Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-01
The Peach Orchard State
BY JOHN T. BOIFEUILLET

BY JOHN T. BOIFEUILLET
A DAY or two ago I entered an Atlanta
~ street car and I promptly as is my
custom, looked at the bulletin board
| to see what inspirational reason President
Arkwright give that morning to the patrons
| of his road why "It's great to be a Geor-
gian."
And this was the golden truth that greeted
my eyes:
'The Peach Orchard State. Say Georgia
and you conjure up visions of acre after acre
! of peacl trees in blossom"
1t is conservatively estimated by compe-
! tent and experienced Judges that CONNER
cially, in normal years. the annual value of
the Georgia peach crop is about eight million
dollars. The yearly worth of the product of
| the commercial orchards to the state depends
| on the productiveneSS of the yield, but with
proper cultivation, fertilization spraying, and
| a favorable season, the value ought to run
| from eight to ten million dollars. OF course,
| this estimated worth does not include any of
| the by-products of the peach, such as canned
| fruit, but refers only to the original peach
| off the tree.
| The peach industry affords collateral ad-
vantages to variety of industries such as
| the manufacturers of crate materials, baskets,
| ice manufactures, transportation companies,
canning factories, and gives profitable en-
ployment to thousands of pickers and
| packers.
| According to the United States consus of
1920, there were in Georgia S655051 peach
bearing trees, and 3,391,851 non-bearing
| trees, total of 12,046,902 standing trees.
have been Informed that possibly this census
| includes home orchards as well as CONNER
! cial orchards.
Mr.. j. G, Carlisle, the remarkably efficient
| and energetic secretary-treasurer and mana
| ger of the Georgia Fruit Exchange, with head
| quarters in Atlanta, informs me that, in his
| opinion there are in the commercial orchards
| of Georgia today ten million standing trees,
| including the bearing and non-bearing He
| has no absolutely accurate figures in hand,
F.; but he is endeavoring at this very time,
through special representatives in the field,
| to obtain a full and correct census of the
number of peach trees.
| That Mr.. Carlisle has keen foresight, and
brings to the discharge of his highly important
duties rare intelligence, will cite this one
| fact among numerous evidences: In the early
| part of last May, before a peach had been
| picked from the bough, he estimated that the
| yield in Georgia would be about 7,344 re-
| frigerator cars. The actual shipment for
! the whole season was 7,410 cars, onlJ sixty
| six cars more than he estimated. These
| shipments have no reference to express ship
ments which move in single package lots, and
! in large quantities.
Mr.. Carlisle has kindly furnished the
below memorandum of cars shipped from
| Georgia for the yearL 1912 to 1922, inclusive
| 1t will be seen from these figures that the
| largest movement in &ny one year was 10,054
cars, in the season of 1921:
Year 1912, 7,157 cars 1913 1919 cars;
! 1914, 1920 cars; 1915, 4,468 cars; 1916,
3,199 cars; 1917, 1859 cars; 1918, 8,O52
cars; 1919, Il ,403 cars; 1920, 6,087; 1921,
1O,O54 cars; 1922, 7,41O cars.
l have read that the first refrigerator car
of peaches moved from Georgia to- New York
in 1887.
The Peach Realm Near Macon
The country traversed by the Central rail
way from Monticello, Jasper county, to Ameri-
Gus, Sumter county, is perhaps, the most pro-
| ductive peach section in Georgia. The center
of the peach realm in the Empire State is the
| Fort MISUNDERSTANDING territory. Peach
growing has developed to a remarkable de-
gree in the counties of Jones and Jasper, both
in the opulence of the yield and the excel
| lence of the quality. There is quite develop
ment in the industry around Yatesville, and,
of late, much orchard activity is noticeable in
| the Woodbury. section. OF course, there are
other areas, than those L have mentioned,
within radius of seventy miles of Macon,
where the peach abounds.
In North Georgia, the real home of the
| peach is found around COrnelia> put Com
merce, Canton, Adairsville and other places
in the Northern part of the state are the cen
! tiers of productive territory
The shipping of peaches begins about the
middle of May and continues to the first week
in August The heaviest shipments are in
july. The Elberta, the most famous peach in
the world, which was prOpagated and brought
to ideal perfection by the late Samuel H
Rumph, of Marshallvile, and named in com
pliment to is>wife, shows it's first bloom or
| March 18th, reaches full bloom on March
18th, the last blossom is seen on March oath
and on July goth she is ripe, and the Queen
of the Orchard then goes forth, in loneliness
and sweetness, to embellish the home anC
adorn the banquet hall, reanimate mankind
and shed abroad Cheerfulness and joy.
The Elberta excels commercially, is the
most reliable Of all varieties as to crop, hel
productiveness is enormous, and has M
equal as sound shipper. While Georgia il
the realm of this eerless peach she is sue
cessfully produced i'll all parts of the United
|, States, from New Hampshire to Michigan anC
on to California. Queen liberals sceptel
holds sway over more than one continent
| Please note this comment by the Chicago
Record: "The fanciest peach that comes tt
Chicago is the Georgia alberta. richer
than bowl of fresh cream"
| The bulk of the annual yield of Georgia
peaches goes north and west. They are larger
= and more delicious than the fruit of Delaware
New Jersey and other northern states. The
California peach is beautiful but tasteless
The Georgia product is superior in size, flavor
and firmness to the production of the orchard
of any other state. In writing of Georgia
peaches, the New York Tribune said: by
universal consent they are much more de
liciOus than the northern fruit The Boston
Herald made this observations 'The Georgia
peach is superior to that of California and t.
all others"
According to my information, Georgi'