The age-herald., 1898-10-12
THE COUNTRIES
 FRUIT SUPPLY

Once when men spoke of the fruits of the south they were referring principally to oranges, melons, and few varieties of standard apples. Now it is not so much question of what fruits can be raised in the territory between the Potomac, the Ohio. and the Rio Grande, but what fruits can- not be raised there. There is no state in the south which is not contributing in some way or other to the great horticultur- al market of the country. Some states, like Florida, where in 1897 the orange crop was worth about $400 000, and where pine apples, grown under cover, filled 300 cars, are noted for their particular fruits, while others, like Texas, are capable of growing a great variety under conditions of climate ranging from the semi-tropical to the tenn perate.
 One year it is the Florida orange which holds the public attention; another year it is the red apple of the Ozark, and another the Leconte pear. For years the Albemarle Pippin has been a special boast of the south, but because of the shortage in 1897 of the northern apple crop the merits of the Albemarle Pippin and other southern apples were more appreciated than ever. Missouri produced 9OO0,OOO barrels of ap- pies, some of them of unusual size there having been cases of seventy apples filling a barrel. The most prominent orchard area of the state is in the Ozark region. which extends from the Missouri river southwest across Missouri and across the northwest corner of Arkansas in the In- dian Territory A recent publication of the Missouri State board of agriculture gives interesting facts about this region. It de- scribes the Olden fruit farm on the south- ern slope of the Ozark, which has 2,2SO acres planted in apples, peaches, pears and plums; of one firm in Webster county which recently planted SSO acres, and an- other in Newton county which has 1,46O acres. In Greene county there are 6O0,OO0 aple trees, one-half in bearing; in Webster 5OO,OOO trees, and in Howell 600,o0o trees. It is thought that six counties of the state alone will produce this season II 000,000 bushels of apples A specimen of the Ar kansas fruit farms is that of Mr. A. W. Poole, near Ozark, Ark This contains 92o acres, 300 of which are covered with vari- ous kinds of fruit trees Work was begun on the farm in 1SS2 and in twelve years ninety acres of trees were bearing, the ap- pie trees netting from $50 to $500 per acre and the peach trees from $75 to $500.
 A typical Arkansas fruit region is in Ben- ton county, whose apples are prize-takers wherever they are exhibited. In this region there were bought many apples for ship ment abroad last year. Shipments were so successful that already representatives of Liverpool houses have been surveying the field for the coming crop MT. G. A. Shut tleworth, of Liverpool, who has spent some time in the Ozark region, said in a recent interview:
 "I have been through many of the or- chards in Missouri, and the trees are laden with fine fruit. If the apples ripen well we will make arrangements to ship large quan- titles over this fall. With the aid of cold storage we are able to land the fruit in England in just as fine condition as when it leaves the trees, and the demand forsthese apples is increasing in London and Sother large English cities. You would be sur prised to see how well we can kep thsm when we get them the ocean voyage seems to have little or effect on them, and there are now about 15OO barrels in cold storage in Liverpool left over from the shipments last sold by the pound in English markets. The price varies according to the size and condition of the fruit; the larger the shipments the cheaper we will be able to sell them and as the price goes down the demand grows"
 There has been a large demand from the east this year for Missouri peaches, but Georgia has already taken the palm for that fruit. The peach industry in Georgia has developed rapidly in recent years, the Elberta peach, which originated near Mar shallville of that state, being an effective advance agent. In the Georgia beach, growing district there were at least 100000 trees bearing this year. The owners of small orchards have made net profits of from $1,500 to $2,500, while it is estimated that the large orchards have netted their proprietors from $2o,000 to $50,O0O. In North Carolina, in the ridge country, the beach, growers have done well, and also those in Tennessee and Alabama. The Spring Hill fruit farm, near Mobile, has 1000 peach trees, which have yielded a satisfactory crop this year, and there are other orchards of the state which are becoming more and more profitable.
 Of course the Georgia melon holds it's own, following closely upon the heels SS those from Florida, and being succeeded by the crops of South Carolina North Caro- lima, and Southern Virginia but it has vigorous rival in the Texas melon, which finds ready market in the west now that the fast freight service has been introduced on the various lines north and soutk.
 This years strawberry crop was enor- nous. The berries were shipped IF great quantities from points along the WilYntzss- ton and Weldon railroad, from Chatta- nooga and other cities of East Tennessee, from Hammond and Independence, La, and from the Texas Gulf coast and portions of Arkansas and Missouri To these fruits must be added apricots, plums, grapes, and figs in making the census of the Southern cornucopia.