The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-31
GREAT ORCHARDS OF
 SATSUMA ORANGES South Texas Will Produce All
 Kinds of Fruit BIG MARKET IS READY Efforts Are Being Made to Secure n New Naval Station on the Texas
 Coast After Panama
 Canal Opens

Houston, January 3o.-(Special.) )-One orchard of 100000 Satsuma orange trees may be viewed from the car window as the traveller out of Houston traverses the orange growing districts to the south or
 the city. Fresh from the hands of the tllers of the soil and the nurserymen 1t will be complete within the next six weeks and will be the largest orchard oi it's kind in America This orchard of
 1000 acres will have 100 trees to the acre
 and adjoining 1t is a tract of 2ooO acres which is to be planted at later date. Orange growing has been rapidly de-
 veloped in the Texas coast country With
 in the past few years and one orchard In
 the Houston district this year is market
 ing 25 carloads of Satsumas. They are
 meeting with hearty reception in the
 markets of the north and east, and the
 industry is attracting widespread atten-
 ton. There is no boom being given It
 and every progressive step has been taken
 with care and judgment and no wild tales
 of immediate fortunes awaiting the grow
 CTS have been given currency.
 It costs money to put out even small
 orchard, the price of the yearling trees
 alone being 50 cents each in ordinary
 quantities.
 The ground, if virginal, gets its first
 taste of the blow in a mere turning over
 of the sod. The first blowing is shai-
 low not more than four inches deep.
 After this turning over follows cross blowing, which is six to eight ncnes deep, and after this comes narrowing and discing. Not until the ground is in what would be called first-class condi- t6h for corn planting is it ready for
 the young trees. The mellow ground is then carefully marked and cross marked and the trees are then put out ot precise intervals apart. December Is the month for planting Satsumas and this month will bring about a vast increase in or ange acreage in the coast country belt. AS q result of the recent visit of B. F. yoakum and a party of New York capi- talists to this section recently, the Rocke- fellow interests have taken hold of the citrus fruit proposition. Percy Rocko- fellow, nephew of John D., purchased 40 acres of land as a starter. A. J. Earl ing. president of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, and stephen Birch of New York. also of the Yoakum party. have also bought forties. Their land is to be put in cultivation at once
 Efforts to secure a new naval station on the gulf coast will be strongly urged upon Congress as the completion of the
 Panama canal approaches. The Trans Mississippi Congress at its recent session indorsed the idea and Congressman John M. Moore of the Houston district an- nounces that he expects to press his bill for an appropriation of $2500 to cover the
 expenses of survey of the Texas coast to determine the best point for the estab- lishment of a naval base. "'The changing physical conditions of the country says Congressman Moore, demand protection for the New Front Yard of the United
 states" This city is urging San Jacinto
 bay as the proper location, where the fresh water would kill the barnacles and give to the battleships harbor safe from the long range guns of the enemy. Houston's ship channel across Galveston
 bay would solve the question of deep water sufficient for the largest craft. , Location of this new naval base is part of the altered defense plans of this
 country occasioned by the canal across Panama.
 | While being credited with holding back | their cotton this year and marketing the staple with more judgment than has been manifest for a. long period, the cotton