The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-28
GREATEST FRUIT
STATE IN The UNION.
Texas FORCES to the Front, Not
Only for the Quantity, but for
the Delicious Quality, of It's
Pathological Productions.
HAS LARGEST PEACH
ORCHARD IN THE WORLD
Eleven Hundred Acres in One
Tract, and This Is Being Added
To by Hundreds Of Acres Year
ly-Growth of Truck Farming.
Ry HERBERT VANDERHOOF


Nor Is this impression an entirely erro-
neous one, because Michigan has FOR
wears been famed for the quantity and
quality of it's fruit, ranging from berries
of all kinds to ounces, apples, pears anu
peaches. ., ~ $50. ,,,
much about Michigan fruit. There they
rely on the orchards of New York and
New Jersey. and for peaches they talk
about Delaware. The Delaware peach Is
as much heard of in the East as the
Michigan peach is in the West, ana II
has achieved a reputation and a place
in the affections of the people that II
, Down in Texas they don't know and
they don't care anything about elther
Michigan or Delaware peaches They
not only grow peaches down there but
thew grow them on a scale that sur
passes anything either North or East. IL
seems as if men in Texas cannot 90
things on small scale. There Is some
thing about the state that infects men
with large ideas. Take almost any limo
of human effort, and when the Texan
takes hold of it he aims to surpass any
thing every done Of the same kind. His
ideas seem to enlarge in accordance with
the boundaries of his state. and he views
things with a Brobdignagian focus.
It will surprise nearly every reader TO
learn that the largest peach orchard IN
the world is in Texas. / know it surprised
me. When I was in Dallas made some
inquiries as to the possibilities Of the
. surrounding country in the line or trult
culture I was not aware that fruit grow
ing was practised on any extended scale,
but the climate made me think that 1t
would be an ideal place for fruit If the
soil conditions were right.
The gentleman to whom l spoke smiled
at my question and replied:
You are now in the greatest fruit
country there is in the United States.
There is hardly anything we cannot
grow here, and hardly anything that We
how
heard Of it, but in one Of the counties in
the Dallas district Cherokee county, there
is the largest peach orchard in the world
In one tract Of land in this orchard there
are HOO acres Of peach trees. and the
company that owns the land is planting
out several hundred acres more each
year. 1t will only be a matter Of a few
years when the concern that owns this
orchard will have 5000 acres Of peach
trees in bearing. -
Run by Northern Men. ~
"And, by the way. the owners of this
orchard are mostly Northern men, mainly
from Michigan. 1t is called the Morrill,
Orchard company, and consists of Roland
Morrill, of Michigan and his associates
About five years or so ago Mr.: Morrill,
came down here and bought 1880 acres
of unimproved land, which had formerly
been owned by the state and from which
most of the timber had been removed in
obtaining fuel with which to operate iron
and other industries owned by the state.
"Mr. Morrill, saw at glance that this
was the ideal place for fruit. Fe at
extensive scale, and has been extremely
successful. But he does not confine
himself to peaches. This year he has
besides 200 acres in cantaloupes, and he
has demonstrated that he can grow as
4 good a melon as they do at Rocky Ford
Colo. He also has 100 acres in water
melons and 800 acres In Irish potatoes
with a considerable acreage in other
III - S11@ ,osv 1,Sc
climate. You see, fruits and vegetables
of all kinds moture down here at sc
much earlier a stage than they. do in
the North that it. is possible for the
highest market price for them. They
get on the Northern market as delicacies
and people always pay well for luxuries.'
But the Morrill, company any is not It, the
heavily interested in fruit growing, al
though it is the largest. In addition tt
the 1880 acres which it originally pur.
chased, it subsequently acquired the cele
reputed to be one Of the finest tract:
of land in the country. Recently the Nor
rill company sold 1000 acres to the Mis-
souri, Development company, another cor
poration. and also furnished the latte
$4,000 liberia peach trees from it
nurseries to start an orchard.
Some Other Large Concerns.
adjoining the property Of this latte
com pdny Is Tie ld1lu VI the
Farming company, which has been i'm
proved and planted out in fruits an
vegetables. There is still another com
pany Incorporated as the Cherokee
& Orchard company, which has recently &C
quired several hundred acres in the sam
locality. This company has planted thi
year 100 acres in Irish potatoes. fit
acres in watermelons fifty acres in can
taloupes, and twenty acres in tomatoes
besides many acres in miscellaneous gar
den truck.
All Of these companies are composed {
capitalists emigrating there from tn
North, and are strong financially. The
are experienced in growing fruit an
vegetables. and recognized in the soil an
climate Of this country advantages owe
those Of Michigan and other fruit an
truck producing states.
The orchard interests of Cherokee
county have paid so we'll that now tn
peach growing industry has spread
all directions, and new orchards are bein
years until Texas will lead every sta1
In the Union in the growing of tn
luscious fruit. The peaches not only gro
to a larger size than they do North, b,
they are possessed of the most deltcio,
and delicate flavor. a-
Tomato growing is another indust,
that Is attaining gigantic proportions
the Dallas district. Some years ago ii
Mississippi farmers had practical MOI
opoly Of this business, but 1t is now col
coded that Texas produces the best ear
tomato to be found in the United State
The growers who have made a study
the business; and who have followed
every year regularly, have made gre
success. Car loads of tomatoes begin
move North from May Is to May 20. II
Dallas market Is the great DISTRIBUTE
point for all the fruit and tomatoes tn
can be raised in this surrounding ccul
IA try, and the receipts at this one poi
alone amount to thousands Of cars eve
season. -a a.5
Don't Depend on Cotton.
this rich territory pinned their hop
largely to cotton, but that time h
passed 1t has been demonstrated til
there are other things besides cotton
which money can be made more surel
even II not quite so easily. Fruit gro,
ing appeals to the farmers down in Tex
because it IS a sure crop. There is new
seasons hopes, nor are there any of Il
insect pests that in the North sometim
spoil an entire orchard Just before t
time for picking. AS for berries, and
the other small fruits, they are certa
crop, and twice the amount that is ev
they could only be obtained. Ripenin
as they do, so early in the season, tn
command the best prices In the Northe
markets, and, with the magnificent r
friserator car service that is now at t
command Of the shippers, they can
/ so transported to Northern markets WI
celebrity and in the best of condition
low rates of freight
Truly, the resources of Texas a
I boundless It IS not only an empire
size. but it is also an empire in its abili
to provide for it's own needs. Shou
every other source of supply for t
necessities or luxuries of life be cut