1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
4i5 
nOE AND LAWN MOWER CULTIVATION.Fig. 182. 
A PEACH ORCHARD IN THE SAND. 
A VARIED EXPERIENCE AT SOUTHERN PINES, N. C. 
Success Likely at Last 
Making a Start. —During- the early part of the 
Winter of 1890, J. Van Lindley, of Greensboro, and a 
few men who were pretty well acquainted with the 
State of North Carolina, organized a stock company 
for the purpose of growing fruit in what is known as 
the sand-hill region in Moore County. It would tire 
the most robust person to explore this territory. The 
loose sand affords a footing similar to frozen snow, 
and the tufts of wire grass here and there are but a 
delusion, for to step on a bunch is almost sure to re¬ 
sult in a fall. The marks of the turpentine men were 
everywhere evidenced by the blazed trees, some three 
feet high, others 10 or more. Early in the Spring of 
1891, the task of clearing the land began, and the first 
thought was a sawmill ; but there was no mill at the 
place, and after a short debate, it was decided to 
slash away and burn up the timber as rapidly as pos¬ 
sible. About 135 men were employed in this work of 
destruction, and millions of feet of excellent straight¬ 
grained “long leaf” pine went up in smoke. After a 
year at this work, 450 acres were ready for planting. 
Mr. E. B. Hodgin, who directed the clearing, became 
the manager of the planting, and still retains his 
position. Aside from the 450 acres of peaches planted 
in 1891, Mr. Hodgin managed successfully to get out 
5,000 pears, and 10 acres of plums. 
The year 1892 was a busy one. New land is no easy 
task for the cultivator. Hundreds of loads of pine 
roots were gathered and hauled away to burn or to 
fill gullies where there was danger of washing. One- 
half pound of fertilizer was applied to each tree. 
Aside from this, two car-loads of fish scraps were ap¬ 
plied. 
The year 1893 brought a few peaches, but nothing 
for shipment. Acid phosphate was largely purchased 
during this year. As the greater part of the pine 
roots were out of the way, acid phosphate was sown 
between the trees, and cow peas were grown, which 
made themselves noticed in the growth of 1894. Dur¬ 
ing 1893, 10 acres of blackberries were planted. 
A Destructive Cold Wave. —The prospect in early 
March, 1894, was excellent ; no unusually warm or 
cold weather had hurt the trees, and pushed on by the 
good soil preparation of the previous years, it seemed 
evident that this year would bring some returns for 
the large outlay. The trees were loaded with fruit, 
when suddenly, on March 28, a cold wave descended 
upon the country, all the fruit was killed, and every 
pear tree cut to the ground. From a temperature of 
80 degrees, it fell suddenly to 18. In spite of this 
cruel visitation, the Summer following brought the 
best growing season since the trees were planted, a 
fine new growth was made, and plenty of fruit buds 
developed. 1895 opened with neither flattering nor 
discouraging prospects. Early in this Spring, when 
the stockholders were walking over the grounds, there . 
came a general wail for the thousands and thousands 
of dollars considered lost; all but Mr. Van Lindley 
were ready to drop the business then and there. One 
month later, a smile began to develop on the faces of 
the majority of the stockholders ; the prospects were 
now fine, and this high condition was maintained and 
the company was rewarded with a net income of over 
$ 8 , 000 . 
The Curculio ; A Hail Storm. —In 1896, the com¬ 
pany met in a smiling mood, the prospects were as 
good as were those of the previous year, and liberal 
sums were allowed for fertilizer. All were now will¬ 
ing to believe in the final outeor le. April gave promise 
of a good crop, but a new enemy that had not found 
out the location of these trees made himself not only 
a nuisapce, but an expense. The purculio had dis¬ 
covered this new field, and not being noticed until too 
late to save the fruit, had stung so much that the out¬ 
put was inferior ; 5,000 crates were sold, but nothing 
above expenses was made. In February of that year, 
a 40-acre vineyard of Niagaras was planted, and a new 
tract of 100 acres of peaches was added to the interests 
of the company. 
The season of 1897 opened with brilliant prospects ; 
the trees had now age and size, Winter had been kind, 
and Spi'ing frosts, although sufficiently hard to kill in 
other sections, had missed the fruit interests in the 
hill region. An immense crop greeted the eyes of the 
company, and a report from Mr. Hodgin bore the 
pleasing news of having successfully defeated the cur¬ 
culio. A committee was appointed to make all the 
necessary arrangements with the railways for fast 
transportation. On June 12, just as the Alexanders 
were all marketed, a terrific hail storm literally swept 
every peach from every tree. To use Mr. Van Lindley’s 
words, “ It was a terrible visitation, but I still believe 
in this section for fruit.” To give some idea of the 
profits that would have come had no such terrible 
calamity befallen the section, I am allowed to state 
that the Alexanders alone had brought in enough 
revenue to pay the expenses for the year. During 
this year, fertilizer had been applied in varying 
amounts. 
Success in Sight. —The company held no meeting 
during this past Spring. Reports that went out telling 
of the bright prospects would not tempt them to go 
and look the ground over. “ Here I am alone,” said 
Mr. Van Lindley, “ walking up and down these long 
rows, and I have been walking now for two weeks 
inspecting the trees.” Five hundred and fifty acres 
of peaches is no small amount of trees ; put in a 
straight line, they would reach about 200 miles, and 
THIS TREE WAS MULCHED. Fio. 183. 
this makes quite a tramp in loose sand. Mr. Van 
Lindley, although past 60 years, looks at every tree, 
inspecting it closely, and explaining on a chart (in his 
cottage on the place) where the trees need thinning 
or where the foliage looks not up to the standard. 
Then Mr. Hodgin loses no time in directing other men 
to the particular places. 
Unless another hail storm prevent, this season will 
bring tremendous returns to Mr. Van L. and his com¬ 
pany. I never saw trees loaded as they are ; I thinned 
on one side of a Ilusted’s Early Michigan in my hat; 
the count gave 235 peaches. Mr. Hodgin and Mr. Van 
Lindley thinned the other two-thirds of the tree, and 
threw about 500 peaches on the ground. Every tree 
is the same. “ I can see one place where we have 
missed it,” said Mr. Van L.; “ it is where we held up 
on the application of fertilizer.” He then went on to 
explain that a heavy crop of fruit was to come, and 
“ unless we thin well, the trees will suffer from ex¬ 
haustion.” 
Varieties; Shipping. —Lady Ingold seems to be the 
favorite in the old orchard, but Mr. Van Lindley is well 
pleased with Ilusted’s Early Michigan; 30 acres of this 
variety were planted during the past Spring, and “ I 
wish we had planted more,” said he. When asked as to 
four or five leading varieties, Mr. Van Lindley named 
them in order—Sneed, Alexander, Ilusted's, Lady In¬ 
gold, Wheatland, Early Crawford. To a northern 
man, the first thought at viewing a southern peach 
orchard would be as to how dwarfish they appear ; 
the reason of this is that, in the South, all fruit trees 
must be headed low. A sun such as northern people 
cannot imagine would play havoc with the bark of 
the trunks of exposed trees. 
Mr. Van Lindley has completed all arrangements for 
fast trains and iced cars. The fruit will first be taken 
on a tram-car line through the orchards to the large 
warehouse now being built, and will there be sorted 
and graded for the most critical markets of the North. 
Every crate will be stamped plainly, stating its 
contents, and will not have to be opened and turned 
out to see whether it has been stuffed. Cars will be 
iced and sidetracked to a line now building to the 
sorting house, which is 60 x 120 feet, and three stories 
high. The Sneed is the earliest peach to ripen, and 
usually comes in about May 28. 
Mr. Van Lindley put it this way: “ The first years 
had been experimental, now we know how we go to 
work.” Yes, granting this, but suppose that he and 
others were early discouraged, perhaps the State 
would have lost an opportunity, and a region that 
may prove a source of wealth, might have been con¬ 
demned as a barren waste, and remained valued at 
from $1 to $3 an acre. 
Roses may yet become a part of the business done 
at Southern Pines. When I was there late in April, 
I saw Jacks, Mermets, Brides, Marechal Neils, and 
other standard varieties in full bloom. Mr. Van Lind¬ 
ley said that he would consider a plantation of 20 
acres of roses next Winter. 
The Soil and Prospects. —One fact forces itself 
upon us, that is, that whatever success comes from 
the efforts of growers in the sand-hill region, whether 
it be fruit, flowers or vegetables, a liberal quantity of 
fertilizer will have to be used each year to insure 
crops and maintain vitality. The soil has no virtue 
in itself ; it simply affords well-aired earth cells for 
the roots of plants and trees. Vegetation exists on 
the large rainfall (44 inches annually) and makes its 
growth according to the amount of plant food carried 
quickly downwards in the loose sand to the feeding 
roots. In the fruit section, wells are generally 60 
feet deep, sand all the way down. A well on the 
company’s property that failed at 60 feet was sunk 30 
feet more, and was still sand. The ground has the 
appearance of being covered with snow, so white is 
the surface. It is very trying to the eyes. 
The great dread of the southern fruit grower is the 
early warm weather starting the buds, only to be 
killed later on ; for this reason, lands are now held a 
trifle higher when gently sloping to the north. Really 
the value of these situations lying away from the sun 
is away above the $2 to $5 extra price. Good fruit 
land can be picked up at $13 an acre, but it is ex¬ 
pected that a rise all around will follow the market¬ 
ing of a large crop this year. There are situations 
near Southern Pines that can be purchased at from 
$2.50 to $3 an acre. These places are about 12 miles 
from Southern Pines, and when we consider the draw¬ 
backs to carrying on a business by individuals, and 
the great advantages of cooperation, there is no won¬ 
der that the fruit business here, as in California, will 
be undertaken by companies. t. l. brown. 
HOE AND LAWN MOWER CULTIVATION. 
THE VALUE OF A MULCH. 
The farmer who cares at all for his home grounds, 
delights in his bit of well-kept lawn, and in planting 
out his young trees, he conceives the idea of insert¬ 
ing, here and there, for beauty as well as utility, 
some of his choicest varieties, ne will make no mis¬ 
take in so doing, for upon the practical farmer’s home 
grounds a liberal “ cross ” of plums, pears, peaches, 
quinces or apples upon a closely-clipped lawn is an 
excellent combination, and produces excellent results. 
The soil about each tree should, however, be kept 
clean and mellow by shallow culture. To accomplish 
this ingoodshape, the sod,from a space fourfeet square, 
THIS TREE WAS NOT MULCHED. Fio. 184. 
