The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-08-30

The Arkansas Orchard Planting Com
pany has 1000 acres, Of which 900 IS
planted. while the Bert johnson Or
chard Co, has 500 acres planted ana
options OF all land for several miles
around the orchards The trees are
principally Elbertls ard both companies
are working towards an exclusive FL
berta crop, on accounts of the superior
appearance and shipping qualities or
that reach. Besides the 40 acres of the
Delaware grapes, 157 acres are planted
20 truck, which together with peaches
keeps large and modern canning lac
tory of 81, 900 cans capacity run
ming about ten months out OF the year
The Two orchar dsjoin each other and nave
the appearance of one big orchard. me
ground is laid off in blocks like city,
and more than 30 miles of perfectly
worked streets each with its own name
going to every part of the vast peach
garden. The two companies employ
ahont 200 men the year around, and
during the packing season, now on, the
navrolI shows more than 1000 names OF
pickers. packers. etc. many being eH-
part men who were brought here by
the car LOAD from the fruit districts OF
Florida, by the Hardee, Mcfarlana q
HINT Co. who handle the crop this
wear. Mr. johnson has one genera
foreman, under whom are SIX sup-Iole-
men during out OF season months,
while during the fruit season many
crews each have their own supernlteh
dent and foreman. Inns year the com
panies have built two large hoteis d
Highland. each of which can care Tor
more than 100 people. Eacn Is sun
stantial two-story structure OF % rooiils
and besides this more than A. u"eiiihR
houses have been erected by tpehi' DIS
we'll as two large hotel kltehehs, eacl
of which will feed more than NV men
at the same time. Improvements aie
constantly going on ana more 'r '''e
are being planted each year. an tea.iH
it ia hard to tell where the WORN WIN
stop All ready this year the Der.
johnson Orchard Company nave set
out 600 acres of peaches ana the Ark-
ansas Orchard Planting Co., nave put
1876 acres, all in Elbertas
Mr.. johnson, president ana genera
manager of the TWO companies Is a'so
president of the Arkansas r. ofticultuIal
Society. but he was not always IN the
fruit business, with lucious peaches
grape and berries. -
For back in Ohiowhere he was porn
in 1868, he peddled milk IN the sina,l
hamlet of Warren from his earnest re-
collection until he reached his majority.
His parents gave him half the income
from the dairy, but at q years OF age
he followed the advice of Horace tree
lev and went West, Ito grow up Win
the country.
His earliest judgment was not as sage
as it later proved to be, for instead Vi
coming straight down to Arkansas, ne
cast his lot in Kansas. a short distance
from Kansas City. He settled on 100
acres of land near Olathe Kan. ana pc
gan running a huckster wagon 10 the
Kansas CITY market. This proved 100
small nickings. and he went to Kansas
CITY and spent Ii years in the 1ruit
business. Although he had prosper
Gus business. he belieued the fountain
of success was somewhere else. he
had heard of Hot Springs and Arkan-
sas. the state of possibilities, ana ne
came hither and stopped IN DeQueen,
His annette for peaches soon caused
him To xtart the well-hnown Horatio
orchards. which by the way, prodnced
more fruit than Mr.. Johnson and his
family and his crew could consume.
He therefore began shipping. the sur
Illus To Kansas City, st. LOUIS and OF
her places less fortunate than the PEG
Die of Arkansas. After SIX years there
ne came to the vicinity Of Highland and
after interesting several associates, 80
acres were planted in 1904, and further
paintings have brought the total acre
',ge to more than 1000 acres at the pre-
,ent time. These orchards have borne
truit yearly, which explodesthe theory
that there must be fruit failures once
n a while to give the trees rest.
according to Mr. Johnson's statement,
ne orchards controlled by the Arkan-
as Orchard Plsnting Company netted
.. b. AT Prescott in 1911, S223, SEQ.
his was distributed among the stock
olders living in parts OF the Unite.
tates, VINO are ready 10 plant still
reater aereages ia fri ia Arkansas
or this reason. 20 aeeP frgw g!3etn-
ae fadrNeg <a 5e.e.ss u Hh 1tl
turning part OF Is attention 10 +
capes and peas. VIA 4 alfead bio