The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-08
OF EDEN

A Scotch lady who visited this
region more than a century and g
half ago referred to it in her diary
as "a veritable Garden of Elder
Astounding in fruits, vegetables ane
products of land and water"
New Hanover's cupboard is to-
day somewhat bare of God-giver
resources but man is striving here
and there to replenish it.
j. K. Brown, Jr.. on Myrtle
Sound has the most productive
peach orchard in the county anc
produces as fine favored fruit as
any in the state. A fig bush or
Wrightsviile Beach and another or
Greenville Sound have each yield
ed this year fifty pounds or more
of fruit fit for the palate of a
prince. The Topel place on the
Wrightsville road has many pear
trees, which, though smothered
by wild growth, r bowed down
with golden fruit. An old C O W
battens on them and the bees bore
into them for honey. There are
but a few well cared for scupper-
nong vines in the county whose
yield the owners distribute among
hundreds of friends. The Empie
plantation on Smiths creek is not
ed, and George Stearns' orchard
on Greenville is perhaps the most
extensive and scientifically cared
for in the county. Each vine is
prim, proper and pickable.
Fruit trees are usually neglect
ed and many could be rejuvinated
with fertilizer and a few minutes
care each year. An old apple tree
on Bradley's creek has labored
for years and brought forth moth
ing but knotty our apples. Last
winter it "a given a tonic from
the chicken yard, and the past
month it has rewarded the owner
with four bushels of fine cooking
apples as big as an apple should
be.
Pecan trees are in many yards,
usually neglected, and some own
ers do not eat the nuts unless some
one shakes the tree, picks up the
nuts and cracks them.
New Hanover can still be re.
stored as a Garden of Eden. II
each owner will do his bit, every
Adam can have his apple. He will
not make money, but he can save
money and also make his less
fortunate neighbor happy. A coun.
try clergyman once admitted that
he saved more souls by sending
out baskets of fruit to members
of his congregation than by his
sermons.
Maurice A.. Peters on Green.
vile Sound, has many pecans, a
grape vine, a fig tree and has re.
Gently planted apples, peaches.
pears, plums, Japanese persim-
mons and an apricot. He derived
untold pleasure in seeing them
grow, and in utilizing his thirty
years experience in the tropics.
Walter L. Parsley, Frank A.
Beane and John D. Bellamy are
experts and generous in giving
others the benefit of their local
experience.
Almost any family can increase
its food supply by giving a hall
hours attention each year to two
or three trees and a trim vine. AL.
most every family intends to do SC
but lets the planting time slip by,
or says whats the use."
What is needed is an organized
effort to interest youth. Give a
boy a fig and a vine of his own
and he will respect the other fel.
lows fruit; respect for property
rights is u most vital problem.
The joy of seeing the trees grow,
the satisfaction of defeating the
rabbit, the bugs and the borers,
and the help of ruit to the busy
bee, in improving each shining
hour. will sustain the interest OF
thousands of children. But thew
need to be told, prodded and fol.
lowed up by an inspection system.
A SOUNDER.
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