ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTORE 



The soil of the southern part is formed 

 from drift over cretaceous and sedimen- 

 tary roclts which are, in some parts, rich 

 In fossils. In the central portion the 

 formation is metamorphic and calcareous, 

 with silurean sediments and coal meas- 

 ures. 



The Valley of the Tennessee is generally 

 a deep red calcareous soil, which, in the 

 metamorphic region is a red or clay 

 loam with a sand or clay subsoil. 



In the north the soil is very generally 

 sandy, with a sand or clay subsoil. 



The native trees are mainly the differ- 

 ent varieties of oak, pine cedar, chestnut, 

 butternut, black walnut, hickory, poplar, 

 linden, magnolia and red plum. 



The soil, climate and the facilities for 

 transportation justify a larger production 

 of fruit for commercial purposes than has, 

 up to this time, been developed. As we 

 traveled through the northern part of the 

 state, and examined the soil and native 

 trees, together with the topography of 

 the state, we could see no reason why 

 commercial horticulture could not be 

 brought to a much higher standard than 

 at present. In all parts of the state cer- 

 tain kinds of fruits are grown for com- 

 mercial purposes; but not generally in 

 large quantities. In the southern part 

 truck farming and gardening are exten- 

 sively carried on, with Mobile as the prin- 

 cipal shipping point, while in the northern 

 part apples, peaches, and pears are grown 

 in considerable quantities. Probably 

 there is no Southern state where soil, 

 climate and natural conditions are better 

 adapted to the growing of peaches, pears, 

 plums, prunes, cherries, small fruits and 

 apples than the mountain and hill regions 

 of Alabama. Here too are some of the 

 largest nurseries in the United States. 

 The fact that those growing nursery stock 

 for wholesale purposes find conditions so 

 favorable to their business is evidence 

 that trees will make a vigorous and heal- 

 thy growth in this section: for among 

 the large nurseries in Alabama compara- 

 tively a small per cent of the stock is 

 planted in that state, but is shipped large- 

 ly to all fruit growing sections of the 

 United States. 



Granville Lowtuer 



Sonthern Alabama 



This is one of the oldest truck grow- 

 ing sections, as the early French settlers 

 met success with their early gardens 

 here. The vegetables shipped out of 

 Mobile from this area aggregate a mil- 

 lion dollars in value every year. Sat- 

 suma oranges and pecans are being 

 heavily planted in this section, and the 

 country is being rapidly filled up with 

 northern farmers. 



Many attempts have been made at com- 

 mercial peach orcharding in different 

 sections of the state. Where failure was 

 made it was due mostly to the lack of 

 proper organization in shipping; and per- 

 haps as much was due to the ravages of 

 iroivn rot and late frosts in the spring. 

 In Baldwin and Mobile counties in the 

 southern part of the state, this is par- 

 ticularly true. In the nineties several 

 carloads of Elberta, Greensboro and Car- 

 man peaches were shipped out from these 

 counties. These orchards were located at 

 Semmes, Bay Minette, Orchard and other 

 small towns in that locality. 



A large fruit growers' organization 

 planted at least 3,000 acres of grapes in 

 the vicinity of Fruithurst in Cleburne 

 county during 1894-95-96, but owing to 

 the ravages of black rot and poor man- 

 agement, together with overdoing the 

 planting, the venture was not altogether 

 successful. However, grapes are being 

 very successfully grown in all sections 

 of the state, particularly such varieties 

 as Scuppernong, several varieties of the • 

 Muscadine as James, Flowers and 

 Thomas, and also bunch grapes such as 

 Concord, Delaware, Niagara and Ives. 



The nursery business in the Hunts- 

 ville district in Madison county has stead- 

 ily grown and prospered. About 2,000 

 acres are now devoted to this industry, 

 and Alabama grown nursery stock is 

 known for its vigor and cleanliness in 

 every fruit section of the country. 



A rather novel horticultural industry 

 is one which has been established about 

 Evergreen in Conecuh county and at Eu- 

 faula and Louisville in Barbour county. 

 Southern smilax, or "bamboo vine," as 

 the boys call it, is gathered by whites 

 or blacks In one-mule wagons and 



