The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-12-10
NUMBER 45.
PRODUCT OF OUR SOIL.
IMPOSING FACTS OF INTEREST
TO ALL.
Census Figures Relative to Vitfculture-
Horticulture and Agriculture that Are
Both Great and Surprising-Forecast of
the Fruit Production.
American Husbandry.

American Husbandry.
II took COO cars to move tine grapes
of the United States to market the sea-
son before the census man made his
rounds. The vineyards of this country
represent an investment of S155, Gel, $50.
furn: :sh employment to 200, $50 people.
and cover 401..6l acres OF ground. Last
seasons product from about three
fourths of tho planted area-the other
fourth being i vines too young 40 bear
was So. I39 tons. near Y half of which
was consumed as grapes and nearly
half of which went to make "a
zoo, sos gallons OF wine. There are some
figures for tie temperance people TO
ponder over The small fraction of
IL, l6j / n went into raisins, filling
/ 1.312. 1875 oNes of twenty pounds each.
The vines nov growing will in three
years make from s.s0o.O0O to 10000. 900
pounds of raisins, and the smaller cSti-
mate is 5C0,0p0 pounds more than this
country now consumes.
The peOp'c who make business of
| raising flowers sold 4 .o3e. i11.16 worth
| OF p ants last season. They also gath
| cred in from cut flowers the cnug sum of
| S14, 1.5, 32-- 0l. The glass on the gr. en-
| houses Of The florists of this country
| covers s9l acres, a good deal more than
a section Of land, which is a ME square.
| There are 1863 frs or companies of
| florists, and 3l2 of these establishments
are owned by women. The value of the
| flower gardens of the United States is
S3S, 355, -. ~. with 81. 5s1, ,Ga3.93 more in
rakes and trowels and watering pots and
other implements. lower raising gives
| employment to lG. si1 cm and 1,a;jS wo-
men. The fuel item for heating the
in, * &
160, l52.6f.
| Vegetable growing, truck farming the
census people call it, now requires 534.-
iiO acres of land and employs 2I6, .&5
men. ".25i women, H. s.4 children, and
15. SOC horses and mules, The garden
sass" raised on these truck farms pays
SO. 81, l55 year, besides ire, ght
charges and the commission mans gem
eruns grab There is Sl0o. 600. 900 in
vested in the truck farming Of tn
| United Stats ana SS,a11, 200. 20 is in
tools
Raising seed is an entirely different
industry. There are .9i farms devoted
TO that purpose. embracing lG9. So. acres
1t takes l3,905 acres 10 rails beans
enough TO surp'y the rest of the coun
try with seed The pcopc employ d in
seed raising alone are I'.5G1 mfn and
6
contain as much as 3.t0i Il: res.
The investment il the 5O...3j acres OF
peach orchards is $40 o ,'Oj. The last
peach crop sold for S1f. 16e. i0a. That.
was more than a dollars worth Of
peaches for each man. woman and child
in this glorious republic. The people
who were employed in the peach or
charjs numbered a.6.'00
! The nurseries of the country number
4,5l0 They are vained at il,s.s, So. SO.
/ They require la, 2o.i acres of land.
They give work . 5,6a1 men, a,2,9
women and 1900 anima's. In these
nurseries are growing ?.3s6,S 5.1.S
yoang trees and vines for transp anting.
| Ii great a are these figures. tie real
surpr ses of the census appear in the
figures which forecast the near future
of fruit production in the United States.
There are grow ng in the nur cries 240,
a1o,666 young app'e tree. O.d Johnny
App,cSccd." the missionary who went
through the Mississippi Valley States
half century ago pok ng apple seeds
into the .ol with his t0cS. would zee the
near approach Of the nj liennium in the
fruit census. California has 336, AGA al
mond trees now bearing, but She La
, also 10 .iGi mond tree; not Vt Old
enough to bear. 50 that in Two or three
, years her almond product will more al
. double. Florida has IA. .2s3 cccoanut bear
, ing trees and 19l .o11 Young trees :. which
VIII soon triple her cocoanut crop. Take
lemons. of which Florida has %. i2i
trees bearing and 1l0,25s trees which
will soon be old enough to bear. But il
. Is III oranges that this country will Soon
rcvc'. TIL yellow fruit will be within
reach of ve.ybody. Florida has 1924, c.
orange trees now bearing and a.3O2, 0St
D trees which will bear in short time
California has 523, 400 orange trees bear
ing and 1.64l. 400 young trees. The new
planting Of oranges in Arizona is 200,
f oo1 trees. And with all the acreage il
n the citrus fruits. but one-thirtecnth o
V the land adapted has been utilized. TIL,
n prospects of fruit raising for the comin!
|. decade are marvellous.