The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-06

| E,1berta comes in. A few Croffords and i IIaaths early might be used for this nur.
 pose.
 Any reliable nurseryman will be will
 ing to guide the beginner in the selec-
 lion of the newest and best varieties.
 Now where there is good home mar t,et the case may be entirely different for our home markets in the south will al
 ways take a liberal supply of elings We
 arc going to build up trade with Eu. zone on peaches In fact, the experiments l tbat have been made shipping peaches
 to Europe have proven success. That l is enouph has been accomplished to nrove that this will soon be an industry 1 that will bring a great revenue to our l southern states, so that 1t is now safe | to nlant for this market, and in planting | for northern markets and for export trade plant Elbertas until something bet
 ter is developed. And be sure to buy from reliable sources, where you know you will get what you pay for. Better
 pay double prices and be right than to
 take chances, and aIter waiting and after all the expense and trouble you find when the trees bear that you have worthless seeding that no one will buy.
 Profits In Peach throwing. | The DrOIlIS I1dI udNC OCClA bDldlutu ID growing the Elberta peach In Eastern Texas, Arkansas. Missouri. Mississippi | Alabama and Georgia are something won | derful, and their history reads more like fairy story than true facts. From these results we are almost persuaded to take the position that the tree of knowl- edge that was planted in the garden of 1 Eden and which has been so long lost i to the world was this same Elberta peach | tree, which scientific research has at last | found and restored to man. Now l am not going to get too enthusiastic over | this matter. so much so as to get wild In my statements, but l can give some facts which are almost enough to set any one wild on Elberta peach growing.
 l In east Texas, where the soil Is very | similar in every respect to that of Ala bama-a rich red clay-impregnated with l just the proper amount of Iron to give l the peach the right coloring-that beaut- I ful pink blush-the Elberta has paid off l the mortgages on the farms, paid off old store debts and interest, and has paid all the way from $50 to $500 net profit per acre per annum. But hold, we need not | go to Texas to find such results. Let me show the reader what a little or chard of six acres only a few miles 1 from Birmingham has been doing. This l land when commenced with was a piece of old worn out, turned out, red clay, all washed and worn In cotton growing. | The situation of the land might have made it worth at the time s10 per acre, and the owner held 1t at that price and could not sell. so he set to work to im- prove the farm, and planted this six acres to Elberta peach trees He pre- pared the soil. planted the trees, cul- tivated, and, in fact, cared for them in exactly the manner as I have advised l in these papers. He planted light vine, vegetable crops while the trees were young He sold from these crops enough vegetables to pay all rent and cost of pro- duction, and had when the orchard gave | its first crop of friut $200 clear profit to the credit of the orchard before he ever sold peach. The trees gave their first crop when out the third year. This then was equal to a clear profit of $11.22 1-3 per acre per annum or $1.22 1-3 more per | acre per annum than the land was worth at the beginning. The nrst crop of | fruit from this six acres brought a net | return of $46O, which Is equal to a little over 51 cents per tree, or a little over $T6 | per acre.
 | The second crop brought net return | of $600 66 2-3 cents per tree, or $100 per l acre. The third crop, that of 1904, | brought net return of $1S0O, or s2 per | tree, or $500 per acre, Remember these l figures are sll net returns.
 | I can give many such results, individual results, but this is certainly enough. and what this one man did any of our read CTS may duplicate. l would say to them: "Go thou and do likewise, and if there Is anything more we can do to help you out, just let me know"
 NAnaral Paro,rLc
 I have gone into this question of peach growing at some length, because I know and have seen what profits there are in the industry for our people, and because of its great importance I thave tried to outline all the details of preparing the soil planting, cultivation, protection, pruning fertliizing, etc. I am very de- sirous to see peach growing become a permanent factor in the list of crops in | the diversification list of crops in the 1 south. The question for our readers to answer is: Will you have it so? I am well aware of the fact that when we begin to talk up anything of this kind, | which of course will be new to many the question naturally is: What is there in 1t? The answer Is simply this. Your profits in peach growing will be exactly | in proportion to the attention and care | follow out the instructions as given 1T
 these papers the greater will be your | success. Remember that I have frequent. | ly said in these papers, and will repea, | again, that there is no farm industry to. day which if properly taken care of by the farmer will not In return take care | of the farmer, and the peach Is no excep. tion to this rule.
 But you must not expect peaches ol | grasses to grow on old worn out cottor lands until such soils have been reclaimed
 and the necessary amount of humus
 plant food, restored. Neither can yol
 grow profitable crops of peaches on treei
 pruned by the cattle. Head your treei low to begin with, then if you do no
 know when and how to prune, hire som,
 good man who does know to do the worl
 for you.
 Another thing upon which your profits
 will depend is in being willing to edu
 cate yourself in the matter. A farmer | especially the man who Is engaged fl
 that finer branch of farming-horticultur
 must read, must think, must act, ant | often act quickly. He must be a thor
 ough business man as well as horti | culturst. The grower who does no
 have acreage and cash to carry on hi
 own business must get into the Frui
 Growers association if he wishes to sue
 ceed, for the crops must be grown ant
 shipped in carload lots in order to mak
 the business pay The antfquated meth
 ods of growing cotton and corn will no
 win in growing peaches or other fruits.
 IMMIGRATION TO THE SOUTH.
 Henry Stewart in the Country Gentleman
 The communication by MT. McAulin