6 BULLETIN 1242, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
EARLY CABBAGE SECTIONS. 
FLORIDA. 
Cabbage from Florida is first in the market. The State produces 
about one-twentieth of the total commercial crop, and is the largest 
early section. Areas of production are widely distributed through- 
out the State, and may be divided into five main districts: (1) Alachua 
and Marion Counties in the north, with Mcintosh, Evinston, and 
Micanopy among the heaviest shipping points. The cars used in 
this district are usually iced at Gainesville, which thus becomes a 
shipping center for the section, although little cabbage is raised there; 
(2) Sumter County, with Coleman as a distributing center, raises 
an average of from 600 to 800 acres; (3) Leesburg in Lake County 
is the center of a district planting 400 to 600 acres, and Seminole 
adjoining Lake County ships heavily from Sanford; (4) Polk County, 
with Bartow and Fort Meade as main shipping points, has an acreage 
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Fig. 4.— Harvesting scene in the early-crop shipping region. Ready to haul to the packing shed. 
of 600 to 700; (5) Manatee County, on the west coast, had an acreage 
of 1,000 to 1,500 in 1917, most of which was grown by overhead 
irrigation, but reported only 100 in 1923 and 250 in 1924. 
In Florida, acreage and shipments of cabbage vary greatly. Acre- 
age fluctuates partly according to the success or failure of the previous 
season and partly in response to the shortage or abundance of the 
northern crop. The yield runs about 6 tons, or half a carload per 
acre. Shipments have ranged from 1,500 to 5,000 carloads per 
season. 
Much of the earliest crop finds a market in southern cities, but 
most of it goes to large markets from Pittsburgh eastward, the 
markets of New York and Philadelphia leading. Some Florida 
cabbage appears in the midwestern markets, the quantity depending 
somewhat, upon the seasonal competition with Texas and California. 
Shipments become active during January, increase in February, 
reach their height in March, then taper oft during April. 
