The Green Forest tribune., 1901-07-06
TALKS FRUIT GROWING.
A Few Thoughts and Sugges-
 lions From l.. s. Shib1ey.

possibilities Of the country for growing fruit than l.. s. Shibley. In fact, he may be properly styled the pioneer fruit grower of Car roll county. So great has been his faith in the success of this industry for the country that he began some years ago to grow a large acreage of fruit trees on a scientific scale. With railroad twenty five miles away, he has been able to place his apples up- on the market at good advan- tage. He was the first man ill the county to sell a car load of apples from his own orchard. This he did in 1895, six years ago. He barreled them and hauled them to Eureka Springs for shipment, realizing satis- factory return. Two years ago in the same manner he shipped a car load for which he received $500, in excess of all expenses. Besides this he raised the usual crop of corn, wheat and other products.
 Mir. Shibley now has an or- chard of 4CO0 apple trees, situated at the foot of the mountain two
 miles southwest of Green Forest, 5000 of which are bearing. He also has 1000 of the famous FL berta peach trees which he put out last spring.
 With anything like favorable season from now on MT. Shibley expects to have two car loads of apples for shipment this fall, (which he thinks will bring him Enot less than $500. This will be lin addition to what he can utilize lat home, and put upon the local market. With the railroad fa- |cilities now afforded and his in- creased acreage of orchard, MT. |Shibley makes big calculations upon the future for fruit raising. Mr. Shibley is quite positive that every advantage in this line now enjoyed in Washington and Ben- ton counties is afforded the peo- pie of Carroll. He thinks that no more profitable move could be made by our farmers than to turn their attention toward fruit grow ing. There are many varieties of apples that can be produced at a profit, but he thinks the only peach tree of comm ercial value is the Elberta.
 MT. Shibley is perhaps the best authority in the county on straw berry raising. He owns str aw- berry farm in Crawford county, in the heart of the famous straw berry region, and has been rais- ing berries for the market for about seven years. He says that the only advantage Crawford county enjoys over this county in the matter of production of berries is that in that section the berries come a week to ten days earlier than they do here, thus being earlier on the market. He |says we are, however, on an equal footing with Washington |and Benton counties in this re- |spect, and that berries are pro- |duced there with good profit. (The industry is even found high ] y profitable as far north as Sar- |coxie, Mo-, where the crop is
 from week to ten days later
 than it is here. MT. Shibley says That with anything like favorable fttention an acre of strawberries Will produce from 50 to 100 crates,
 rom which anywhere from $50 to PlOO may be realized. He says |hat any farmer can care for a
 ew acres of berries along with
 ther fruits and his crop with but
 tile extra trouble, as the time
 pr work in the berry crop does
 ot interfere with the other busy
 easons.
 But MT. Shibley declares he
 Ould not advise anyone to