The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-17

conditions that the growers of any crops
 may expect at intervals, so the summing up of the situation at this time seems
 to indicate that we are to have a great
 crop of peaches and that they will be cheap or cheaper than they have been for some years.
 This Is not written to discourage anyone
 but rather to call the attention to what
 may be reasonably expected from the peach crop and that growers may begin to prepare now for handling their crops
 so as to get the most from them. But
 some one may ask. What can we do to
 prevent this condtion?" I will mention a few things that may help the grower very
 much to sell their peaches for paying prices.
 Thinning the Fruit.
 This Is a very important question. and especially so when we have so large a
 crop. A reasonable amount of fancy peaches can always be sold, so to
 bring the grower good returns, so that
 everything that can should be done to aid the tree in producing large, fine
 fruit In favorable year. peach trees
 are liable to overstock themselves with
 fruit and unless they are thinned the whole crop are sure to be undersiZed, so
 that thinning under such conditions is badly needed. for 1t not only relieves the
 tree of a great amount of its burden. but increases the size and quality of the fruit left on the tree. So that often 1t
 will be well to thin the fruit. leaving
 only just enough on the tree for making
 large, fine. we'll favored specimens. Prepare for Handling Crops.
 It will be well for the grower to look after everything that will be needed in handling his crop. He should have every carrier crate or basket needed right on hand, for the chances are that later in
 the season these supplies will be hard to obtain The help needed for handling the crop should be looked after and engaged as far ahead as possible and here comes in another serious problem-that of labor There is a scarcity of labor all over the peach belt and this condition Is going tc operate against the grower and only adds another factor In reducing profits of the crop.
 All sheds and packing houses should be built and repaired and put in the very best condition for handling the fruit in 8 hurry and with as little expense as pos. sble. Cars for carrying the fruit to mar. ket and freight rates should be looked af- | ter and the very best markets selected | Another thing which our growers should l keep In mind is that when we have these l seasons of abundant crops. this condition | affords great harvest for unscruplous l commission merchants. These fellows are
 always well posted as to the situation, of
 which they never fail to take advantage
  l ton all these things and put themselves | as far as possible in a position so as tc | protect themselves, they will probably be l able to market a good per cent of theiI
 crops at prices that may leave them some l profit for their crops
 l The history of all new fruit and truck
 growers associations has been the same | They would not learn anything from the | experience of others. they conducted | their operations along unbusiness like 1 lines and passed through the same old bark mill of experiences that have
 wrecked many others.
 Had Timely Warning.
 ! Last fall Prof. J. II. Connen, editor
 of the Texas Farm and Ranch at Dallas
 Tex who was foresighted enough to see | what was coming sounded the alarm fir
 this paper, the Farm and Ranch. and we ] took the matter up in our paper, The Age 1 Herald and together we tried to call the i attention of all peach-growers to what we | thought was sure to come sooner or later
 but the people treated the matter as they
 usually do such things with indifference | and unconcern. We believed then, and l still believe, that we were right The plan l as outlined in the Farm and Ranch and | taken up by us. is the only safe plan | for peach-growers and all other growers | of perishable crops to succeed. First. or | ganization: second. hearty cooperation | and third, education. Educa ton is the 1 most important of the three. and unless ! fruit and truck-growers or all growers | of pershable crops are willing to edu- | cate themselves to know the requirements | of the markets that they are growing | crops for, or where they expect to mar | ket their crops their efforts are sure to | result in failure Our older associations | who have been through these experiences 1 fully understand this matter. and it is l strange that new beginners will not profit | by the exper fences of others in these mat | ters.
 Question Our Motives.
 i Another great trouble is. as stated | above the indifference with which such | matters ere usually treated. How many | growers are there who are ready to say | Well, these newspaper men know noth- | Ing anout crops: they good farmers 1 on paper. but what do they know about | over-pfoduct,on of crops or of market | values of orops?" And often we are ac- l cused of reing hired to write and give l this advice. We are also accused of being
 prompted by selfish motives when we at | tempt to give good advice or sound a I warninge which if needed would be a | great value to our readers. The facts in l the case are that we haven't a cents | personal interest in the matter other than l that our success. as well as that of every | business man. depends upon the success l of the farmers. and the success of the | farmer means prosperity to the country and we share like others in this pros- 1 perity. Grading and Packing.
 | One of the most timely suggestions ad- vanced by the Farm and Ranch. in which | we are fully concured. was the need of
 a careful inspector of peaches tor all