The Mena weekly star., 1910-08-04

acres upon acres of various kinds of fruits, principally the Elberta peach, which expert peach growers say will do as we'll as in the peach belt of Horatio, where the largest orchard in the United States, and probably the world. is located. Nine families from Kansas City alone will move to Hatton this fail and the majority of them will plant orchards while some will engage in stock raising.
 The next town, Wickes, is a nice little town, where homeseekers are Hooking and where a warm welcoma is handed out to all who stop within it's borders. Wickes has five general stores, two drug stores, one hardware, two commodious hotels, where the very best of service is to be had and where the cooking is Just like moth CTS" The Isett Lumber Company has saw and blaming mill there and in all have big plant.
 The energetic real estate firm of Ridgway & Greene have some of the best exhibits of fruit to be found any where in the United States, not ex- cepting California. This firm has sold something like 1900 acres in the last few weeks and have been selling con tinuously all the time since going in business there. This land might be called the land of fruit, for Wickes peaches have a reputation all their own.
 The Wickes Orchard and Planting Company has farm of838 acres right, you might say. in town. Of this, 150 acres is planted in strawberries, which this year produced successful crop which brought the top market price on account of the lateness of the season. Two hundred acres are set in Elberta peaches, most of the trees are very young. but from five acres of 5-year-old trees they shipped some thing like five cars. On the farm there are twenty acres of 2-year-old trees and twenty acres of 3-year-old trees which bore a reasonably good crop this year. They also have twenty-five acres of canteloupes this year which promise an enormous yield and will be ready to ship soon There is about 150 acres of this farm in general farm products. feed stuffS for the wintering of the company's s stock. l.. c. Wilson, one of the stockholders, is general manager and gives hs whole time to the work
 Another fruit raiser that is meeting with fine success is Tom Stultz, who came to Wickes last fall from Missouri and was so taken with the fruit pros pect that he bought farm with about 4000 budded peach trees and 1000 apple trees. His crop this year was good and he commenced shipping among the first and his fruit was ex- tremely fine. The writer had few samples of some of his early Crawfords and for beauty and quality they could not be excelled. Mir. Stultz's house is ideal as to location. It is or a Aisn place surrounded by beautiful grove of white oak trees, making it very pretty as 1t overlooks the whole farm.
 William McClelland, living north of town. has a nice orchard consisting of twenty acres of Elbertas which will bear next year.
 A. J. Stewart, who bought the A.. N. Gibbs farm south of town. has 4250 Elbertas and shipped an enorm- ous lot of peaches this season. He also has 800 trees which began bear ing this year.
 Two weeks ago c. E. Mallon bought the F. G. Aiken farm of lS0 acres, one mile south of town, which has 2OOO bearing apple and peach trees. Lee & Stevens own l60 acres near town which has 750 Elberta trees that are just beginning to bear; also 25OO Red June apple trees that will bear next season.
 Mrs. Dr. Anthony, liying2 l-2 miles south of town, owns 160 acres on which she has $500 Elberta trees which bore half crop this year, which was shipped to Joplin and Kansas City, where they brought a good price. The following business firms oi Wickes are: Lee Cole, general mer- chandise; J. A. Lewey, dry goods, gro. ceries and feed; Golf Bros, general
 stock; c. H. Jett, dry goods, groceries feed; w. H. Darwin, hardware; Gll' lian & Ham5y, drugs.