Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-07-28

gomery county scarcely produces a
bushel of peaches, this farm is now
yielding an abundant crop.
Its greater elevation seems to be
its main advantage, it being 300 feet
higher above the level of Cumber-
land river than any spot in Clarks-
vile. In what way this fact bears
upon the production of peaches is
not yet clear to us the following OBJ
-servatiOns, however, communicated
to us by Mr.. Hillman, furnish proof
positive that elevation is the main
condition of productiveness. During
the heavy frost of last spring it was
observed that there was certain
plane of elevation above which the
fruit was saved, below which it was
destroyed; and so precise was this
line of demarcation that on a slope
where the ground was partly above
and partly below this plane the diff
ference could be observed on indi-
vidual trees, those just on the plane
losing the fruit on their lower boughs
and saving the rest ; lower down the
fruit was destroyed to a greater
height till a point was arrived at
where fruit was saved only on the
topmOst twigs, and below this not a
peach matuTed. 1t had been our
impression that the survival of the
fruit at the higher elevations was
attributable to the later period of
poisoning there, the blossoms de-
laying their appearance till danger
was over; but this theory is entirely
set aside as, on the same tree with
the embryo fruit in the same stage
of development in all parts, the
young peaches survived the frost
above a certain plane and Withered
and fell Immediately below it +; nor
could there be sufficient difference
of temperature within such narrow
limits. We are inclined to attribute
the phenomenon to the different
hygrOmetic condition of the atmOs-
phere above and below the plane.
Mr.. Hillman has remarked that the
fOgs which in winter and spring
shrOud the lower limbs never make
their way to the top of the ridge on
which he lives, and this makes it
probable that he saves his peaches
not because his place is cooler but
because it is dryer than the lower
lands.
The original intention of Messrs.
COnOver and Walton had been peach
culture exclusively, to which they
afterwards added a few pear trees.
Mr.. Hillman became convinced some
years ago that considerable variation
in the crops was essential to COM
mercial success, and he has extended
his enterprise to the cultivation of
grapes, plums, apples and strawber-
ries, being thus tOlerably sure Of
some paying crop whenever seasons
may be fatal to others. He has now
I'm bearing, or will have by next
summer, $500 peach trees, $500
grape vines, 200 apple trees, 400 wild
goose plum trees, 45Opear trees. Be
sides this his nursery is constantly
producing young trees ready to eX-
tend the area of cultivation. There
are, for instance, at this time from
1900 to 1900 yearling peach trees
and l 800 twO-yeaP-Old grape vines
not yet set out, and large SUGGESTIONS
of young peach trees in what is to
be their permanent abode which
will come into bearing during the
next three or four years. Finally,
there are several acres of very prom
ising strawberry beds.
From the 18th of July to the last of
August daily shipments of peaches
are made amounting to from thirty
to eighty peck baskets per diem, and
when some earlier varieties come
into bearing the season will COM
mence nearly month earlier.
The present shipments are mostly
made TO Cincinnati and arrange
ments are in progress for extending
them to st. Louis. Later in the
season, when the Southern people
will have recovered their appetite
forpeaches (the consumption of their
own crop being over long ago), the
shipments will be made to New
! Orleans.
We can only in conclusion express
our earnest hopes that our friend
may find his enterprise as productive
~ It is unquestionably beneficial,
and to thank him for the friendly
hospitality and the intelligent eX-
plantations which have enabled lis
to give this account of it.