Evening journal., 1909-07-07
nan ..-~
NIX SUPEK WANIS
100000 TREES
Apple Kings Ambition To
Have COunlry's Largest
Orchard

DOVER, July 7.-Irancis NJ. Soper,
the Delaware apple king, and mem-
Der Of the General Assembly, could be
seen yesterday hauling 1875 bushels of
apples to market, for which he received,
in cold cash, $3.50.
The success Of the Sopers, father
and son. even in the midst of a poor
fruit year. is puzzling to many grow
ers here.
Il believe we have tile greatest State
in the Union" said Mr.. Soper to d
representative OF this paper. PRO
perly handled, this State and penin-
sula could almost feed the world Talk
about people increasing until they over
take the food supply-nothing like il
will happen If good farmers and hust-
ling workers come to this section"
Mr.. Soper added that he had right
TO talk in this manner as he had come
from the North and was not native
born Delawarean. lie advised his
friends throughout the country from
whence he came to get acquainted with
the Delaware peninsula while land is
reasonably cheap.
The ambition OF Mr.. Sopor and his
son is to have 100000 apple trees Ia
bearing. the greatest apple grove own
ed by one family i'm the world They
now have $4,000 trees.
That they have thoroughly learned
the art of spraying. ploughing and
otherwise caring for and cultivating
apples is demonstrated when it is seen
by an inspection OF the Kent county
orchards planted and cultured by the
Sopers. that in the midst of the bad
fruit year, they will have a fun crop
of late apples Their early apple crop
will be one-half.
A full early apple crop off this farm
would mean over 1000 bushels. The
yield this year will be $500 Of "ear-
lies"
OF the early apples. Yellow Trans
parent are extremely popular. For this
highly esteemed variety. the Sopers
have received S1.60 bush this year
They will have, altogether. about 16C
bushels Of Transparents.
Will Build His Own Road.
Mr.. Soper who is the author of the
good roads bill which passed the re.
cent Legislature and has since beer
ignored by the Levy Court which has
practically determined on do-noth.
iit putty 10 ilHl content 10 SIT lnlA
by when other States are i'm the mids
Of new century road making. VIA
this in view he viii. at his own ex.
pense build a macadam road OF tn,
latest style from his home TO the Cam.
n-Wyoming roadway, a distance o
half a mile He will build this at hi
own private expense.
He is a firm believer in the use o.
stone. even If not I'm the regular ma.
cadam road formula, on the count,
roads.
"The road from Wyoming to Cam.
den. built by Former Levy Court Com.
missioner William ID. Richards" saiC
Mr.. Soper, " is one of the best picc.
of road work / have ever seen in Della.
ware. This faithful servant of th'
people deserves undying praise for thi
work which he did at great sacrifice o
time and on only small appropriation
allowances from the permanent goo'
roads account. believe that the grea
body of farmers of this section ap
preciate this splendid work II is
pity that we are not building ever
day along the same line"
It IS said here that If the Soper
attain their ambition. with their ac
quired knowledge of the apple bust
ness, Of a continuous orchard of 10000
trees. they will both become million
laires.