The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-04-12
Ginseng and
Fruit in
Henderson
County


IT you want to find out about the pos
sibilities of fruit growing in Henderson
county, go and ask Captain Toms what
he is doing along that line. And if you
want to see the captain get enthusiastic
just mention ginseng to him.
Captain Toms firmly believes there is
no section of the South better adapted
to fruit than right here, and with some
Others of our pnbllc spirited citizens he
is pointing out to the farmers the road
to wealth along that line. He has about
5000 peach and 1000 apple trees now
set out, most of them in his orchard on
Jump-of mountain, within three miles
of Hendersonville. The trees are doing
finely. He has spent much money this
winter in combating the San Jose scale,
and it is pleasing to note that he has
succeeded in ~eradicating that enemy of
the fruit grower. He say no finer APP
pies a be grown anywhere than
right here, but advocates a limited va
riety. In his case he has confined him
self to the Rome Beauty, Ben Davis,
Winesap apd York Imperial. The trees
are free from danger of frost, and the
only damage they are likely to suffer is
from a late freeze. There is an excel
lent market, at good prices. and the
marvel OF it all is that the farmers have
not gone into the business extensively.
The captain has also blazed the way
along another line, which, without
doubt, will sOon be followed by many
others. He now has two acres of gin
seng, and only a few minutes talk with
him will convince you of his faith in
ginseng as a crop for the farmers of
this country.
This strange root grows wild in the
mountains here, but che captain is, we
believe, the first to cultivate it on SO
extensive a scale. These mountains
are peculiarly adapted tn its growth.
Ginseng now sells 1T seven dollars a
pound. with a good market for it. Most
of it is shipped to China, where they have
been using it for untold centuries as a
cu:e-all. 1t must possess remarkable
merits, or its use would not have con-
tinued for so many hundreds of years.
Undoubtedly the medical fraternity of
the West will discover its medical value
before long, when the market will be
still greater. A prominent medical so
ciety in Chicago is now experimenting
with ginseng as a curative agent in
over one hundred different diseases,
and the results will be closely watched.
Captain Toms says the plant presents
a beautiful appearance, waist-high, and
a perfect mat of beautiful, delicate
green. The amount which may be
realized from n acre is simply aston
ishing, and we decline to risk our repu-
tatiOn as a truthful, law-abiding man,
by giving the exact figures here. but &c
anyone interested the captain will be
pleased to give full information. The
expense, when gone into on a large
scale, such as this, is heavy but q COM
Portable living may be made from a
quarter acre of ground. Captain Toms
expects to make shipments this fall and
the results will be closely watched. 1t
is claimed that he has pointed out an
avenue of wealth to the farmers of the
country which should satisfy the most
exacting.
"What l canno understand" said
the captain, sis why some of our people
alloW themselves to be talked into NOV
ing down into the cotton mill section,
when right at their door lies infinite
possibilities along these and other lines.
The fact that over $50, 900 passed
through the banks of H~endersonville
last month alone, in payment for ship
ped feed stuff of all kinds, forcibly Illus
trates the fact that the farmers of Hen
derson county are not even supplying
their home market The farm land of
this county is good, the market is here,
at good prices, for all kinds of farm pro-
ducts, and all hat is necessary is for
the farmers to avail themselves of the
opportunities presented to make more,
much more, than a comfortable living"
To leave this country to work in the
cotton mills, when an ideal home and a
good living may be had here amongst
these mountains!
These m~ountainsl How infinitely
beautiful they are! The grand, dark
blue heights in front of us. With old
Pinnacle and Sugar Loaf standing as
sentinels over the destinies Of this beau
tiful country. So beautiful it seems
almost like an enchanted country. An
atmosphere so clear one may see for an
indefinate distance. Table fields and
softly swelling hills on all sides. Rivers
which look like motion silver from the
nights. A sky so brightly blue that
Western North Carolina is known al