The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-15
THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.
WHAT OLD GROWERS SAY ABOUT
FRUIT GROWING.

are plentiful, and plum trees in some places
have taken on spring attire. Old growers
say that in their opinion the crop was de-
s,royed last season about this time. They
believe now that the March snap only
brought on more speedily what would have
comefinally. The cold weather prevailing
over this section of Georgia now. is heralded
with joy by growers, but they are APP
prehensive that it is only for
few days. Strawberries have never
quit bearing, and great many have been
sold along the line of the Central railroad
from Macon TO Columbus, Not as many Of
the trees, especially peach trees, were killed
last year as the growers thought. They find
In pruning this season that the orchards are
pretty full, and if the season is propitious
the thinning out OF trees will benefit the re-
manning trees. Old growers took the severe
devastation last year philosophically, since
they believed that it would make the crop
of 1901 larger. They have had high hopes
Of an immense yield this year. and up TO
this time they say everything has been in
their favor. The preceding winter has been
warm, aud they have learned to predict a
severe winter after a mild one, and vice
versa.
THE KIND OF WEATHER NEEDED.
If the weather will continue cold, as they
predicted in the beginning, all will come out
right. If a warm winter be followed by
weather of the same kind, the same conse-
Quences resultant last year will attend this
year.
In speaking of the condition of fruit
growers, an old grower said that it is not a
good as 1T was two years ago. Then they
coined shekels, he said. But they did not
prepare for cold day, as they should, and
the last years failure went hard with them.
lie said that there was fruit enough de-
stroyed and thrown away two years ago to
have supplied the markets two seasons. He
argued that growers have learned
lesson from their waste, too. He
said that every grower that is able
preparing next season to
utilize every peach, apple, grape etc,
grown on his farm. They are doing this
by putting up evaporators and canning
establishments. Some have established
stills, aud he predicted that thousands OF
gallons Of fine peach brandy will be made
next year.
Two years ago, he said, all fruit too ripe
to be shipped to northern markets was
shipped to home markets. where it rotted
invariably. The home markets could not
begin TO carry the immense quantities they
had. All the fruit too ripe to be basketed
and too soft to be sent even to a near by
market was threw away or fed to pigs.
Now, this was all wrong, the grower said.
The canning establishments will save all the
fruit too ripe to be shipped to profitable
markets, and the rest may be preserved
He cited an instance where, two
years ago, a grower, in the
press for baskets, was unable to ship,
utilized his fruit by preserving it, made
more money on the whole than he had ever
made shipping.
THEY ENTER INTO AN ALLIANCE.
The growers have entered into a sort of
an alliance to take care Of every bit of fruit,
and build up the industry, which has already
taken such hold in this section of coun-
try Where corn and cotton once grew in
crops Improbable may be seen to-day the
handsomest orchards in the world. A. s.
Cooke Of Cooke & Co., fruit merchants,
New York, came south last season, and
spent some time IN this section, looking over
the orchards He has interests in Jersey
and Delaware, and Maryland. and he pro-
nounced the orchards down here superior
in many respects to the orchards
IN those states. The fruit may not
yet be as large as in northern orchards, but
the signs of thrift and enterprise and prog
ress in southern orchards is significant Of
something greater and better in the near
future. Nothing will impede our progress,
q prominent grower said. but the continued
failures by the changing weather. And
growers, he said, have Legun to prepare
themselves against such losses from this
source. He explained that where a grower
formerly planted a hundred acres in peach
trees he now divides the acreage up and on
the same field he plants fourth peaches
only, while the rest is planted in apples,
pears, plums, grapes. strawberries or other
fruit. BY this means, he said, a grower
may not be absolutely cut off from making
a crop OF some OF them.
DIVERSITY THE CROPS.
II ne fails on peaches, maybe he will hit
on apples or pears, OF if he fails on them,
perhaps he will harvest well on strawberries
or grapes. "Thus we have endeaVored to
diversity" be said, land the idea has al
ready worked we'll" In abiding 10 the
Fruit Growers Association, which was CT
gained some years ago, to protect the
growers an old grower said that nothing
will be so apt to secure for growers success as
q direct knowledge of their own trades and
transactions. Let every man, he said, at
tend closely to his own farm watch the
markets and keep posted, aud he will do
for himself more than any association will
bs able 10 do for him.
He said that associations were good
enough where growers had so many out
side affairs that they were prevented from |
giving to their business proper attention. |
In such a case he is not grower. He is
dabbling in the fruit business, whilst, prob |
ably. he has other irons in the fire to which |
be deVotes more of his attention. The |
grower deprecated this, as it is common |
among growers in some sections TO plant |
extensive orchards and subordinate them |
to something else. That is, devote more of |
their time and energy TO other pursuits. |
The fruit business, he said, requires rs much |
time and attention. and it is just as profit
able, as the banking business. Only people |
have not been as thoroughly educated up 70 |
it as they should be. He said that already |
d fruit orchard in this section was fortune, |
and the Industry is in its infancy.
BECOMING VERY VALUABLE.
nhve years u fruit farm cannot be bought |
hsre. They will be gold. The industry Is |
great one, aud old heads are coming /
together 20 improve upon the old plans /
every year. improvements are being made /
aud better knowledge Of fruit growing, |
q fgirer idea OF chipping. and more sue.
csssful process 81 saving all kinds Of fruits,
are unfolded 70 the people aud the industry /
Is growing aud growing. 10 has Rf0at p0g-
siblllties. ID Is q happy apd au easy life, /
asd prosperous fruit grower u better on /
tbag q king,
he gFessnt upeasiness among growers On 1
account "a weaihoF Il cop1ned t. peaeh /
trees largely Ibey are more easily kliiet |
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