The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-23

Countrys Greatest Fruit Producing
Center.
(S0uthern Pines TOurist)
This section of the Sand Hills is to
1,acnne a great fruit center; there can
he no doubt of it. I ears ago a num-
her of men set out orchards or plant
cd ;, lot OF peach trees on their farms
and made a failure OF it. The scale
rana along and swept away all pros
meets Of success. They came to the
conclusion that there was no money
in poach orchards, and there was not.
Under the conditions that existed then.
EVEN Mr. an Lindley lost a pot of
money on his fine orchard just out of
Southern Pines.
He, and a few others, kept at it,
however. and pegged away until they
found out how to overcome the diff
cuIties. and now they are making all
sorts Of money where success once
seemed impossible. Van Lindiey, the
Niagara people, Huttenhauer, Thigh
man. Richards and others. have
wrought not only for themselves, but
for a host of others.
The story of their success has been
widely told. and the attention Of many
fruit-growers, and would-be fruit
growers, is being turned this way.
The man who enters the business now
has most of the problems Of the
peach. grape and dewherry culture
solved for him. He has but to profit
by the experience of his predecessors.
and success Is reasonably sure. OF
course it must not be und erStOOd that
all he has to do is to stick his young
trees in the ground and sit down and
watch them, or go off and have
good time until it is time to gather
his harvest and turn it into dollars.
The man who succeeds, even under
present favorable conditions, must
keep his eye peeled. If he is lazy he
had best not go into the fruit bust
ness.
But the great things that have been
demonstrated are these:
l. There are few if any better soils
for peaches, grapes and deWberrles
than is to be found in the vicinity Of
Southern Pines, It seems to be Pc
CuliaTly adapted to fruit culture, neg
atvely and positively. 1t probably
produces fewer enemies to the fruit
crop than most soils, and at the same
time affords better Sustenance and
adds q something that gives the Sand
Hills peach its dazzling color and It's
luscious flavor.
. 1t is a question if any other
climate surpaSses this, and it has few
equals. There are warmer spots, but
1t Is warm enough here. The late
spring Ireeze always stareS the 1ru1t
grower in the face, and he never
breathes quite easily until its posi-
bility is past, but this calamity comes
out rarely In six years the writer
has seen it once. Sometimes there IS
d light season. but three seasons out
of four give satisfactory yields when
the proper precautions are taken, and
anything that gives one pracucai
three-Out-of-four chance is good
enough, Taking the. orchards in TINS
vicinity under consideration and hast
1ly running them over, the writer be
heVes that for the years since really
scientific fruit culture began the ra-
10 Of success has been higher than
mas been here estimated. Orchards
1arther south have suffered oftener
ana more severely than those OF the
Sand Hills. The nature of the SOIL
The lack of dampness in the air when
coId snaps come, and perhaps other
lhihgs, which the writer does not
Know, seem to give large percentage
o. immunity to the Sand Hills orcn-
ard
The Sand Hills orchards are
"9h'n striking distance of the finest
markets of the world. day or a
nan day gained in carrying fruit IS
tremendous advantage. and that is
Wh2t Southern Pines has, Peaches,
oe"oerr1es or grapes, can leave South-
SIh Plnes at II o'clock tonight ana
oe on the fruit stands of Washington
~ Norfolk tomorrow. From the orch-
ara - New York in less than "A hours
- getting fresh fruit. Halving the
Instance to market is something the
pi0Spective fruit grower may We'll
'7he INTO consideration. 1t means q
saving in time and expense, and 1t
n'tdhS that his fruit will reach the
market in better condition, not for
F6G1ung the possibilities Of the re-
-l'atfator car, which has doubtless
ttTpiheWnat reduced the advantage OF
'he short haul
.. f. The finest fruit growing lands
t .nat lie out OF doors, near the best Of
i@lIToad facilities can be had here at