Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-14
A GOOD PEACH CROP
Increasing Interest in Growing o
This Fruit in Iowa.
BETTER REPORTS FROM ORCHARDS
Trees in Central Iowa Counties Have
Done WeIl-Farmers Turn to Pc
cans, Peanuts, Tobacco, Etc., for
Variety in Agriculture.

Des Moines, Nov. 4.-The Iowa far
mers are manifesting disposition to
more and more diversity their crops
and to avoid the mistake of relying
TOO much on any one thing for sue
cess. The reports from various sec.
tons OF the state this, year indicate
that progress has been made in sever
al directions. One crop about which
little is ever heard has proved to be
great success in Iowa this year. This
is the peach crop. Iowa is not known
as a peach growing state, and yet
there are not far from 10000 peach
trees in the orchards of Iowa,and from
these trees there lis gathered annually
great many fine peaches. But il is
only about once in four or five years
that the peach orchards of Iowa bear
to their full capacity. This is one of
the years and the peach crop just
gathered has been one of the largest
ever known in Iowa.
The peach belt: in Iowa lies along
the southern border. There are peach
orchards in all the counties of the
southern two tiers. The peach belt
follows up the Mississippi and Missou-
ri rivers at either end OF the bell, ex
tending as far as Davenport on the
east and Council Bluffs on the west.
There are also few isolated sections
where peaches are grown farther
north. For instance, there are a great
many peach trees in Carroll county
and number in Woodbury. county on
the lowland. There are also a number
in northeastern Iowa counties. The
scattered trees in gardens and groves
this year.
Near Colfax, in Jasper county, Adj
am Firber reports fine fruit on his
trees. E. S. Russell, near Oakland, in
Pottawattamie county, has splendid
fruit. John Moler, county supervisor
in Poweshiek county, gathered a crop
of 500 bushels of fine peaches. James
Turner of Carroll county, gathered a
bushel Of peaches off two young trees
in his garden. Jacob Connar, of Keo-
kuk county, regularly plants peach
trees every year and has young ones
coming on to take the place of those
that die. He has peaches every year.
w. o. Wilder, of Marshall county,
picked fine peaches from his orchard
and E. B. Mendenhall had a fine lot
of peaches in his garden in Marshall
town. Nelson G. ;Malin, of Columbia,
has number of peach trees just COM
ing into fruit bearing and from one he
picked more than a bushel this year.
He will plant 100 trees next spring.
New Variety From Ohio.
In central eastern Iowa the horticul-
turists are watching with interest the
results of planting variety of peach
introduced into Iowa by DR.. ]. S. Bal
ley, who brought the seed from Ohio
and planted in many other counties of
the state, and generally the trees have
proven hardy and good bearers. 1t has
been demonstrated that with some
care and attention good peaches can
be raised almost every year.
But it is in the extreme south part
of the state that the peach industry
fourishes. There are great orchards
in Lee, Davis, Jefferson, Des Moines.
Wayne, Taylor, Fremont, Page and
other counties along the Missouri line
or course these trees bore unusually
well this year. and as result peaches
went to waste in many orchards. A
sample orchard is that of J. A. fetch
err, in Page county. He has $500
bearing peach trees and as many more
young ones that win be bearing in a
few years. His neighbors call him
Peach Joe" to distinguish him from
other Fletchers, and he is peach
crank, thoroughly devoted to his fad.
He bends the young trees down and
covers them over for the winter anu,
carefully cultivates the orchards. He
began fifteen years ago and believes
he has made great success. He has
about forty varieties of peaches in his
orchard, mostly seedlings, for he has
found that seedlings do better than
the budded trees. He began gather
ing peaches in June and was at it in
October. At the best of the season
he sold the peaches to neighbors by
the wagon load at 25 cents bushel.
but these were the fruit that dropped
off, while his finest fruit. picked by
hand from the trees, commanded a i
good price.
Apples Prove Profitable.
Apples have been a profitable crop
in southwestern Iowa this year. Re
ports indicate that the entire crop of
apples was sold for from 81. SO to $3.50
a barrel where grown. The winter
apples in Iowa this year are the finest
ever known. Many of them have been
shipped to eastern markets to take
the place of apples from sections that
have appeared in Iowa from New
York and Chicago, only to be disap.
pointed at finding the crop all sold in
advance to commission houses at
good prices. To some extent this
state Of affairs compensates Iowa for
having to buy potatoes in Minnesota
and Wisconsin.
Some other of the new industries in
Iowa are making progress this year.
For instance, the tow industry in
northern Iowa is coming to the front.
Several small tow mills have been set
up and the flax from which seed has
been gathered and sent to market is
being worked up into material used
by upholsterers for padding. These
tow mills have greatly enhanced the
value of the land where they are in
operation.
Peanut Experiments Crafty.
Peanut raising has been taken up in
northeastern Iowa by gardeners and
farmers. Fred Chesterman of Du- I
buque county, this year raised fine