FOB THE SOCTHERN STATES. 



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. We have advan- 

 tages 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 

 carrying green vegetables and fruit, have been put on the Railroads, We are ear- 

 lier 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, Tomatoes, Cabbage and Peas form the bulk of shipment. For Beans, the 

 Dwarf Wax, Improved Valentine and "Best of All" are principally planted for ship- 

 ping 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 un- 

 fit for shipping. If they have had a good season to grow, so they arrive in good or- 

 der at destination, they will sell higher than any other variety. The Crease Back— 

 a Pole Bean introduced here by me -is well adapted for shipping. 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 sten- 

 ciled "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 su- 

 perior 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. ' 



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 introduced 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 Jack- 

 son R. E., where the land is more sandy, a better article is raised for shipping. 

 Lettuce is shipped quite extensively ; the 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. Owing to the unfavorable weather last winter and 

 spring, the season has not been good for raisers and shippers of vegetables. The 

 crop of Winter Cabbage was almost a failure. The storm on the 19th and 20th of 

 August destroyed the plants which were almost large enough to be set out. Seed 

 had to be sown again, which did not grow well owing to the continued hard rains 

 in September. Plants could not be planted till late, and owing to the mild winter, 

 cabbage did not head well. There was not a fourth of an average crop ; this had 

 to be sold at very low prices. Cabbage came here till January from the West, the 

 open winter there permitted growers to ship later than usual. This cabbage wag 

 sold here at very low prices, sometimes hardly bringing the freight. 



