The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-01
FRUIT CROP IN SOUTHERN PINES
SECTION.
Mr.. Van. Lndley Writes Of the Introduce
ton of the San Jose Scale, and of the
Advantages of That Section for Fruit.


To the EditOr:-I notice an article in
your daily paper of the 10Th instant
headed "A Poor Outlook for Fruit"
which is calculated to deceive, as to the
Southern Pines section.
Last summer the San Jose scale was
found in Mr.. Tarbelrs fruit garden in
a town lot 1t was badly infested and
had to be destroyed. 1t was also found
in Mr.. Whipple's peach and plum or
chard, about two miles north of the city.
The said orchard confined about twenty
acres, ten acres of which being in bear
ing condition, about seven years old, and
the whole orchard had to be destroyed.
Near said orchard is Mr.. Lewis's, which
was infested by Mr.. Whipple's, and a por-
ton of his trees will be destroyed at once,
though they are full of peaches.
In the j. Van Lindley orchard, which
is three fourths of mile west of Mr..
Whipple's orchard, with strip Of timber
between them, two trees have been found
slightly infested on the east end, which
DIR. Battle and Prof Mccarthy say were
brought over from Mr.. Whipple's on the
feet Of birds, as that was the nearest
point. These two trees were destroyed,
and an expert will keep on the watch
in our big orchard, who believes we will
entirely stamp the scale out in that sec
ton this summer and the coming winter.
The scale has been brought there by
the parties getting trees from Southern
New Jersey and South Georgia. There
are many small orchards in that section
where the parties bought their trees
entire from my nursery, and those or
chards have no San Jose scale.
Now as to the outlook for fruit: Our
big orchard, owing to being stingy with
fertilizers, and neglect in criesgjsL1 w
ton, we got an extremely poor growth
last year. Consequently we have only
about one-third of a crop Of fruit. The
trees were not strong or thrifty enough
to stand the freezes. Such varieties as
Ely. TillottsOn, Flatus st. John, Lady
Ingoh, Ely. Crawford, Thurber and Belle
of Georgia, have pretty good crop, but
very thin in low places, on high places
are so full they will have to be thinned.
More scattering in other places.
We have peaches on young trees only
planted one year ago. We have to learn
how to manage a big orchard IN those
sand hills. saw last autumn we had no
growth scarcely and could see then that
we have light crop of fruit this year,
so | put on the orchard Of 400 acres,
100 tons of fertilizers, consisting of one
part of muriate of potash, two parts
of acid phosphate and one part of fish
scrap. I mixed these together, which
makes high grade fertilizer. This was
applied in January and February, and l
find now at this date that the orchard has
as good if not a better growth than it
had at he end of the past season. So
we have the orchard now in splendid con-
dition, and can reasonably expect big
crop next year, as that section has never
failed yet, except the great freeze of
1894, which came very near killing all
the peach orchards in the State.
There are twenty or more small or
chards around Southern Pines of peach
and Japan plums, and they are about all