The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-21


certain year in and year out than in
the orchards of South Alabama and
Georgia.
Growers In the renowned peach districts
Of Georgia are satisfied If they get three
crops in five years, and in many cases
the average is not above two good crops
in that length of time. Orchards are found
on Shades mountain which have averaged
four crops in five years ever since they
were planted.
Unequaled Conditions.
A. w. Fulghum of this city, who has
one orchard on Shades mountain and an
other over in the valley, has made a
careful study Of conditions for peach
growing in this district and he thinks
that In many respects it is unequaled.
He has kept careful statistics on peach
growing for the past twenty-five years
on the mountain and his figures are of
value to those interested in peach Gull
ture.
Mr.. Fulghum has few trees left of
his old orchard which was set out in
1878. The trees are now twenty-five
year sold They bore their first crop in
1889, and there was a good yield In 1885,
1884, 1886 and 1886. In 1887 a few peaches
were produced but by no means full
crop. Then there were fair yields in 1888,
1889, 1890 and 1891, with very few in 1892.
In 1898 there were none at ALL but the
next year, 1894. a good crop was pro-
duced. Again in 1895 there were none.
For the next three years. 1896, 1897 and
1898. the trees bore well. yielding salts
factory results every season since
On the nights of April and of the
latter year When the peaches were about
the size of peas, there was heavy freeze.
and upon cutting the peaches open the
inside was found to be perfectly black
and every one thought the crop was
ruined. They prospered. however, and
the crop was exceptionally good at the
end of the season.
In 1899 peaches were all killed by the
freeze in February; 1900 and 1901 brought
good yields. but the next year, 1902, all
the young peaches We're knocked off the
trees by the heavy hail storm in April,
which also badly injured the trees.
Mr.. Fulghum predicts that there will
be but few peaches this season from his
orchards. The warm weather between
February ~ and Is caused the sap to
rise. and the rains of February Is and 16
thoroughly saturated the buds, and most
of them were killed by the freeze during
the night of February 16
One of his orchards is on the east end
of Shades mountain. In connection with
the successful growing of peaches In this
locality Mr.. Fulghum said:
Il consider this part of the state as
well adapted to peach culture, II not
better, than south Alabama The records
show a better average than either south
Alabama or Georgia.
What Experience Shows.
Experience has proved to me-" he
continued that certain elevated locali-
ties in this vicinity are peculiarly adapt
ed to peach culture. Shades mountain
itself, however, which is probably thou
sand feet higher than Birmingham is
good only in certain localities. Peach
growing has been tried on some parts of
the mountain for the pas, twenty-five
years with no success.
The elevation is such that with no pro-
lection from the north wind the buds
are winter killed, as the temperature is
lower on the mountain in early spring.
This applies particularly to the west end
of the mountain in the vicinity of Hale's
Springs. During the past twenty-five
years several hundred acres Of trees have
been planted in that section with no sue
cess.
But on the eastern slope of Shades
mountain, about twelve miles from Hale's
Springs, the conditions are entirely diff
ferent They have better protection and
atistics show that orchards located
there and on the adjoining ridges as well
as in Cahaba valley are almost certain
to yield three crops out Of five years.
In the region of Cooks Springs, ON the
elevated lands, such a thing as failure Of
the peach crop is almost unknown.
Frank Leonard Of this city has an or
chard two miles north of Cooks Springs
and twenty-seven miles east of Brming-
ham, which never fails to produce a fine
crop of peaches He has a number of
trees which bore fruit in 1899 when the
thermometer during February went down
to 10 below zero. Mr.. Fulghum says
peaches were not produced during that
year anywhere else in Alabama or Geor-
gia.