Milford chronicle., 1908-05-22
Farmers Faith in Fine Fruit.

Farmers Faith in Fine Fruit.
Some idea of the tremendou,
amount ofenterprise, capital, know
ledge and push required to run {
paying Delaware fruit farm may be
obtained from the operations now
going on on the "Red Apple Farm,
owned by Francis NJ. and J. L.
Soper, near Magnolia, KentcOunty.
Francis M. Soper. who has ac-
quired the designation from his
neighbors as "apple king" is not
only a born hustler. but fine judge
of fruits, and his son, J. L. Soper,
not only inherits these qualities,
but has been thoroughly equipped
in scientific fruit farming at Della
ware College and Cornell.
These are some OF the things that
are being OF have been done at this
remarkable place:
Set out 400 acres in apples, 100
will bear this year.
Set out 100 acres in peaches, so
Of which will bear this year.
Expects 10, 900 bushels of apples
Every square yard of orchard
space looks like an expert Jersey
gardener prize garden-not
blade of grass. Each orchard IS
narrowed fifteen times a year, not
a weed in sight.
Set out new peach orchard every
spring; apples between the peach
trees in the fall. When the peaches
are done bearing forever, the apples
are about ready to bear.
Purchased the neighboring farm,
the prize home farm of the late
Congressman Jonathan S. Willis.
Planted 5000 apple trees and
3, 900 peach trees on the Willis |
farm. /
Has planted $50 acres in corn on
both farms, to ensure a living
should the tender fruit be damaged
or killed by climatic extremes.
Their strong faith in the profit
il peaches is manifested by setting
put, again this spring twenty-seven
acres in peaches, to be reset in
apples, also in the autumn.
Has 1000 Keiffer pear trees all
ull. Nothing killed in this pear
orchard. Should nothing occur to
mock off some of the pears the
rees will tear and break of their
,wn fruit.
There are 40, 900 apple trees, one
Ialf of which are full of apples.
-Four thousand gallons of liquid
5 required every day during the
eason that spraying is being done
D the orchards. The trees are
prayed to knock off insects and
lngous growths and restore the
rec to full health-a health bath,
everal times a year.
The water is supplied by gaso-
ne engines and windmill-the en-
ines being used on days when
lere is no wind, or velocity of the
ind is slight.
A packing house and a fruit
house, 100 by "a feet is
.quired also large spray house
r spraying material and nipple
ents.
The implement used in clearing =
e orchards Of grass and weeds |
Id pulverizing the already soft
ii is an Acme harrow, thirteen
ct in length. This implement
i'll harrow thirty-fve acres per So
ly. "a
All farm buildings are and must X
kept in splendid order, so that r. f.
lit of choice and fancy varieties to
ay be stored in them on short no. pi
e. The buildings all have the VI,
of dwelling-houses that fol
We been recently built, at the sea
ore. F
Its now to pray for good weather
d markets.
For a diversion, the Messrs.
per are raising thoroughbred live as
'ck, and, for days when work can -,
temporarily laid aside, they have nv nv
lalf-mile tract laid out to train s;t
d try out new colts. &c
Besides this, the prOprietors have IL
eided to raise their own nursery int int
ok and have established a nur- Cal
y with so, 900 young apple trees !
different varieties.