The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-08-16
FRUIT CUI,TURE

Like every thing else the culture of
fruit is progressing, and gradually its util-
ity and profit are becoming to be better
understood. The United States produces
a great deal of fruit. We produce great
deal of almost everything that we pro-
duce at ALL But while it is true that our
fruit product is large, it is not nearly SO
large as it ought to be and will be. The
reason for this is partially that many who
should be fruit culturists are behind the
times and are clinging to the belief that
fruit growing is Improbable But we
firmly believe in the law ofcompensation,
and accordingly believe that taking num-
Der of years together one product is about
as profitable as another. on 54a
To start with, we have the fact that
most fruits can be produced as cheaply as
the standard cereals or beef or pork.
Such is the case with apples, pears peach
es, plums and very many of the smaller
fruits. The culture of the strawberry and
blackberry, for instance, has been made
very PORTABLE of late years, and the cost
of their production has not been greater
than that of wheat corn or potatoes. An
orchard of healthy apple trees ought to
produce from one hundred and fifty to
three hundred bushels per acre. A very
low price per bushel at this rate-lower
than apples usually are-would make their
growing as profitable and more profitable
than almost any other crop on the farm.
With this yield they could be fed to stock
proftably. -zs
The great difficulty with many people
is that they do not grow fruit for market.
When farmer has his eye upon the mar
ket, he will grow good fruit, because he
knows he is compelled to. If he does
not the market will be closed to him, or
practically So Having no special object
in view, therefore, such people are care
less as to the selection of varieties, and
still more SO, if possible, as to the care be-
slowed on the orchard. The result is
poor fruit, with which they themselves
are disguised and have reason to be. That
the growing of such fruit does not pay is
true, and if the remark, when made by
this class, that it is even cheaper to buy
fruit for home consumption than to grow
it, is true so far as they are concerned. 1t
is noticeable, however, when fruit grow
ing is once entered upon, under favorable
circumstances, it is seldom abandoned.
Besides being profitable business, it is
pleasant one, and the horticultural soon
becomes infatuated with it. = aria nj z..-.
That there is too much fruit grown "a
remark sometimesiheard is idle talk. 1t
is the same kind of talk that was heard
against the introduction of railroads, be-
cause '"they would make horses useless"
Twenty-Five years ago it was predicted
that the rapid increase of orchards would
glut the fruit market. 1t has not been
glutted yet, and with our net-workaof
railroads, which opens to almost ever Sec
ton of the country new markets. 1t is
not at all likely that they will be. The
price of good fruits will be higher ten
years from now than they are now, the in
crease Of orchards to the contrary not
withstanding. We think we are sustained
in this view of the matter by the fact that
our population is constantly increasing,
and that the better times which will nat
urally9 dawn upon this country during the
next few years will assure very large inn
migration to our shores and cities. iiy.