The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-26
Some Notable Peach Orchards.

Some Notable Peach Orchards.
 While on a trip conducting farmers institutes. the past summer, in the northern part of the State, the writer had the pleasure of visiting probably the largest peach orchard in Alabama. and learned many encouraging facts in regard to the growing of peaches in that portion of the State. visit to the Elliot fruit farm at Gadsden was . notable feature of the trip. This orchard is the creation of Cap tain J. l.. Elliot. We were driven over the fine estate. which includes consid- erable amount of rich bottom land and a large area of mountain land. Cu the bottoms we found growing heavy crops of corn. cotton. sorghum. Johnson grass, and cowpeas. The principal crop on the farm consists of peaches. These are planted exclusively on the mountain side at the base of which is the packing house and canning fac- tory. where the canning of peaches and tomatoes was in operation at the time of our visit.
 At the canning factory we were made to realize that every possible ar- engagement for decreasing labor in handling the fruit had been planned For example, a steel cable extends from the canning factory at the base of the mountain through the orchards on the slope and quite up to the sum- init. This endless travelling cable, working on a pulley at each end, is arranged to carry baskets of fruit from the orchard to the packing house. The baskets are suspended on hooks held tightly at intervals on the ca- ble. By this means. the fruit has to be moved from only few yards or at most less than half a mile, whereas, If brought down over the well graded and winding roads, trip of several miles would be required. In addition there is the advantage of much less handling and hence much less bruis- ing of the furit.
 On leaving Gadsden, driving towards the farm, we noticed that the sides of the mountain, which lowered about six hundred feet above the valley, its summit reaching an altitude of about 1.250 feet above the sea level, had been cleared of its natural covering of tim Der. Drawing little nearer, we were eurious to learn the cause of the scal- loped outline of the summit. This was soon seen to be the outline of the row pf peach trees projected against the -ky. Long lines of trees, set in reg uiar order, point upward from the val ley to the summit, and all of these lines converge like the spokes of the wheel at the summit. In spite of this straight planting as viewed from one direction, the row of trees are not exactly on contour lines, that is on a level, so as to reduce as low as possi- ble the effects of washing. Many miles of scientifically constructed road with uniform grade are required to gain the summit, the roads winding spirally around the mountain, and af- fording magnificent views of the val ley below, of the winding Coosa, and Of the ranges of mountains on either sidc- From one spot on the summit selected by the owner for a summer house sometime in the future, the view is quite similar to and almost equal to the view from Point Lookout over looking Chattanooga, Casting the eye downwards, there was utmost satis- faction in the view whether the chief interest be the artistic or the agricul- tural features. There are fields of sor- ghnm painting yellowish areas on the landscape, in sharp contrast with the darker green of the fields of cotton and pwpeas, and the still different shades of the fields of luxurient corn in all stages of growth and hence of varying tints of green. In the dis tance, on all sides and serving as a fitting background for such a lovely foreview. are the forest clad ranges of mountains. Projecting against these mountains in one direction are the clouds of smoke ascending from the furnace and steel mill and other in. dustrial plants at Alabama City.
 About fifty-two thousand peach tree, have been set by the Elliot Fruit Com. pany. but only about one-tenth of these were old enough to bear during tho present season. The shipping seasor was just drawing to a close but there was on hand sufficient supply to con. vince us of the excellence in size, colol