The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-17

to clovers and peas, one or both, for sew
eral years, and these plowed under, thus
building up and supplying food before
planting the trees, for 1t is always by far
the best and cheapest plan to prepare
and put the soil in a high state of cul-
tivation before planting trees. So the
cultivation of the soil should commence
ahead of the planting and be kept up
for years after.
Now as to the best soil for fruit trees.
A rich, deep, sandy soil, with a red clay
sub-soil is the best for all general pur-
poses. A loose. rich soil having a white
or soapstone sub-soil should always be
avoided, as this kind of land seldom, IL
ever, produces fine fruit. We have an
abundance of fine fruit lands all through
the south, and Alabama is blessed with
an abundant area. All that Is needed TO
make fruit growing a success on these
lands is to properly prepare them before
planting, and then keep them up after
planting. The early settlers moving to
Texas from the older states all wanted
the black prairie lands, and so the sandy
post oak or timber lands were over
looked. and for years they were con-
sidered as almost worthless. But lately
these lands have come to the front and
have advanced in price rapidly, for it has
been demonstrated that they are by far
hold moisture far better than the black
lands. Nor Is this all. / was travelling
with gentleman who represents large
wholesale house, and in talking over this
matter he stated that In the fruit grow
ing section of the state 1t was easy to
sell goods and easy to make collections;
that people who had been engaged in
fruit and truck growing for some years
were all in good financial standing.
To MI 1aa m mn OF
with one Mr.. Turnipseed, who is grow
ing fine peaches over in eastern Alabama.
on the sandy pine uplands, just such soil
as l mention above. Mr.. Turnipseed and
| were at dinner together, and he was in
New Orleans selling his peaches-the first
and best on the market. They were net
ting him $50 per crate, of three-quarter
bushel crates. He said that in his neigh
borhood raw land suitable for peaches in
pine timber was worth $40 per acre.
When this land was cleared and set to
peach trees, about seventy trees per acre.
and when these trees were one year old
the land was worth s25 per acre; at two
years old, $50 per acre; at three years old,
SIS per acre, and when four years old,
$780, Up to this time there should have
been 500 per acre sold from the orchard
of fine fruit This was what Mr.. Turnip-
seed was doing or had done and just what
to show what any one may do in the
fruit business. with the right kind of
soil and by applying the right methods.
Drainage is Necessary.
There is much fine land that could be
made fine for fruit by using some drain
age Here is where many fail, for they
seem not to understand that fruit trees
will not grow where they have wet feet,
or on soil where the sub-soil is full of
sour water. If in selecting site for the
orchard there Ii not natural drainage
some artificial drainage must be supplied.
and tile drainage has been found by far
the best and cheapest In the end. But
this is like all other trades. The tile must
be laid right or else 1t is a useless waste
Of time and money to attempt the use Of
tile. But where a good man who under
stands his business Ii employed It will
prove q great success. It Is not at all