The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-07
MELONS BY THE MILLION. n
THE MELON BfEIDS, ORC8ARDS
-t AND pINBYARDS.
How tho Farmers OF Barhwsli and AtEnoA
are Making their Fortunes-T The Fronts
OF Growing Fruit for Market.

How the FNaEmsrs OF BarMwsli and AtIkaA
are Making their Fortunes-Ths Fronts
OF Growing Fruit for Market.
All that section of country lying along
between Midway, in Barnwell County,
and Aikon, may be called the garden
spot Of South Carolina. The land Is
1ertiie and easily cultivated, Is abun.
da9tly watered by never. falling streams
getio and intellieent people. On eitber
side OF the railway track well-k kept
farms, neatly-trimmed vineyards and
teeming orchards stretch away as far as
tho eye can reach. During the past four
peach trees have been planted in that
sectlon, and 1t is estimated that at least
seventy thousand of these trees are now
IN bearing condition. In addition to the
attention That has been given to the oul-
: >haye been Invested in the planting
and cultivation Of the vine, while
thousands OF acres arc planted each
year in watermelons. All of tho
smalier sant;ae fruits irnits arc grown to per-
tiful crops Of vegetables with the loast
possible expenditure Of money aud
time: At this season Of the year the
WOODS and old folds are full Of the wild
n1i,n Shd un'cultiXated t'" Plums and grapes,
ming to waste because there are nouo so
poor as to do it reverence. Tho returns
from all the fruit and molon crops have
been remunerativo, and tho business Is
consequently growing In Importance.
year after year. In tho orchards at Will
nston there are about 10000 trees; at
BlacEv1lle more than 10000 trees; at
Montm0rencl about $4,000 trees, and at
Aiken over 5000 trees. Throughout
5arnWell and Aiken counties there Is n
small orchard on nearly every farm, and
the people haYe discovered In the profits
which they havo realized from those
smaller and diversified, and too long
neg!ected, industries a certain road to
wealth.
Growing Melons for Market.
About four years ago q few Of the
farmers Of Barnwell County began to
plsnt watermelons "for market" The
The profits SO large that the acreage was
increased, better methods wore en-.
ployed, improved varieties of seed used
and closer economies practiced, until
now tho growing OF melons for ship.
ment to Northern and Western cities
6as become all established industry. In
1854 three thousand acres were planted
IN Watermelons. Owing to certain uu-
favorable conditions of the seasons and
the markets the returns on the crops
were not SO large as had beon expected,
ana tho melon growers were somewhat
discouraged. The acreage in 1895 WAS
considerably reduced, not moro han
2,346acres having been planted in melons.
Inc Prouts on the crop last year Wero SO
largo and the demand so well sustained
throughout the season that there have
peen more than i've thousand acres
planted in melons this year. The con.
d1tion Of the crop. is promising,
believed by somo of tho growers, viii
greatly decrease the yield. Tho early
rams In June caused many Of the first
melons TO fall OFF the vines, and the
heaVy showers with the cool weather
the month will probably damage the
second crop Of melons or cause them to
''ehed." Tho vines, however, appear to
aYe,s ce strong and healthy, and with favor
aple weather until the middle Of July
the crop will doubtless be the largest
and most remunerative ever grown. The
acreage planted In melons rs reported
Is as follows: at Williston LOO acres,
at White Pond S75 acres, at Elko All
acres, at Blackville G5O acres, at Barn
we'll and along tho line Of the Barn we'll
aaliroad 500 acres, at Aiken $50 acres, a.
Graham'S 1S5 acres, at Lees 1875 acres. at
ReYnold's 1S2 acres, at Windsor $50 acres,
at Mohtmorenci $50 acres, aJ BamborE
!H2 ac1 es. NJ NJ lld"hy 30 acres, making
tolal OF 5,ooG acres. 1t is estimated that
Win favorable Seasons each aero will
yleld at least SEQ melons and that the
total crop grown in Barnwell and Aiken
counties this year for shipment to out
side marltets will amount to 2. 500 600
melons or 2,0c0 carloads Of 1850 molons
each.
MARKETING THE MELONS.
Tho Earnwell melon Is considered by
many cOnno1sEeurs to be the best melon
ever sold IN this market-surpassing In
havor and edible qualities even tue To-
nous 'Eattlesnake." The melons are of
thin thH 10 h0to Gem variety: They have a
sland shipment to distant markets. Tho
meat OF this melon Is 0enerslIv rod
ana the 1iavor is delicious. IT is said to
command better price than any othor
m,or ,o,on' taro ano ls "ate"diIy growing In pop
expected that tho Grst shipments will bo
maze This year during the present week.,
although 1t is feared tho heavy rains OF
~ re past three weeks may delay tho bulk
With its usual enterprise tho soutb
Carolina Railway Company has made
mo most complete arrangements for tina
prompt and early forwarding of tho croD
10 market. Side tracks have been built
AZ poad Az a npotta9t points along tho liue of
largest melon fields. A special aoaIt
VIII be entrusted with tho duty of load
ing ana forwarding the crop so that the
least possible timo shall be lost between
tho Eathe1ing of tho melons and their
.h Soy .Aho foflolS points TO which tboY
W1D besh1pped. 1t is OK pocted that three
steamships will leave Charleston for New
1ork every week during tho shipping
season, which will mako close connec.
uon with tho melon trains on the South
Carolina Railway. Tho melon "a "a ,u;ii
run down to the railway wharf whore
the molons will be transferred to tho
steamers and slowed away betwoen
decks; Each carload Of melons will be
placed in separate pens or bins on the
livery in New York. - -.
The change Of gauge on the Southern
railroads has opened an all-raiI route
without transfer to Washington, Balti.
more, Philadelphia, Now York and
boston, and sh1ppors will be givon this
year tho choice Of rOuta betwaan obIr