The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-14
A FAMOUS GEORGIA ORCHARD.
Mr.. Hale Talks of the Crop Condi-
lions and Outlook.

lions and Outlook.
Fort Valley, Ga. June l2.-Hon. John
H. Hale of South Glastonbury, Conn, and
proprietor of the famous Hale-Georgia
Orchard Co., is here. Relative to the
peach crop he said: For three days now
/ have been going carefully over our
great orchard, studying conditions and es-
timating the crop, having before us the
figures of former years for comparison.
Some of our Elherta blocks are over
loaded; others a fair cop and some little
shy; on the whole perhaps one-fourth off
from last year. But to offset this, the
fruit is larger and finer than ever before
at this season of the year" Continuing,
he said:
Varieties like Tilotson, Hiley, Belle of
Georgia, Mountain Rose, etc, are all car
rying a very heavy crop, and the fruit
has been severely thinned, so that what
is left is coming up to extra fine size,
and appears to be entirely free from spot
or blemsh of any kind. Young trees of
all kinds have heavy crop, and taking
the orchard as a whole our promise of a
crop at this date is fully as large as last
year, when we shipped 142 carloads, after
losing fully one-fourth of our crop from
the rainy season. The foliage and vigor
of the trees is perfect. The Hale farm
should ship 175 to 200 carloads of fruit
this season; for besides the peaches and
plums we have over 100 acres of canta-
loupes that are looking extra we'll and
promise great crop, although fully a
week later than last season."
LAS to season of peach ripening, while
I cut down most of my Triumphs last
year the few that are left for family use
are ripening right at the same season as
last year, and as the varieties that fol-
low are swelling fast. l see no reason
now why the entire season of ripening
should not be much the same as last year,
and the Fort Valley peach season opens
up full b.ast about June %. AS yet know
little of the condition in other orchards.
'To show the magnitude of the opera
tons of this one orchard company, l will
give outsiders an idea as to the trenen-
dousness of the fruit industry. The Hale
Georgia Orchard Company has large
two-story hotel for the accommodation of
its pickers and packers. A general mess
is arranged, and each worker pays his pro
rata share. In reference TO this Mr.. Hale
said:
I'VE are just opening up the Red Label
Hotel at the Hale farm, and will be able
to accommodate 200 or more of our work.
ers at cost, and are erecting tents for 300
more, and expect in the rush of the sea
son to use 600 to 700 people,"
There have already arrived many repre-
sentatives of commission houses, workers
and others who expect to get something
out of the fruit crop.
The crate factory has recently installed
an electric light plant and is now work
ing a force of several hundred hands night
and day.
The fruit growers are jubilant over the
prospects, and it is confidently expected
that this fruit crop will prove one of the
most remunerative ever enjoyed by the
people of this section.
The first fun car of peaches, which con-
tanned $50 crates, left here last night con-
signed TO Thomas w. Wallace, New York.
In few days more a car day will be
shipped, and within two weeks anywhere
from twenty to seventy-five cars day
will be loaded and shipped out.