The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-08-17
Sbs SIoon'fiilD Sin'rs.
HOUSE, FARM AND GARDEN.
A Mountain Fruit Farm.

Tribune, thus describes fruit farm in
Juniata County.
am spending a few weeks in the
beautiful valley of Juniata, and making
frequent rides over the hills and among
the old-fashioned Dutch farmers of this
Perry and the adjoining county of
Juniata; solid, wealthy, unprogressive
as they were an hundred years ago.
Many of them still live in their hewed
Lighthouses, not half as large, handsome,
airy or comfortable as their barns, which
/ have named agricultural cottages"
Nearly all the orchards upon these old
farms are of the most unimproved sorts
of apples and Seeding peaches of late
ripening kinds. Only now and then q
man seems to have thought of trying
experiments in growing better sorts,
or more than was wanted for family
use. The people are farmers in the
strictest sense. Gardening and fruit cult
ure are occult sciences. But, a new light
is dawning in this valley; an expert
ment is in progress which proves that
these rough mountain sides are natures
chosen spots for orchards that here the
cultivators of peaches in Jersey, Dele
ware and Maryland may renew their
work when it fails in those States, for
here is an abundance of cheap land, of
little value for grain cultivation, yet
excellent for orchards. This has been
lately proved in several instances and
different localities, but most extensively
on the south bank of the Juniata river,
in Juniata county, about one hundred
and forty-four miles from Philadelphia,
near a station called Thompsontown.-
There, If the traveller going west on the
Pennsylvania railroad will look out
south aud up the steep hill side, he will
see the main part of an orchard of 15,-
800 peach trees, and 5000 Siberian crab
apple trees. And if he should stop and :
walk or ride through the orchard,as did
to- day, and find one dead or diseased tree
he will find more than could although
was told by Mr.. Taylor, the foreman,
that he did lose one tree i'm the section
where we were then.
"And how many trees are in this Sec
tion ?"
''Six thousand"
Notwithstanding all the natural obsta-
cles, every tree has been so exactly set
in right angle lines that the transverse
rows appear as straight as those on the
i horizontal and vertical lines. Thus,
kVhen burrows can be ploughed at all,
ney can be run six ways among the
ices, which are set 16 feet apart for
teaches and ounces and 90 feet for ap-
Yles. To accomplish this remarkable
result of straight rows and exact distance
required many hard days work re-
moving stumps and stones and filling
up holes. Now the beauty of the work
fully repays the extra cost. 1t is how
ever, costly work to prepare the steep
hillsides by hand labor, for the largest
part of the timber trees had been cut off
years ago, leaving thicket of brush
wood. An attempt is being made to
utilize the brush by cutting it in ma
chine like straw cutter aud sending
the product to market for kindling coal
fires.
The first section of peach trees was
planted in 1875, and the first full crop
was being gathered today, the varieties
Crawford s,aHarly (white), fair size
and good flavor; and Beatrice, small,
Eed blush, early peach, very delicious
The Philadelphia market being over
stocked, it does not pay to ship; SO
drying house has been hastily erected,
and hot-air dryer, capable of drying
sixty bushels day, put in operation.
The peaches are peeled by hand machines
of recently improved pattern, which do
good work rapidly. By drying the
frnit the seeds are saved for the nursery,
for there are many acres of orchards yet
to be planted. The trees which come
into bearing next year will produce
fruit from early in July till late FROST,
1t is probable that all of the improved
methods of putting up the ripe fruit will
be adopted, instead of marketing it fresh;
owing to the long transportation and
risk. There are 444 acres in the tract
A word as to the incentive of Mr.,
Bradford's great work. A few wears
ago this tract came into his hands upon
!. the false representation that it contain
lAfd veins of iron ore. He bought it un-
reen. When seen it was found to yield
10 workable ore, and only few COM
.s&on farm buildings. The question
w was /" What shall do with it y'
opestion has been answered. Mr..
Amust take rank as public