For the Southern States. 95 



upon our readers the necessity of practising economy in time, 

 cultivation, the application of fertilizers, and more ap])roved 

 methods of handling and marketing the fruit. A great change 

 has taken place within the i)ast two years; formerly our growers 

 were restricted almost entirely to the Kew Orleans market, then 

 a very poor one and easily overstocked. Now our Louisiana, 

 Mississippi and Alabama growers may with safety transport 

 their fruit, thanks to refrigerator cars, the cheapening of rates, 

 and quicker transportation to Memphis, Cairo, St. Louis, Chica- 

 go, Louisville, Cincinnati, and a score of smaller towns and vil- 

 lages, where a ready sale can be had, not only for the quantity 

 now grown, but ten times the amount. 



Still, we have much to learn, and it will be my endeavor to 

 show how to succeed in making the business both lucrative and 

 pleasant. This may be best obtained by a system of 



CO-OPRKATION. 

 Small fruit and vegetable growers should, if possible, live in 

 communities — tracts of land should be selected which are capable 

 of proper subdivision. On these tracts, divided into fields, pas- 

 ture and woodlands, situated' not over two and a half miles from 

 a vilage or station, the grower of small fruits should make his 

 home. In such a location he will have the advantage, first, of 

 suitable labor to assist him in his work, next, he can control re- 

 frigerator cars and other improved means of transportation, be- 

 sides save money on car load rates, the purchase of crates and 

 baskets, and in addition to all this, he will be freed from the 

 isolation of rural life. A community of this kind will support 

 not only churches and schools for its children, but the Grange 

 and Horticultural Clubs, where views may be interchanged, and 

 all have opportunities of learning better methods of work, with 

 the additional advantages of social intercourse; therefore we 

 would advise horticulturists by all means to choose a home in a 

 fruit-growing community, even if he has to pay double or even 

 treble price for his land. 



TIME FOR PREPARATION. 



In the lower part of the Gulf States where the ground is never 

 frozen sufficiently to retard work, and where snow and ice are 

 almost unknown, the work of preparing the land is always in 

 order. 



But the real work commences in our climate at any time, from 

 April to June, and the earlier the better. The land should be 

 cleansed and fertilized, all noxious weeds and grasses should be 

 destroyed. 



We have a great deal of land in all portions of the State, and 

 especially in our alluvium, overrun with weeds and grass, which 

 should be got rid of as soon as possible ; in addition, there are 

 very few localities which will not be benefited by fertilizers, 

 to apply these practically and economically must be our aim. 

 The very best mode of preparing the soil will be to sow a crop 

 of peas for the purpose, which shade the land and enrich it by 



