THE NORFOLK TRUCKERS lA MIDWINTER. 



expects to harvest 5,000 barrels of kale this season 

 from something over fifty acres of land. On an average, 

 it brings one dollar per barrel in New York, and fifty 

 cents covers the expense of packages, transportation and 

 selling. The variety most commonly grown about Nor- 

 folk IS the Green Curled Scotch, a good mature plant of 

 which is shown in Fig. 2. A plain-leaved blue kale is 

 also largely raised. Kale is a hardy plant, of the cab- 

 bage tribe, and is much esteemed for winter "greens." 

 The varieties are numerous, and variable in shape, 

 habit and color. They are far the handsomest of any 

 plants grown in the vegetable garden, and many of them 



twenty barrels may be considered an average day's work. 

 This spinage was selling in New York for $3 to $3.50 a 

 barrel, at which figure the trucker gets from $2 to $2.25 

 to pay for the growing. Mr. Ballentine grows the Savoy 

 spinage entirely. It is sown in rows ten inches apart, 

 four rows forming a "bed," which is set off from the 

 adjacent bed by a space some two feet wide. 



Cabbages are grown in various ways about Norfolk. 

 Mr. Ballentine grows them entirely without the use of 

 glass. The seeds are sown in beds in September, and 

 the plants are set in the field about the middle of No- 

 vember. They stand in his fields three and a-half by 

 eighteen inches apart. The rows 

 are made by turning three furrows 

 together, and upon the south side of 

 the ridge the plants are set, as seen 

 in Fig. 5. This affords protection 

 from the north winds and concen' 

 trates the heat from the sun. Twenty 

 pounds of seed were required to stock 

 Mr. Ballentine's fields this year, for 

 he has 45 acres, containing upwards 

 of 400,000 plants. These are all 



are worth place in coarser or- 

 namental borders. For a 

 brilliant and constant display 

 of attractive shape and color, 

 few plants equal them. 



Spinage is probably Mr, 

 Ballentine's most important 

 crop. His plantation of it 

 this year comprises 125 acres, 

 the sowing of which required 

 two and one-half tons of seed ! 

 From this area he expects to 



harvest 25,000 barrels. This is supposed to be the 

 largest spinage crop ever grown by one person in this 

 country. The harvesting was progressing in the closing 

 days of the year (Fig. 3), These days were warm 

 enough for comfort in the picking field, and I was as- 

 sured that the weather at the time of my visit was en- 

 tirely normal. A crust froze upon the soft ground during 

 many of the nights, but the early sun warmed it and sent 

 the negroes rollicking over the fields to do the harvest. 

 Spinage pickers get ten cents a barrel, and from ten to 



Mv Own Christmas Kale had been Dug from out the Snow, 



BUT THE NORFOLKERS PICKED IT FROM THE SoFT EaRTH 



IN THE Sunny Fields. 



Early Wakefield, and they are cut about the first of 

 May. 



There are 90 acres of strawberries upon this great 

 farm this year, and 80 acres lie in one continuous and 

 level field. Hoffman is grown almost exclusively upon 

 this place. When cultivation ceases in August the grass 

 springs up quickly, and during winter the dead and mat- 

 ted stems afford the most perfect mulch. All growers 

 appear to agree that this mulch is invaluable, especially 

 in protecting the plants from cold winds during bloom- 



