The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-05-11
Georgia's Peach Outlook.

Now that what is left Of the Geor-
gia peach crop may be regarded as
out of danger, it will he interesting
to learn. if possible approximate esti-
mates on this summers yield from
authoritative sources
j. H. Hale, the peach king OF
Georgia and Connecticut, has been
spending considerable time of late in
canvassing the situation around Fort
Valley, where his great orchard is To-
Gated, and his conclusions, as given in
a letter to The Fruit Trade journal,
Of New York, ought to be worth some
thing Mr.. Hale states that he made
a careful inspection of his own orch
ard and other orchards in the yicin-
ity, representing something like three
million trees. He found that "some
few orchards and some varieties have
full crops. but, on the whole, the crop
will be a light one" In the Hale
orchards he estimates a yield OF be
tween sixty and seventy carloads, as
against 164 carloads last year. The
crop of last season, it will be remem-
bered was but half of an average
crop, and if Mr. Hale's figures are
borne out in the condition of other
south Georgia orchards, this season S
crop will be but onefOurth of an av-
erage yield.
However. there are other peach au-
thorities who give more favorable es-
Inmates from south Georgia. The
Georgia Fruit Package Company, a
crate manufacturing concern OF Fort
Valley, can show orders booked it is
said. which provide for from $50 to
400 cars of peaches from the Fort
Valley district, and from $50 to 200
cars from the Marshallville district.
If south Georgia makes anything like
such showing 2s that, there is rea-
son to anticipate a third Of a crop, at
least.
The reports from the peach belt be-
tween Chattanooga and Atlanta are
anything but encouraging, the noun
tain orchards having practically all
succumbed to the cold snaps Of the
late winter. The outlook is but little
more encouraging in northeast Geor-
gia, where there are many young COM
mercial orchards. Still, a tremendous
amount Of tree planting has been done
in the last few years all over Georgia,
and the bearing possibilities of new
orchards in so wide an area and under
varying local conditions is necessarily
largely problematical These new
orchards are like the "silent vote" in
an election. and sometimes they treat
the most painstaling statistician to
some surprises A singular fact con
nected with peach haryests is that the
blight Of insect pests and meteOrolog-
ical damage are rarely universal in
their ravages. Such misfOrtunes fall.
like summer showers. lin spots, and
it is often astonishing what near
neighbors success and failure are in
peach culture. In one locality will be
found bearing orchards and barren
orchards Atmospheric conditions,
by reason of elevation or location, or
different methods of culture or lack
of cultivation, may account for a
great variation in productivity. 1t is,
therefore. difficult to even appr0Xi-
mate Georgia peach crop at this
time of year; but it is generally safe
TO add a substantial per cent to pessi-
mistic estimates It would not sur
prise some people If as many iced cars
rolled out Of Georgia the coming
peach season as last, though it must
be admitted there are few so hope
full.
In the letter referred to Mr.. Hale
talks enthusiastically about the quail
ty of the present peach crop, declar-
ing that he never saw larger fruit at
this season of the year. with normal
conditions from now on" he writes,
the fruit promises to be double extra
in size and quality, and big peaches
do fill up crates mighty fast" He
looks for the crop TO be practically
marketed between June 20 and July
10, as the fruit is SO far advanced, and
the greatest yield will be of the mid
early varieties. It is encouraging to
note that Mr.. Hale predicts "a good
many more and better peaches than
expected two or three weeks ago"