The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-09-26
Plant an Orchard.

1t is one of the Progressive Farm
er's steadfast contentious that every
farm ought to provide goodly sup
ply of both orchard and small fruits
| for the folks who live on it. "A
farm without fruit does not deserve
| the name of home," to repeat an old
saying once more. A supply of fruit
adds much to the enjoyment of life
on the farm and so much to the
profits to be derived from the farm,
that it is passing strange that any
farmer would go on for years and
years without making any effort to
even a strawberry bed. Yet it is un-
fortuntely true that great many do.
This may be because it requires
care and watchfulness to grow good
fruit and to make an orchard profit
able year after year. A great mny
of US are hunting for the things
which we can "do once and be done
with" An orchard is not that kind
of a proposition. Few things are,
for that matter; but in the orchard
there are so many insects and dis
eases and seasonal contrarieties to
contend with, and they all require
such prompt and thorough-going at
tention that it is no lazy mans or
careless mans job to make a good
orchard and keep it going.
This is not saying that it requires
specially hard work or any unusual
| amount of it to have fruit on the
farm, for it does not. 1t does require
some work, however, and this work
must be done at the proper time.
| With the proper attention, it is
doubtful if any part of the farm will
pay better for the time and money
spent on it than will that devoted to
the growing of orchard and small
fruits
For this reason we/would again
urge every reader who has not a good
orchard. a vineyard, strawberry
bed, a few growing nut trees, to be-
gin work right now so that he can
have them. The season for orchard
| planting is only a few weeks off,
strawberries may be set out any time
now, the other small fruits may be
planted next month in certain Sec
tions. 1t is, therefore, none too early
to begin the preparation of the land
| for these crops, or to begin investl-
eating the merits of different varie-
| ties and finding out where they can
be obtained at reasonable price.
Get varieties that have demon
strated their adaptability to Southern
conditions. When commercial orch
ards are planted, select two or three
of the best market varieties, but for
home use select varieties of good
uudllly IudI WILL lu1 hiSl q ooSSSS9ANAA
of fruit during the season.
1t Will not pay to plant an orchard
on land too poor to grow anything
else or on land half prepared. 1t
certainly will not pay to set out fruit
trees in a pasture or anywhere else
the livestock can get to them. The
orchard is place in which to grow
fruit and all other crops from it must
be made secondary.
Select good land for the orchard
moderately fertile, well drained and
on such slope as experience has DEM
onstrated is best for fruit trees IN
your locality. The best location for
apples is not necessarily the best for
peaches and other fruits; and many
farms lack ideal localities for any
kind of fruit trees. The farms on
which some kind of fruit cannot be
successfully and pro6tably grown,
however, are few indeed. There are
so many Southern fruits that some Of
them are almost certain to do well
on your land if given chance.
Plant an orchard, then, it will pay
you. We, as farmers, cannot justly
feel that we have lived up to our op-
portunities until we have made the
South land rich with orchards and
vineyards, and all manner of fruits.
But when you go to planting the
orchards remember that you are do
| ing only the first Of continuous
work, and that if you wish continued
returns you must give continued
care.