Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-09-18
PROFITS OF FRUIT CULTURE
By A. s. FULLER.

A.. D.
, 20 onv one word that will arrest
.Ia..tion of the American mind more
the a aIe tbon another, it is the one under
quloneiJ aration to-day-namely, .proht. >,
co nISlo how who trades jack-knives, or the
Inc ,bo invests his millions IN stocks,
ln"n ona and the same thing; ana their
s's1niness in q great measure depends upon
if ppaer11t of each transaction. There are
NV and women who follow particular
Ioollnation because they love 1t, and not
49, for the profits derived theretrom f;
I1t such instances, it must be acknoWl-
decd. are exceptional and far from peln8
general. ,us 1;fo in
This country that calls Tor passing nol'.1'
and 1t is this few men are sa'lsneo WIN
their occupation. Merchants long lor tle
time when they can retire from BUSINESS
and settle upon their countfy-sea'' Ine ldl-
ner looks forward to the day "hen lie can
coli his land, and have money enough to
onabIn him to live in the city or some
onnntTv village while the lawyer and doc
tor cock TO be relieved from the irksome-
ness of their profession, and they, like
-,onv others, believe that true cOntentment
i only to be found in a garden.
There is scarcely day passes IN which
come one or more of my friends in the city
10 not inform me that they are looking
forward to the time when they shall move
INTO the country, and cultivate fruits and
flowers, either for pleasure or profit.
As horticulturists, we feel proud of
onr profession, knowing that it pos
sesses so many attractions for others
rs we'll as ourselves. Still 1t Is our
duty to warn the novice Of the perplexltles
which are sometimes encountered even III
horticulture. It would have been a far
more agreeable task for me to have dlscour-
sed upon the pleasures OF fruit grow
ing than of its profits But as that Is not
the question under consideration, shall
have to pass it by and confine my remarks
entirely to the practical part OF the sub
ject
APPLES.
1t is but very few years since the Guilt
vation of the apple could be called 4 profit
able business, except in Il very few loca-
tons and these were chiefly in the East
crn States, and near our largest cities.
Twenty years ago the apple orchards IN
Western New York were not considered of
any particular value to their owners, as the
very best varieties could be purchased for
twelve cents per bushel and cider would
seldom bring more than a dollar per barrel
at the1Dress. Now it must be apparent
that apple culture at that time was not a
very profitable business but the times have
changed and the increase in population
and facilities for transportation have caused
an increase in demand, until the farmers in
that section have no difficulty in obtaining
four or five tina IS as much for their apples
as they did a few years ego consequently,
the cultivation of this fruit with them is
now profitable business.
1t requires ten to fifteen years for an APP
pie orchard to come to full bearing, or, III
other words, to produce Il paying crop
but the land which they occupy may, in the
meantime. be used for other purposes SO
that there is really no loss in waiting.
Now the question may be asked, does apple
culture pay? Certainly, as some you know
to YOnr sorrow. lnmanY sections OF the EaS
tern States apples have failed for several
years past, and will probably continue to
do 50 until they are discarded altogether.
Then, again, particular variety may do
well III one locality and not in another
and this fact Will explain why, in some in
stances, one man will make apple culture a
very profitable business while another will
tail. [ might, with propriety, leave the
subject at this point and say that the same
IS true in all departments of fruit culture ;;
and no man need try to make the business
a profitable one, unless his soil and lOca-
ton is favorable to the development of
the kinds cultivated. We have such di-
versity of soil and climate that great va
riety may be grown, but not all in one To-
cality. The little county of Orleans, in
this State, sells annually about half mil
lion dollars worth of apples and several of
the adjoining counties make as much mCre.
Now this is conclusive proof that the apple
can be successfully grown in that section of
the State and the farmers should take ad-
vantage of their circumstances, and plant
the fruit extensively. If every farm in the
best apple growing regions was planted
with the best varieties the market would
not be ovarstocked; because these locaG-
ties are extremely eircumscribed, while the
demand is almost without O limit
few years since many of our fruit
growers predicted that within five years
the best pears would be drug in our mar