ALABAMA 



brought into the warehouse and sold to 

 shippers as they would sell cotton. The 

 smilax is packed carefully in light 

 wooden boxes and it is then shipped by 

 express to the northern cities. The height 

 of the season comes just before Christ- 

 mas, and the smilax together with holly 

 brings a considerable income to the peo- 

 ple in these counties. 



There are few places in Alabama where 

 some kind of fruit cannot be grown with 

 good profit. 



The Apple 



The northern half of the state produces 

 apples abundantly, and they bring a 

 fancy price when care is given to their 

 culture. A number of orchards that have 

 been well cared for produced this past 

 season, at the age of eight years, eight 

 to ten boxes of fruit per tree that 

 sold for $1.50 per box. By inter- 

 cropping, the cost of the orchard will 

 scarcely be worth mentioning until it 

 comes into bearing, outside of the land, 

 trees and planting. The average orchard 

 contains about 48 trees to the acre, 30x30 

 feet, and with standard varieties from 

 the eighth year will produce from $S to 

 $12 per tree per annum, which makes a 

 net- profit of from $200 to $300 per acre. 

 Several growers in 1912 obtained re- 

 sults equal to the above, and one much 

 better. A grower in Cullman county 

 made $600 per acre on eight-year trees. 



Pears 



Pears grow well in all parts of the 

 state, wherever they are provided with 

 well drained soil. From 60 to 100 trees 

 may be grown on an acre, and on healthy, 

 well-manured trees from 1.5 to 25 bushels 

 may be expected. Several growers re- 

 ported an average of 20 bushels per tree. 

 With 60 bearing trees an acre will pro- 

 duce from 400 to SOO bushels. Pears 

 readily sell for $1 per bushel, and often 

 bring more. One grower reported his 

 pear orchard netted $800 per acre, while 

 several others made a net profit of $600 

 per acre. 



Excellent crops of the Sand Pear and 

 Keiffer were produced as far south as 

 Mobile. 



Peaches and Plnms 



Peaches and plums are two fruits that 

 may be considered the most important 

 commercial crops grown in the South. 

 Little has been done toward proving the 

 success of the plum in this state. Those 

 who have grown plums have succeeded 

 very well. About 134 trees can be grown 

 on an acre 18x18 feet each way, and at 

 a bearing age will produce from one to 

 three crates per tree, which gives an 

 annual yield of from 134 to 200 crates 

 per acre. Plums find a ready market, 

 and sell for a fancy price. With good 

 care from $200 to $300 per acre can be 

 realized. 



The peach can be grown in all pai'ts 

 of the state if it is provided with good 

 soil. The conditions for growing peaches 

 in this state are as good as in Georgia. 

 About 134 trees can be grown on an 

 acre, planting 18x18 feet, and from four 

 to six years will produce from one to four 

 crates per tree of marketable fruit, which 

 nets about $1.50 per crate, making from 

 $200 to $300 per acre net profit. With 

 proper spraying, pruning, fertilizing and 

 cultivating one can easily realize a net 

 profit of $200 per acre per annum. The 

 1912 season peaches were shipped in car 

 lots from several points in the state. At- 

 more and Camp Hill, several carloads; 

 Gadsden, 30 cars; Union Springs, 100 

 cars. 



Grape 



The grape is a fruit that usually re- 

 ceives very little attention. Often it Is 

 not provided with a good trellis and sel- 

 dom gets pruned. If it is half cared for 

 it will produce good fruit, and if well 

 cared for will produce a profitable crop. 

 A few growers have found the grape to 

 succeed well. One man who is growing 

 grapes for the market realized in 1912 

 a profit of $600 per acre off a four-year 

 vineyard. Grapes sell readily and come 

 at a season when other fruits are scarce. 

 An acre will produce from three to four 

 tons of fruit and the choice fruit will 

 bring 25 cents per basket or 10 cents 

 per pound. Concords from New York 

 sold for 14 cents per pound, 1912 season. 

 The farmers of Alabama could supply 



