
great peanut market of the world, and
| i,nmeDse quantities of dried anplos ono