FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES. iWe 
A Few Remarks on Raising Vegetables for Shipping. 
Within the past few years the raising of early vegetables for shipping West has become 
quite an item in the neighborhood of New Orleans and is assuming larger proportions every 
year. We have advantages here, which are not found elsewhere, for that branch of industry. 
Freights have been reduced to all points from here, and special cars, built expressly for car- 
rying green vegetables and fruit, have been put on the railroads. We are earlier here than 
at any other point, and with the rich ground we have, and the large supply of manure to be 
had for the hauling only, early vegetables can be raised very successfully. 
Almost every kind of vegetables are shipped from here, but Beans, Cucumbers, Beets, T’oma- 
toes, Uabbage and Peas form the bulk of shipment. For Beans, the Dwarf Wax, Improved 
Valentine and ‘“‘Best of All” are principally planted for shipping purposes; the latter carry well 
and find ready sale. ‘The Wax varieties do well in a dry season, but in a wet one they are apt 
to spot, which makes them untit for shipping. The Wardwell’s Kidney Wax and dwarf Flage- 
olet have the preference amongst the dwart sorts. The Flageolet Wax Pole is the best kind 
and follows the dwarf varieties in close succession. If they have had a good season to grow, 
so they arrive in good order at destination, they will sell higher than any other variety. The 
Crease Back—a green podded Pole Bean introduced here by me—is well adapted for ship- 
ping. It is very early and will follow the Dwarf Beans closely in maturing. Thousands of 
bushels of green pods are shipped from here to the Western markets. They are generally 
stenciled ‘‘Mobile Beans,” which name is wrongly applied. Very few of this variety are planted 
at that place. 
In the way of Cucumbers, the Improved White Spine and New Orleans Market are the best 
varieties, as they bear abundantly, keep their color better, and are superior for shipping to any 
other. I have been supplying the largest growers in this vicinity in that line with seed, the 
stock of which cannot be surpassed in quality. Of Beets only the dark red Blood Turnip or the 
Egyptian should be planted for shipping purposes. The Egyptian is a very quick growing 
variety, and should not be sown quite so early as the Blood Turnip, which ought to be sown 
in September and October; for the former variety, January is time enough. ‘The strain of 
Beets which I have been selling for years is raised for me in Connecticut; it is dark red, very 
early and cannot be surpassed for shipping purposes. 
For Tomatoes, the Extra Early Dwarf comes in bearing first, but should be planted only 
for the first crop, as when large varieties come in the market, the former do not sell as well. 
Great improvements have been made of late years in Tomatoes; the varieties raised and intro- 
duced by Livingston’s Sons are perfect, and hardly any improvement can be made on such 
varieties as the Paragon, Favorite, Acme and Beauty. New Orleans is not a good point to ship 
Tomatoes from, as they hardly ever arrive at destination in good condition. Along the Jackson 
R. R., where the land is more sandy, a better article is raised for shipping. Lettuce is shipped 
quite extensively; the New Orleans Improved Passion is used principally for that purpose. 
Potatoes and Onions are shipped in large quantities, but the former are very uncertain in 
regard to prices. Potatoes have not been a good or paying crop the past season. Those raised 
on the upper and lower coast arrived in good order; but the bulk which came from Lafourche 
to this market did not arrive in as good condition as in former years. Some were destroyed by 
the crevasse, others were dug too green for fear that they would be inundated by the 
approaching water. Price was low all the season through. ; 
The Onion crop was large, quality good. The Bermuda seed produced nice onions, but 
they will not keep; in fact they are only good for very early shipping or home use and market. 
For this section there is only one reliable kind, and that is the Creole. 
The Cabbage crop was good and sold at remunerative prices, both Fall and Spring crops. 
For Fall we use the Superior Flat Dutch, Crescent City and Stein’s Flat Dutch, and a small 
percentage of earlier varieties, such as Brunswick, Early Summer, Early Flat Dutch and Early 
Drumbead. 
For Spring, Improved Early Summer and Brunswick are used almost exclusively. The 
surest way is to sow the seeds during November in cold frames or in at least a sheltered place, 
where they can be protected from cold in case of necessity. Beets paid well. Cucumbers 
raised in frames brought good prices. Those planted in the open ground were attacked by a 
fungus which shortened the crop about this vicinity and coast. At Grand Isle there was a 
good crop made; planters there used Tobacco Dust in large quantities, which destroyed the 
insects. Peas and Beans paid well. However the shipping of these did not last long. 
The Musk Melon crop was very large, but owing to the continued rains the quality was 
impaired. Very few choice ones came to the market. The Osage Melon, so highly prized in 
the West, will never become a favorite here. The roughly netted New Orleans Market sort has 
no equal in a favorable season in size or luscious flavor. They brought higher prices than 
any other kind when shipped from here to Chicago. Some fields were attacked by same kind 
of fungus which injured the cucumber crop, and thereby impaired the quality of the melons. 
Carrots are shipped in considerable quantities; the half-long varieties are generally used for 
that purpose. Tomatoes paid well. Of late a good many Eggplants are shipped; they have 
paid well; for this purpose [recommend the New Orleans Market variety, which stands the 
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