The comet., 1881-06-04
1PMENT OF THE FRUIT AMI
EGETABrE BUSINESS AROUND
, CRYst tAL SPRINGS.
Visit to Some OF tho Most Prominent
Fruit Growers.


After the war, few persons, think
ing there was money in the fruit busl
ness, embarked largely in peach cul
lure. Among the pioneers in tn,
planting out of large peach orchards
were w. b. Lee, my father and others
Hale's early was at that time though
to be the most profitable market peach
on account Of earliness, large size, ano
beautiful color.
My father planted out about 5000 o
this variety alone. Mr.. Lee about tn,
same number, and Others planted
largely. The first crop paid very
handsomely, but that was the only on,
that ever cleared expenses. A car load
was shipped to Louisville the next
year which brought all the shippers in
debt. A little before, or about the
same time, Mr.. VIM. Hester, of Terry,
planted about 14O acres i'm this variety,
but they paid nothing, and the trees
soon died out. But these great disas-
ters in the peach business were not
owing so much to the lack of igno-
rance i'm the culture of peaches, as it
was in the variety of the peach trees
planted out. Hale's Early. has always
been proverbial for rotting so badly
that it was impossible to ship them
long distances. Since that time, new
and better varieties of peaches have
been introduced, more thorough
system of pruning and culture has
been adopted we have quicker time
and better cars in which to ship our
fruit to the best markets, and, no
doubt, there would be some money i'm
the business, were it not for other dis
asters which have proved more detri-
mental than the rot. For the last
three or four years, peaches have been
seriously injured or killed by cold.
Some of the most experienced fruit
growers, among them DR.. Goodlett, of
Terry, believe that these disastrous
years to the peach crop run in cycles,
and as soon as they run out we will
have number of good peach years.
1t is only during the last few years
the small fruit and vegetable business
has been developed.
TIE MOST PROMINENT FRUIT AND
VEGETABLE GROWERS.
Tie first place visited was that of
Messrs. Brown & Miller, about a mile
north of Crystal Springs. The busi-
ness is managed and great deal of
the work carried on by Mr.. Cal.
Brown, who has great deal of energy
which such a business naturally re-
quires. Messrs. Brown & Miller live
at Anna, Illinois. They have about
5000 tomato plants, from which they
have commenced to sbip-the bulk Of
The crop will be in during the month
Of June. These plants were trans
planted two or three times before they
were planted out in the open field. He
no doubt will ship 1000 boxes Of to-
ina toes.
They also have 100 Russian musk
l1elons some of them nearly half
sr, wn. They cultivate the White
Amber grape, which so far has done
quite well. Besides, they have fifteen
OF twenty acres in strawberries, but
this year, as with everybody, did not
prove very profitable. Wilson's Mon
arch of the West, and Sucker State,
the latter originating with Mr.. Miller,
are the varieties cultivated.
The next place visited was that of
Mr.. +. M. Brewer, about three miles
west of town. He no doubt Is father
of the vegetable business here, as his |
first experiment was made with Eng
lish peas which netted at the rate of
two or three hundred dollars per acre.
He has nearly ten acres in Irish pota-
toes, which are looking thrifty and |
fine. He plants the Beauty of Hebron,
Peerless and Early Rose. This year
he planted over 100 bushels, and sold
a great many-all of his own raising.
We know it has sometimes been said
that seed potatoes could not be raised
here, but this explodes the idea.
Mr.. Brewer has also about 1900 cab
bages, which have begun to head up.
He is also devoting some attention 10
the culture OF small fruits and has a
fine peach orchard. His raspberry cul-
ture has been more successful than any
we have seen.
The last place visited was that OF n.
Piazza d Bro, four miles west Of Crys-
Lal Springs. He has been very sue
cessful in growing vegetables for mar
ket. The place is beautifully situated
IN valley, quite large stream almost
the place. We take the
sales Of vegetables from his
books, and know them TO be correct
bushels of peas netted him
bll2.30; his peas were planted very
,arly but badly injured by cold. So
ar he has gathered s6 bushels of beans,
ietting sS.65 per bushel-his whole
.rop no doubt will reach about $50
bushels from about an acre. He has
lbout one-fifth Of an acre in onions,
rom which he shipped on the 27th
llt, 80 bushels.
He has planted out 400 celery
,lans which be expects 10 irriRate by
the water in troughs. The
-sriety is a new Italian kind, which h
aid to be very fine. Mr.. Piazza makes
more Of a speciality Of tomatoes, and /
Iss planted out 10000 plants which
re stsked and tied, and viii soon be
essdy for marketing. Last year from
900 plants be shipped $40 bushel
ores Of Misunderstanding $40 from
- than q half acre Of ground, as his
'lsBts are set very closely and kept
runed-
Near him is Lazarus Piazza who has
'fout 900 additional. plants, which
r. al~o looking fine and fhriffv-buf