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Kraft Culture in Southern Oeor.Kta. *traye2/About four months ago the writer visited and described the luxuriant pear orchards and vineyards in the vicinity of Thomasville, which have so greatly enriched their owners. More recently he has continued his investigations at other points, notably Smithville, Butler, Geneva and Hawkinsville.The result * f these observations is the profound conviction that no other description of husbandry will compare in the value and certainty of its returns with the rearing of fruit and the manufacture of wine for market.Gentlemen of unquestioned reliability who cultivate groves of oranges in Florida and LeConte pears in Georgia, emphatically affirm that the latter are more profitable, certain, and very mi ch less expensive than the golden fruit of the “ Peninsular State.”It was for this reason that Mr. W. W. Thompson, who is an extensive orange grower in Florida, has of late years turned his attention exclusively to the opening of pear orchards and vineyards in Southwestern Georgia.The writer a few days ago visited his famous “ LeConte Nursery ” in the environs of Smith ville, Ga., and saw this remarkable pear and other fruit treeB in their greatest perfection.On an area of 22 acres costing $30 per acre, Mr. Thompson, who began operations in 1880, has 1,700 nourishing LeConte pear trees, 200 of the “Keifer” variety, and 100 “ Orientals.”The “LeContes” are conelike and beautiful in form and bloomed for the first time the present season. They will average a yield of five bushels to each tree next year.This variety of pear will generally bear the fifth year from the cutting, and four years after putting out the rooted young trees of one year’s growth.The cuttings should be 12 to 15 inchesin length, and may be inserted from September to January about five inches apart, in trenches 16 inches deep, with about three inches of well rotted stable or cowpen manure at the bottom and then filled in*with surface soil, the rich scrapings of fence corners, or woods’ earth.Stick the cuttings straight down so deep that only about two or three inches will protrude above ground.In dry seasons they should be watered and the soil kept loose and well cultivated. The proportion of “ slips ” that will “catch” and grow off varies with the vicissitudes of the seasons. One-fourth may be considered a fair average. The writer put out 36 cuttings in his garden in January, and everyone of them budded and appeared to be doing well. But the cold winds and frosts of April nipped all save two or three. Those uc't that can be relied upon to live may be l0r- known by the pinkish tinge of the new leaves. In extraordinarily favorable seasons over 50 per cent, have been known to stand. They will grow upon sandy or stiff soil, and may be cultivated with success as far north as New England. No clearly defined case of blight has ever been discovered in a LeConteTchaabo T of t h ed i and red exc the led TpluJeringgocthoforin I tho froiing pelligstc:pe3,(anhadethIf4,JBidcIIHUCl8',ee br-•yJBto1-11-raiyat6-:t.i:idj act,tofulhem-ieynyowlUtmd.ndstaltetvth8€atccthtltirimcirebBlt;nhwnclUncintlire. s a vor allrheanyandmp*irgeIvet,heytally:eofr or eat*ahacfipear orchard North or South, and thedemand for young trees is constantly increasing in every section of the UnionaLd even in the Canadas.Mr. Thompson has put out the presentseason 500,000 LeConte cuttings and2 500 Keifers. ,The price of *00
Newspaper Details
Atlanta Southern World Journal Industry Farm Home and Workshop
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Thu, May 15, 1884
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Jun 2021
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