The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1915-03-17
VOL. XIII.
From Florida.

Editor POST
!. | believe You aud many of
your fellow Misc conn,ians
would enjoy being in Barlow
now. Whilc we have not had
normal Florida weather this
season, due To an unusual
amount of rain. we have not
been troubled with snow, sleet,
ice, wintry blasts or mud, which
one naturally expects in states
as far north as the Old Domin-
ion. Despite the wet weather
Old Sol has been on the Job
most of the time, and most Of
us have worn summer weight
clothing, from bottom to top,
all winter long Since early in
November the poinscttas riots
of crimson-have been in bloom,
and now we are having the
orange and grape fruit bios
SONS, n million to the tree il
would seem. This is a beauti-
full sight but the delight of it is
surpassed by the fragrance,
which is Incompatible. Roses,
geraniums and nasturtiums
have been blooming in unpro-
tccted places outdoors long
we have forgotten when they
began. Most of the water and
live oaks have put on new
leaves, and the old ones keep
green until about ten days be
fore the new crop. Peaches
have been blooming for nearly
a month We have had straw
berries since about Christmas
and will continue until in May.
Many of the orange and grape
fruit trees are laden with Com
pressed sunshine and it is not
unusual to see the new blooms
BEFORE the crop is removed.
Some idea of what the vege-
table growers are doing may be
gotten from the following arti
Gle from this weeks local pa
per:
"rhc truckers in the country
surrounding Barlow are truly
renping harvest this season.
and the outlook for continu-
alton of good yields and big re
turns is very good, During the
last few weeks about $4,000
hampers of lettuce have been
marketed from the Barlow vi
entity, and there are from 1000
to 10000 hampers of this crop
/, yet to be shipped The prices
have risen from $500. the price
paid for the early shipments, TO
- so per hamper f. o. b. cars,
with an average price of about
f2 30, except for that which was
contracted mt the time of plant.
ing, for which ii lower amount
has been paid. The price has
steadily increased and there
seems no prospect of any ma
teriai decline this season. When
one considers that the average
yield OF lettuce is about 800
hampers per acre and the cost
4 of raising, including fertilizer,
n seed, labor, hampers, and the
z loading on cars, is only about
! 80 cents per package, some idea
may be had of the profits which
!, The crowu.a .. :,i.s section are
4 receiving for their lettuce. Two
& young men from the Middle
3 West, who had had no expert
& ence IN vegetable growing in
u Florida, came here last fall and
3 rented small tract of improved
Z land few miles from town and
q put six acres in lettuce. 1t is
5 said they will net over So 600
9 from this crop alone.
"a The unusual amount of rain
IS which has affected more or less
'8cvery section of South Florida
s has prevented the cabbage from
\ heading as early as in former
'syears, hut shipments are now
sgoIng forward from here, and
%about 90 cars, or 4 400 crates,
ffhave been marketed so far, and
iathe prices have ranged from
81 30 10 $40 per crate, f. o. b.
gears. About $4,000 crates will
lbe grown around Barlow this
season, over half of which were
contracted for at 81 90 per crate
sl,etore the plants were set.