Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-30
Sumter County Is Famous or Its Fine Peach Orchards

Altogether, this is an ideal location
for peach orchards, as evidenced BIZ
the magnificent stretches of trees here
and in other counties Immediately
north of Sumter, particularly Macon
and Houston counties. Sumter boasts
the distinction of having the largest
peach orchard in the world, the Whit
tie orchard with its 10000 vigorous
bearing trees.
While no considerable attention IS
given to pear growing here in recent
years, there was time when the Lee
Conte and Keller pears were much es-
teemed as money crop and orchards
of considerable proportions fourished
near Americas. However, little care
is given to pears now, growers finding
greater profits in peaches, melons,
truck and other crops and abandoning
to great extent the once prolific pear
orchards.
In the southern sections of Sumter
and along the northern border OF Lee
county contiguous remain several large
pear orchards, and large shipmen s
are still made annually to the eastern
markets, and at remunerative prices.
Other varieties of fruit grown here
are figs, pomegranates, satsuma oran-
ges, plums, Japanese persimmon,
ounce, cherries and some varieties
of apples, the hardy Shockley being
especially adapted to this soil and
climate. Grapes are indigenous 0
the soil and run riot on every farm
and woodland. Where cultivated the
royal scuppernong, producing excel
lent wine; the Concord, Madeira, Mia
agara and, in fact, every variety Of
grape, grows prolific and yields album
dainty. Strawberries and others of
the berry family respond profitab'F
| to cultivation.
Sumter county is aptly called "Po-
mona's Domain from the many varie-
ties of fine fruits so easily and prof
itably produced
AS evidence of the fact that this is
splendid fruit section, northern cap
italists have recently erected here two
| large and complete canning plants,
which are operated throughout the
fruit season. A Baltimore company
has operated it's plant here during
three successive seasons, handling
peaches exclusively, the annual output
being about 100000 cans Skilled la
Dor handles the product, and the
goods Made in Americas" as indi-
Gated upon the label on the cans, are
shipped to every state in the union.
Anew York company has also put
up large canning establishment in
the heart of one of the fine peach or
| chards here, and cans from ten 20
twenty carloads of peaches annually,
both the ordinary pie peach and the
fancy table article selling at higher
price. These two plants give en-
| ployment to hundreds of local labor
| ers during the canning season, and
each has a large payroll. Two other
smaller plants, located inEprchards
here, also do a considerable business.
One of the large plants, after the
peach canning season closes, turns at
tention to canning sweet potatoes, and
very successfully. Last season this
factory utilized several hundred thous-
and bushels potatoes, bought from far
mers at good prices.
The canning of sweet potatoes is
no experiment here but an established
and profitable enterprise yet in its
infancy. The expense entailed is
nominal, the potatoes only requiring
to be boiled before being Theoretically
sealed In three to ten-pound tin cans.
No sugar or syrup is required in the
process, the natural sweetness of the
tubers supplying all that is required
The canned potato finds such a ready
sale that the demand has never been
supplied.
This year the canning plant referred
to has contracted for the planting of
nearly one hundred acres in potatoes,
cucumbers, corn, okra and other varie-
| ties of truck to be put up there after
the peach canning season is ended.