Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-11-15
BRITAIN AND JAPAN ACCEPT
NEARLY 5000 ACRE PROFIT
ON PECAN ORCHARD HERE,
II. W. SwithWick Proves That Nuts Beat Cotton
This Year Crop OF His Orchard Worth IS, 900
To $4,000

out to an official of the Buick auto
mobile company at Flint, Mich,
which is typical. Several years ago
he bought five pounds. The next
year came an order from him for
five 5-pound boxes. Then l shipped
rs boxes and this year his order is
for 225 5-pound boxes.
The business is growing too big
to be handled here in the way we
nave been handling it. Next year
we hope to have a branch of Ma
ticnal Pecan Growers Exchange here
Albany is the closest one now. To
be designated as q district to have
an exchange the section must produce
$4,000 pounds of nuts in a season.
We pretty nearly did it this year,
bat didn't realize it in time. | un-
derstand r. S. Pryor, just over the
line IN Lee county, will have from
$4,000 to 10000 pounds this year
and the Flintside project viii produce
about $4,000 pounds. To have an
exchange the local growers must
erect the building and furnish the
grading machinery. Then the ex-
change inspects the shipments and
permits the use of its label, the pro-
duct being standardized.
Mr.. Smithwick has five acres of old
trees which have been producing
1000 pounds per acre fer four years.
However, they are too closely plant
ed, being 30x30 feet, whereas the
proper distance now is regarded as
6Ox60 feet, or 20 trees to the acre.
These trees will soon be outstripped
by other less closely planted
Why Different Varieties.
Mr.. Smithwick doesn't put all of
his nuts into one basket, so to speak.
He gets much better price for
Schleys than any other, and the
Northern demand is almost universal
for sSchleys, which are the best eat
ing rRlt with the highest food value.
But he has different varieties to
guard against failure, varieties which
bloom and mature at different pe-
ricds. With. one variety alone in an
orchard single hard rain in bloom
ing time might destroy all the pollen
and result in crop failure. With
other varieties blooming few days
apart, the whole orchard, even where
the pollen had been destroyed, might
still be pollenized and good crop
secured. Drauth, too, is a factor.
Early varieties this year are small
because of the long dry period
through the summer, but the later
ones, maturing after the rains, are
of fine size and good quality in this
section.
Americas is fast becoming a more
important pecan center. The acre.
age hereabouts is being increased as
rapidly as trees can be obtained.
Shortage Of labor during the war
caused The propagation Of trees to
be almost stopped. and as it takes
three to four years to develop trees
for planting, the effects are just be
ing felt. At Flintside, on the banks
of Flint river, in this county, is an
immense development project, 2,40G
acres Of which have already been
planted to pecails and sold in small
tracts largely to Northern people,
and 500 additional acres d which are
being planted each year. These
tracts are planted and cared for and
the crop harvested BY the concern
at stipulated price. More than 500
persons reside on the tract as labor
ers, overseers, etc. Many of the tract
owpers are government employees at
Washington, D. c., and many plan
to move here when their acreage
reaches full bearing.
Starts Shipping Early.
Mr.. Smithwick has been shipping
nuts since Oct /, which is nearly
month earlier than usual. Just be-
fore the ripening season, and after
he has estimated his yield, he sends
out price cards to former customers.
The orders then pour in, always
greatly increased.
II am getting away FROM selling
by variety" i" said he. 81 am mixif g
several similar varieties and selling
them at uniform price, and 1 ex-
meet in another wear or two to sell
by brand entirely, 1t will be much
more satisfactory and lessen the trou-
BILE of marketing | have found that
it is the nut that the buyer wants and
net the name, after all, SO / intend
To use a brand and watch the quali-