The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-09
what We should Do Next.

AS the year 1896 is drawing to close.
crops gathered, and the results of the
years work soon to be known, our
thoughts naturally are OF the future and
what 1897 will do for us.
Hopefully we look for an Improvement in
the times, which ever man is elected Pres
ident and have reason to believe there will
soon follow better times than we have
seen during the past four years, which
has been laden with depression. disaster,
failures and distress In many a home.
What are the lessons the south has
learned, and how shall we profit by our
failures and neglected opportunities, Is
the question now before us? We of the
southern states have great opportunities,
not equalled by any other portion Of the
United States, especially In that of sup
plying other parts with food products,
which always find a ready market. Cali
fornia has had monopoly of the mar
kets in fruits and nuts and berries for
many years, supplying the demand which
should be supplied from the southern
states, a great gain being the difference in
freight.
zone of the most profitable branches of
rural economy is the planting of orchards.
of fruits, of nuts and small fruits. Not
only Is the net income many times greater
than grain growing, cotton or the cult-
walton of fodder crops, figured on the acre
basis, but an enhanced value to the land,
obtains with the planting of fruit trees,
and therefore each year the orchard be-
comes more valuable. The exhaustive drain
upon the soil is less With fruit trees than
with farm crops. Planting trees perma-
nently improves the land, while seeding
to grain Is but an annual repetition OF
process which gradually impoverishes the
soil" Experience of careful and intelligent
persons are that lands given over to grain
or cotton farming have increased in value
during the last ten years not TO exceed
twelve per cent, while those devoted TO
nut and fruit culture have increased in
the same time from 800 to 500 per cent.
When good grain or cotton lands can be
bought from $1,000 to 5000 per acre accessf-
BILE to railroads, the same land set in fruit
or nut trees cannot be bought for less than
$500 to $500 per acre, and in case Of bearing
trees, they bring as high as $500 to $500 per
acre In addition to this while the trees are
growing and until they are In bearing, the
ground between them can be cultivated in
Strawberries. raspberries. blackberries and
add 500 to $500 to the land value, If prop
erly managed. To-day the fruit crop of
California exceeds that of its farm and
mineral products, tho fruit and nut crop
being worth last year so. 100000.
The Gulf states are 1900 miles nearer
the markets Of the east and north, to
which California ships its fruits, so the
saving of freight alone is a good profit
Already Georgia has made rapid strides
in peach culture, and her peaches bring
the best prices in the northern markets
Texas is beginning fruit and nut culture
with great success. Besides shipments Of
peaches this season to Kansas City. On
aha and st. Louis, forty-two carloads
were sent TO Chicago. meeting ready
market. Already IL has been shown that
fruit from the south is much better liked
than California, the color and freshness
being rich and attractive The southern
states have 1t in their power to control
the prices of the northern and eastern
markets. II they will grow the best only.
Nut culture is fast coming to the front
as the most profitable branch OF agri-
culture. The planting OF the nuts is the
safest. the cheapest and best way to get
a profitable grove. Experience shows
here in Texas that Seeding pecan trees
are longer lived. more durable, not sus-
ceptible to disease. Of superior flavor, the
crop much more certain and twice as great
as that OF budded trees az budding or
grating Of the pecan will be a success,
OF which there Is considerable doubt. moi
only the pecan is rapidly coming into ia
vor. but Japan chestnuts and walnuts, as
well as English walnuts. One OF the
great advantages of nut culture over that
OF fruit. the nuts can be kept almost in
definitely and sent 10 market when there
Is the greatest demand.
Owing to a long drought In Texas this