The Mena weekly star., 1911-09-21
Editor Star:

l-------------- Editor Star:
 Some time ago one of your con- tributors furnished an article for your paper concerning the value of an orchard on the farm, and along the same lines I wish to say that when the horticultural advantages of Polk county are fully developed, the great, golden fruit belt of north- ern Arkansas will not oily have to look out for it's laurels, but the agri- cultural wealth of this part of the |state will be greatly enhanced. When Il lived in Benton county, which coy- cred period of ten years, from 1895 to 1905, l was under the impression that the northwest part of the state constituted all there was to the fruit belt of Arkansas, but after a resi- dence of over six years in Polk county, considerable personal ex- perience and close observation along horticultural lines, do not hesitate to say that the soil and eli matic conditions of this county will produce just as fine fruit as Ben ton and Washington counties. In fact, am perfectly frank to say | that I would like to see some of our best apples, peaches, strawberries, etc, placed side by side of the best fruit products grown in the above counties before some competent judges. 1 believe we would win all the blue ribbons.
 This calls to mind an incident that occurred here in the fall of 1907. A Polk county friend of mine went to Oregon to engage in the | fruit industry on a large scale, and after a few years experience he re- turned, a sadder but wiser man. When he came back he brought a bushel box of apples from the North Yakima country that were the most beautiful and perfect specimens Of the kind had ever seen. They
 were very large and very highly Icolored, and they should be, for my friend explained that the trees upon which they grew had been SPRAYED TWELVE TIMES, and that the land upon which they grew was worth $500 an acre. At that time l had quite display of home grown apples on exhibition in my office, and they did not show up very well in comparison with the beautiful Oregon product, but in order to bring the matter to a prac- | ltical test, said to my friend: Now, sir, we must admit that there are only three qualities to an apple, or any other kind of fruit, for that matter-size, color and flavor, and I frankly admit that you have my Polk county apples beaten on the first two qualities, but how about the proof of the pudding?"
 So he selected one of his best ap- lples and from my collection of Ben Davis, Winesap, Black Ben Davis, Shockley, Etress, Apple of Com
 merce, etc, l selected a large, ripe Mammoth Black Twig. We pared our apples, cored and quartered them and began the flavor test, which, after all, is the only true test of all fruits, for we buy fruit to eat and cook-not to look at. After the first few mouthfuls my friend blurted out between bites: Fulton, you've got me skinned a mile" And so 1 had, bedad. That same year Jasper Stockton, who lives six miles northeast of Cove, took ten nrem- iums on apples at the state fair at Hot Springs, and many of the ap- pies were taken from orchards in this immediate neighborhood. Tn spite of all these favorable con- ditions, however, and in spite of the fact that there is moro certain ty about the apple and peach crop here than ia the other fruit belt of the state, with sure thing on all kinds of berries, the hortupii~ral interests of the country ara sadly neglected. On nearly every farm you will find a group of old scrawny, scraggy fruit trees that, by stretch of pr0priety might be called an orchard, and strange to say, nearly every summer and fali you will see these same old trees full of apples and peaches. They bear in spite of neglect. and in spite of the fact that they are generally planted on some 0ut-of-the-way sort of place that was thought to be good for nothing else. I do not know how it is in the other parts of the county, but here in White township there are orchards every where, the trees red with apples, the ground covered with them, and only one sprayer and two cider mills. In riding ten miles you may find here and there some signs of sun dried apples, and in the gro- cery stores you will find the same kind of fruit selling for i2h and i3 cents per pound. Next winter you will find many of our farmers buying apples evaported in Benton county, and paying 10 cents per gall lon for vinegar made in Prairie Grove, Washington county.
 Someone asks me what have been doing with the little old or chard on my little oid i0-aere farm. and l hasten to reply that I have not only had apples and peaches to use and to sell since the middle of |; ss;sss s. May. but i nave q barrel of dried apples, cellar full of canned fruit and ten gallons of pure cider vinegar. What kind of a summer grassh0pper have you been. brother farmer?
 T. ?. Fulton. Cove, Ark, Sept. if, 1911.
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