COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS 



47 



nights in October arrest growth, when immature 

 fruit is always upon the trees. 



Commercial fig growing in the South is undoubt- 

 edly in its infancy. Some orchards exist in Mis- 

 sissippi near the G-ulf, others near New Orleans, a 

 few in the vicinity of Galveston, Beaumont and 

 Houston, and there are small acreages in widely 

 scattered localities. Near each orchard are one or 

 more packeries maintained to preserve the fruit. 

 But the industry has been rather restricted, and is 

 still in an experimental condition. There are very 

 serious problems that must be solved by each 

 grower before any of them can establish their en- 

 terprises upon a commercial footing, and few are 

 willing to patiently lay a foundation for solid and 

 lasting success. Then, too, a great many press 

 items have done fig culture inestimable injury by 

 exaggerated reports, which encourage men of inade- 

 quate means, and without experience, to undertake 

 the work, though seldom conceiving its serious na- 

 ture, the difficulties to be overcome and the care 

 and attention demanded. Undoubtedly, for a man 

 of industry and knowledge, it is a profitable branch 

 of farming, but unless development companies let 

 it stand on merit and state facts about the trees, 

 the soil, the harvest, the preserving and the markets, 

 surprise and discouragement will come to growers, 

 and many of them will continue to abandon or- 

 chards, hastening into other occupations, and the 

 culture will be further condemned in its entirety, 



