The Green Forest tribune., 1903-05-23
THE BATAVIA FRUIT FARM
Superintendent Frank Warning Talks of the Big Enterprise.

olih " eti mug, SupeIIuleLQ ent of the Batavia Fruit Farm, was in Green Forest Monday and while here paid his respects as well as his subscription to THE TRIBUNE.
 Mr. Warning is a young man of energy and has had a broad experience in the fruit raising business. This statement, how. ever, is unnecessary when it is known that he is at the head of one of the greatest fruit raising enterprises in this country.
 The Batavia Fruit Farm Go. is incorporated with capital stock of S60,000. It owns 1451 acres of land lying on both sides of the railroad, a short distance this side of Batavia, Boone county. $50 acres of which is in cultiva- tion. There are 800 acres of this land already set to orchard, a total of 130, ,000 peach trees hay ing been planted in the best manner known to the experienced orchardist. The varieties are intended to cover the season from July to October and run as follows: Champion, 15,000; M- bertas, 5000; Crawford Late, 10000; Prest. Lyon, 10000; Krummel October 20, 900. Among these trees this season, MT. Warming says he will grow, 400 acres of peas; 100 acres of corn 50 acres of Irish potatoes; 50 acres of sweet potatoes; 50 acres of cantelopes; 10 acres of vege- tables and 10 acres in nursery for replants.
 Regarding the profits to bo made in peaches MT. Warning says:
 "The average price of peaches for the season of 1902, was S1.25 per six basket crate. Person. ally, 1 marketed my entire crop of peaches fol 1902 at S1.70 per six basket crate.
 "On our cultivated ground We have 130, ,000 peach trees of the five varieties to cover the season of ten weeks, commencing July 10th and ending October 1st. Tbe trees will bear one crate per tree the third year after setting and increase about one crate each succeeding crop, but should not be allowed to bear over four crates per tree. We can grow crop every year, but to be safe, we will count only four crops in eight years after setting.
 1st crop 1 crate per tree, 130,000. 2nd ' ? '' '' "' 260,000 Sd " 3 '' '' ' 39O, ,O0O. 4th :" 4 Y" :" s' 52O. .0OO. Total crates, 8 years, 1,300,000.
 "This estimate is based on actual experience in the Ozark peach belt, but to be conserva- tive We cut the number of crates in half, making 650,0 crates in the first eight years.
 "The cost of preparing land, setting trees, cultivating and all other expenses for three years will not exceed S15,000. After the third year the cost per crop of peaches for cultivation, pick ing, packing, pruning, trimming, transportation, and commission will not exceed 56 cents per crate. Deducting this cost of 56 cents per crate from the low price of S1 1.25 per crate leaves s profit of 69 cents per crate or S44S, ,599 for $50, ,000 crates. From this sum we deduct $15,000 cost for the first three years leaving. S433, ,000 net profit for eight years, which is over 700 per cent on the entire capital stock of the company. This is only one- third of the amount the orchard will bring as it will easily last twenty years and bring four crates per tree per year during the re- maining twelve years.
 This statement of Mr. Warning certainly indicates that there IS big money in peach culture. Ii peach raising will pay on tho scale in which his company IS engaged it would certainly pay every farmer well to devote D few acres at least to a peach