SOLON ROBINSON, 1845 471 



has passed. Many planters will not plant fruit trees only 

 for their own use; in fact many of them not even that, 

 so that the few who do engage largely in the business 

 will be in no danger of over supplying the demand, and 

 may be assured of ready sales at great profits. Peaches 

 in this vicinity ripen the last of May and through June, 

 July, and August. What is to hinder supplying all the 

 up-river towns with early peaches ? As soon as sufficient 

 quantities can be produced to make it an object, arrange- 

 ments can be made to put the fruit in Cincinnati market 

 in five days from the picking. Of course all nearer 

 towns would be supplied, and this too, several weeks 

 earlier than the orchards in the immediate vicinity would 

 do. Not only peaches can be produced in the greatest 

 abundance at such an early day, but various other kinds 

 of fruit. I have not the least doubt but that more money 

 can be cleared with forty acres of orcharding and four 

 hands, than with ten times the quantity of land and labor 

 devoted to cotton. Besides the immense profits arising 

 from the sale of green fruit, a vast amount may be 

 realized from drying it. Every plantation has plenty 

 of hands, old and young, that could be devoted to this 

 business, which are now worth little or nothing for any 

 other purpose at this season of the year. I do not ask 

 farmers to abandon their other crops for fruit, but that 

 they make it an auxiliary. And I would like to suggest 

 to Mississippi wives that if they will put up a few tons 

 of their surplus fruits in the form of such rich and most 

 beautiful preserves as I have eaten at several of their 

 tables, they could be sure of a ready market in New- 

 Orleans at 25 cents a pound at least. A nice little sum 

 of extra "pin money" might thus be accumulated every 

 year, independent of the cotton bales. Will Mississip- 

 pians consent to make money at this business of raising 

 fruit? If they do not, and that right soon too, I will 

 take it upon myself to recommend some of the experi- 

 enced fruit growers of the North to go down and do it 

 for them. They will have no fear of ill health upon your 



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