The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-04-26
Auaeysnn Jntelligenfer.
PARNELL'S PEACHES.
An Orchard that has not it's Equal In tho
World.

World.
WEs1 PoINT, April g. Your reporter
has been recently visiting the several
fruit farms in and around West Point,
and gathering what information he could
about fruit culture here, and the effects
of the late frost on the fruit. The beau
riful weather of last February acted ~ a
charm on early vegetation, so much that
it placed peaches, peas, plums and other
fruits and vegetables Il month ahead OF
their usual time. Jack Frost also came
in u month ahead also. and has prevented
us saving our peach crop intact, which
was damaged considerably, but only il
good quantity Of that delicious fruit,
and full crop of other iinds. We had
the pleasure Of visiting Mr.. John II.
Parnell's famous peach orchard, which
contains one hundred and twenty five
thousand peach trees, besides other fruits.
1t is now the largest orchard in the
world. Seventy thousand Of these trees
were planted this spring. The orchard
now contains over seven hundred acres,
varieties in which ripcn from May until
October. 1t is situated six miles below
West Point, near the Alabama and Geor-
gia cotton factory. The number Of trees
are now equally divided between two
different locations; one orchard IL on the
northeast and the other is on the south
west slopes of the hills. This subdvis.
ion of trees will, at the end of three
years, enable MIR. Paruell to have Il crop
every year on either one or the other
orchards. He has studied these two diff.
crcnt locations so well, in regard To their
different seasons for fruiting, that he is
sure of success in the future. On the
tract Of land just planted he has some
orchards which have never failed to bear
II full crop, and he has seen fruit on that
location when there has not been any in
the South. This season :he early peach
rs bloomcd first, an unusual occurrence,
rs it is generally the late fruit that
blooms first. This is the cause for the
early peaches to be more damaged than
the late ones. Peaches now are the size
of marbles, and wherever they escaped
will make full and early crop. We
hope. therefore. to have the first pcnches
this season, and to be 1T our post ahead
again. West Point has had the honor of
being first in market every year except
two in the last ten years. We are all
glad to see what good showing the
fruit.growers around Griffin are making,
ulu NuO dlc uOluS ~ lot nun Sui'
ture, and letting the world know how
wonderfully her soil is suited for those
crops.
We wish we could persuade our West
Point friends to try their hand, and ask
in northern and foreign capital to help
develop her hidden treasures in fruit. 1t
is not on account of deficiency of fine
fruit soil, she does not do more to devel
49,, h,tt oh,
has not got sufficient fruit growers to
further its cause, but is all left to two or
three individuals. There is rs fine fruit
soil here as there Is in the world, es.
pecially j. il adapted to grapes, peaches.
plums, apples and small fruits. The
Japan persimmon also succeeds finely
here. But if this soil was in any 9TH
cr foreign country, it would now be TEEN.
ing with all kinds of fruits, whilst cotton
culture would be in the background, as
it is in Italy ut the present day. The
land here has SO many diversified soils
such as sandy, red clay, gravclly and
mulatto. makes it remarkably suited for
all kinds of fruit, except tropical so
that it would not be difficult to satisfy
any foreign fruit-grower who would come
here to settle and embark in that indus
try. 1t must not be forgotten that West
Point was the birthplace for extensive
peach culture iu tho South, rs Mr.. John
H. Parnell first commenced growing and
shipping peaches to Northern markets
fourteen years ago, when Southern fruit
was considered curiosity there. But
we can grow other fruits to perfection
here, IA well as peaches. All the small
fruits do we'll, such as strawberries, black.
berries also the great fruit recently in.
troduced from japan, the Japan persim.
mon, which grows to perfection. Mr.
Parnell intends to plant largely of that
fruit, he having fruited it very success
fully last season, having grown thirteen
persimmons on q tree not over four feet
high, each one measuring ut lenst nine
inches in circumference. Your reporter
price per one.third bushel crate of peach.
two seasons he has shipped, and what
given number of trees or acres. Mr.. =.
said, that in 1880, he received from one
dollar 10 ten dollars per one third bushel
crates. and the largest sum realized
off of 700 treea, on FIVE acres, was
four thousand dollars. In 1882 he re.
ceived from one dollar to three dollars
per one-third bushel crate. and the larg.
est sum realized off of 700 trees, was
three thousand dollars.
That last season there was no waste in
his crchards, because the fruit he could
not ship green, he evuporated, for which
he realized twenty cents per pound.
This proves fruit growing cannot be over.
done in the South for long time to
one, if ever.ss ~, LAD
We only hope now that the example
of the fruit growers Of the South will be
followed by thousands of others, both
from the North and foreign countries,
who will come and help build up and de-
velop this great Southern country.
There is land for all here.
It is better for the foreign slaves to
make home here and to become inde-
pendent than to be slaves forever In
Europe.--AHdnta Constitution. !.
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