The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-08-31
Ralslng Frsit For Proflt.

Fewer bright ant;cipations hSTs been
realized In raising fruit for the supply of
| markets that any business enterprises
in which sensible and intelligent, and,
withal, industrious persons engage. The
| great majority of persons who embark
| in Embarrassing as an occupation where
| by TO gain livelihood are the victims of
disappointment. Generally they are SUI
| perior in mind, culture and learning to
| the persons who engage in general farm
! ing, dairying or stock-raising. Ordina-
! rlly they have more means than the per-
sons who engage in the other pursuits
named Considerable capital is required
to purchase land in the vicinity of one
of the much lauded fruit-growino dis
| tricts, and more is needed to buy stock
and support family till the trees. vines
and bushes come into bearing. Observ-
alton shows that large proportion of
the persons who engage in frllit-raising
on large scale are men who have been
| bred for the learned professions or who
have good scientific attainments. Ord
narily they are well acquainted with
botany, entomology and ornithology.
| Theoretically they are well acquainted
| with truit-groWing and the. business re-
| lations growing out Of it. Many Of them
| on every department of fruit production
and matters pertaining to it. The books
| that compose these libraries have not
| only been read but studied. Fruit-rais-
ers are generally studious persons. They
| own more books as Il rule than farmers
do and take more magazines and papers.
| They also attend more conventions and
| meetings devoted to the matters in
which they gre engaged. No class of
men are at greater pains to inform them
selves in relation to every department of
| the business in which they are engaged
| than fruit-raisers. They are always dill
| igent in acquiring knowledge.
What is more, they are generally dill
gent in business. They also possess
| another element Of success. They are
in love with their business, and are Oft
en- completely fascinated with it. They
are fond OF talking about it in season
and out of season. 1t is as easy to dis
tlnguish fruit raiser as it is clergy
man or school-tcacher by his CONVEX
sation. Men often engage. in farm.
ing or continue in it against their
will by force of circumstances, but the
fruit-raiser is generally such by choice.
he chooses the occupation out of
love OF it. Of course he expects to
make money, and he deserves to do so
on account of the energy he displays.
Still he very often fails. He does not
acquire fortune or gain competence.
In many cases he loses the place he
has spent the earrings aud savings of
half lifetime to acquire, and is then
obliged to fall back on some uncOnge-
NAL pursuit in order to gain living.
Although the number of professional
fruit-raiserS is much smaller than that
OF general farmers, still we hear of
more failures among the first than the
last. 1t is somewhat easy to account
for these frequent failures. The busi-
ness of fruit-raising is hazardous one.
The fruit crop is more liable to injuries
than ordinary field crops are. A long
er time is necessary to mature it. More
kinds of insects injure trees, vines and
bushes and the fruit they produce than
destroy corn, potatoes and small grains.
The prospect OF a crop of fruit is likely
to bo destroyed by unfavorable weather
at any time from the formation of the
buds till the period of ripening. 1t is
rare that several crops of large standard
fruits are raised in succession. Orchard
lists know that a "bearing' year is toll
lowed by an "off'' year During the
first fruit is low. and during the second
there is little to sell. AS fruit-raisers
are generally men of "great expecta-
tons they are liable to run in debt.
Raising peaches in the region about
Delaware Bay has been profitable for
very long period. The success Of the
peach-growcrs there can be accounted
for IN various ways. The climate is
very favorable, the transportation facil-
tiles are excellent, and several large
in no ;r;E
pies in Michigan, New York, and in
several of the New England States has
also been profitable for many wears.
Raising grapes in the vicinity of wine
making establishments where cash
market is always assured is generally
prosperous industry. The cases of fail
ure are much more common than those
OF continued success, however, in rails
ing any kinds of fruit on large scale
in most parts of the country. The large
fruit enterprises established in Southern
Illinois and Eastern Michigan have
turned out much like mining enter
prises. few persons met with sue
cess foi short time, q much smaller
number were quite successful for q
term of years. and alarge number COM
pletely failed in realizing their eXpecta-
tions. Many went into the business
with II good capital, and after strug-
Cling for few years were forced to re-
tire with none. AS with mining, so
with Embarrassing: one fortunate success
caused many to engage in a business
that led to disaster. The story of the
man who realized $500 from an acre Of
strawberries in one season travels all
over the country and induces many to
plant vines. The reports of the fail
ures of hundred of these persons ney-
Ell appear in print. Torendcr the grow
ing of fruit for the supply of q distant
city market profitable it is necessary to
have an excellent location in regard to
climate and soil, good transportation fa-
cilities, and an opportunity of disposing
that cannot be disposed of in the gen.
eral market Chicago Times.