6l2 



SOUTHERN HORTICULTURE. 



my premises ; the birds and myself have a fee-simple 

 on them, and properly recorded in the county records. 

 Besides, the boys respect my crankiness, as they call it, 

 and mark with curious eyes the birds that I point out to 

 them. Three-fourths of bird shooting is due to the 

 ignorance of the boys. Did they but know enough of 

 the feathered beauties, they would be the last ones to 

 destroy them. 



I love trees. How can a man help but pat one on the 

 body, growing up so lustily, with branches and leaves 

 and clean, smooth trunk ! Take my young bur oak ; we 

 are personal friends. We become acquainted with 

 the physiognomy of trees ; to us they are individuals. 

 A bit of primitive woods is the vestibule to many of the 

 secrets of nature found there, and only there. 



Ringgold Co., lo'wa. Edward B. Heaton. 



SOUTHERN HORTICULTURE— III. 



AN ACCOUNT OF AN EDITORIAL JOURNEY. 



URING recent years the state of 

 Georgia has developed rapidly in 

 many ways. It seemed to pos- 

 sess within its boundaries more 

 of the attributes to success on 

 the lines of northern procedure 

 than any other of the southern 

 states. It was, therefore, the 

 first of the war-desolated regions to develop new 

 life and to. enter upon the new order of things with 

 a possibility of wresting success from the dead 

 ashes of rebellion. 



In horticulture, no less than in other industries, 

 Georgia has won for itself a place where it is attracting 

 the attention of that portion of the world which is 

 interested in the culture of the soil. 



Blessed to an uncommon degree with a climate unsur- 

 passed in point of salubrity, acting on the worn and 

 discouraged horticulturist from the cold north like the 

 elixir of life; having within her confines that great 

 variety of soils and climatic conditions so necessary to 

 the best work in horticulture ; offering to the aspirant 

 for independence, lands at moderate prices, fair markets 

 and a glorious climate — surely there is little wonder 

 that Georgia, horticulturally, has worked her way close 

 to the front. 



During my visit to the state in May, I was particu- 

 larly interested in the rapid development of grape cul- 

 ture. We have heard for some time of the large yields 

 and correspondingly large profits from the culture of 

 peaches in the state, principally in the vicinity of 

 Macon. Certain sections of the state, mainly in the 

 vicinity of Tbomasville, (long known for its famous 

 orchards of the Le Conte and Kieffer pears, and 

 Albany, Quitman and Americus, have become famous 

 for their ability to raise the toothsome watermelon. 

 The grape industry is of recent development, but it 

 promises so much for the future that it is receiving the 

 attention of capital and skilled labor, good evidences of 

 its prospective value. 



My investigations of the grape industry in Georgia 

 were confined mainly to the vicinity of Poulan and 

 Tifton. On the line of the Brunswick and Western 

 railway, Poulan is so situated that, with an increase of 



its vineyard yields, it can readily find an out-put at the 

 minimum of cost. It may interest the reader to learn 

 of the cost and the proceeds from the small vineyard of 

 which our illustration shows a passing glimpse. This 

 vineyard in 1887 (its first in bearing) cost in expense 

 to its owner $786.22. These figures, and the following 

 information regarding this vineyard owned by a Mr. Mc- 

 Phaul, were given me from the records of Dr. J. F. Wil- 

 son, who had the vineyard in charge. In receipts, there 

 were sold 12,593 pounds of fruit for $696.74 ; also 1,361 

 gallons of wine, at $1.50 per gallon, $2,041.50. Melons 

 grown on the field to the value of $150, and hay from 

 the same field to the value of $60, make a total of 

 12,948.24 in receipts, against expenses of $786.22, 

 leaving a margin of $2,162.02. As these figures area 

 matter of record, I have no reason to believe them 

 other than correct. 



A Vineyard at Poulan, Georgia. 



The 1,361 gallons of wine were made from 15 pounds 

 of fruit to the gallon. 



The expense and receipts of hay and melon crop prop- 



