1910. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
36 © 
APPLES IN GEORGIA. 
On page 235 there is a note concerning 
apple growing in northern Georgia. Along 
in the early eighteen hundreds Jarvis Van 
Buren and his companion. Silas McDowell, 
began to collect and study the fruits of 
north Georgia. They were astounded at the 
numbers of fine seedlings, supposedly of 
Indian origin, that they found; though they 
realized the wealth of good land and fine 
fruit within the mountains the lack of 
railroads and market facilities prevented 
the development of the .section. During the 
last 15 years these possibilities have been 
rediscovered, so to speak, and men of means 
and intellect have gone to work to develop 
the business of fruit growing in a country 
already too long idle. The first investments 
were in peaches at Cornelia and Mount Airy, 
Habersham County; not over 20 miles from 
where your reader lives. These orchards 
have proven highly successful, but some of 
the growers became impressed with the fine 
old apple trees in the region, and began ex¬ 
perimenting with this fruit. The progress 
has been rapid, as the following data will 
show. An offer of .$350 per acre for a six- 
year-old orchard was refused last week; 
the person who made the offer has since 
told me that a bearing orchard on the rail¬ 
road or accessible to the same, and in good 
condition, is worth to him $500, and that 
he will pay the same for one. In 1908 12 
acres of 12-year-old trees brought the owner 
$6,000 gross; it is a pretty safe estimate to 
make that the trees brought in $400 an 
acre net. This orchard is not for sale. 
Another report has it that 3 y 2 acres made 
for the owner $2,500 gross; this latter 
statement, however, has not as yet been 
well substantiated; the first, though, I 
know is correct. Four years ago a place 
of 50 acres was offered for $5 per acre; it 
sold about two months ago for $20 per 
acre. This looks like a small price to pay 
for land, but when the average has been 
from $1.50 to $5 per acre, depending upon 
the distance from the railroad, for many 
years past, a jump of 300 per cent in four 
years shows that some force is at work for 
the betterment of the country. It is my 
private opinion that in the near future 
suitable fruit lands are going to be out of 
all hearing. 
As your reader wants to know about buy¬ 
ing orchards already set in north Georgia, 
I would caution him to investigate all 
things well. There are some plantings that 
have been made as speculations by men 
who did not know the business, who 
planted any old thing just so it was an 
apple tree, and then turned them over to 
a kind Providence. The usual result has 
followed. They now want to sell. If the 
land is near the railroad and the slopes, 
etc., are good for trees, it would pay to 
buy and take out the trees and plant to 
known varieties; should it be too far /rom 
market it would be better to purchase less 
land closer in and put out a new orchard. 
Your fruit will not stand a very long haul 
over the average mountain road. Another 
tiling to remember about buying land for 
trees; you must bear in mind that you are 
in the mountains, and be governed accord¬ 
ingly in avoiding pockets and valleys. Al¬ 
most any investment in the particular sec¬ 
tion in which you are living will, within a 
few years, increase greatly in value; for as 
orchards increase the roads are going to 
improve and railroads are going to be built; 
there is too much good land in the hills 
back of you to long remain buried, for the 
possibilities of north Georgia are being 
rapidly learned, and an increasing popula¬ 
tion will ere long demand the use of the soil. 
A map of Georgia showing the four hor¬ 
ticultural divisions has been made by the 
State Horticultural Society. The mountain 
region is the section where the apple attains 
its perfection, though this fruit is grown 
successfully as far south in the State as 
Griffin, Spalding County. This northern 
section is especially favored when it comes 
to the growing of apples; the soil is rich 
and almost virgin, being in many places still 
covered with natural growth which is com¬ 
posed of oaks, hickories, tulip trees or pop¬ 
lar, hemlock and the true White pine, Pinus 
Strobus. The elevation runs from 1,000 to 
4,500 feet above sea level, and the rainfall 
is from 00 to 70 inches per annum, being 
well distributed throughout the seasons. 
Something over 40 named varieties of apples 
have originated in Georgia, and most of 
them came from the mountain section. At 
the risk of being tiresome, I will give you 
the list: Capt. Moses, Chattahooche, Cran¬ 
berry, Dapper, Demorest. Ellijay, Elwell, 
Etowah, Garfield, Green Mountain, Ilames, 
Ileslen, Horn, Jackson’s Seedling, Jesse, Ju¬ 
lian Summerour, July Queen, Kennedy, Lan¬ 
drum, Lorick, Mack, Mrs. Bryan, Moon, 
Mountain Belle, Ne Plus Ultra or Nickajack, 
Nix, Oclesma, Simmons Red, Southern 
Greening, Summer Sweet. Taunton. Terry, 
Unknown, Van Buren, Waycross, Yahoola, 
5ates, 5 opp. Family, Oconee, Shockley and 
fort’s Prize. Many of these have never 
been widely disseminated, but I would like 
to call especial attention to the following: 
family, Nickajack, Yates, Terry, Shockley 
and Fort’s Prize. Y’our reader speaks of 
the small apples grown around his home; 
they are the Tates, Terry and Shockley, 
three small apples of quality and great 
money-makers, or at least so the growers 
have found them in their native country. 
The last apple in the list. Fort's Prize, is 
something brand new. It took second prize 
at the National Apple Show in Spokane in 
1908 against all apples shown from the 
Southern States, and this year the three 
boxes sent out by Dr. Fort brought him 
back a check for $100, the first prize in the 
Southern States Department. This apple 
was introduced from Rabun County about 
20 miles or so abqve where your reader 
lives. 
Now, as for the varieties that you can 
grow in north Georgia : We all know that 
each particular apple has its peculiarities, 
and so you cannot grow them all, but at 
the Horticultural Society 7 meeting, held in 
Cornelia in 1908, there were exhibited 62 
varieties of apples, all grown in Habersham 
County. These fruits were examined by Col. 
G. B. Brackett, of the Pomological Depart¬ 
ment. Washington ; Mr. Guy L. Stewart, for¬ 
merly of the Pomological Department, and 
the writer. The fruit was all well grown, 
and the exhibit far larger than any of the 
committee had expected to see; there were 
several now varieties and some seedlings 
that have not as yet been catalogued by the 
Pomological Society. The natural advan¬ 
tages of this region, such as rainfall, eleva¬ 
tion, good soil and nearness to market, as 
compared with the West, will eventually 
turn it into an apple-growing section. While 
it might not now be noted for its apple 
production the hustling young man, or old 
one for that matter, who wants to put out 
an orchard can hardly find a better business 
opening; not even in the far-famed western 
sections, for there land is out of reach, 
while here it can still be bought; there you 
have to irrigate, while here the Lord does 
it for you; from there you have to ship 
your fruit thousands of miles, while here 
it is only hundreds. While you hear little 
of this section now, it will not be very far 
in the future before you know more of the 
apples of north Georgia. 
T. H. M’HATTON. 
Ga. Agricultural College. 
FILLING CAVITIES IN APPLE TREES. 
F. T. JWest Barrington, R. I .—I have 
just finished taking the tops out of my 
apple trees to make them more accessible 
for thorough spraying and easy picking. A 
few of the trees are old, and have holes. 
What is best to fill these with? I would 
rather do it now, although they are filled 
more or less with rotten and wet wood, 
so perhaps it should be done during a dry 
time. If dry, how would fine dry sand do 
for the filling, covered in and made tight 
with cement? How would it work to fill 
these holes with quicklime and cement it 
in? Would the lime absorb the moisture 
and would it be good for the tree? 
Ans.— The “tree doctors” appear to 
handle these cavities about as a dentist 
treats a diseased tooth. The dead or 
rotten wood is cut out with a chisel and 
the hole scraped. In some cases the in¬ 
side is smeared with a wood preservative. 
The cavity is filled with a concrete, about 
three parts sand to one of cement, and 
this packed in firmly. The top is smooth¬ 
ed over with cement so as to shed water. 
We doubt if the quicklime would answer 
unless the decayed wood is cleaned out 
first. 
“When I arose to speak,” related a 
martyred statesman, “some one hurled a 
base, cowardly egg at me and it struck 
me in the chest.” “And what kind of an 
egg might that be ?” asked a fresh young 
man. “A base, cowardly egg,” explained 
the statesman, “is one that hits you and 
then runs.”—Everybody’s Magazine. 
Chemist: “What’s the matter with 
you? You seem greatly excited and 
nervous.” Assistant: “No wonder. Mrs. 
Griggsby wanted an ounce of boric acid, 
and I gave her an ounce of strychnine 
by mistake!” Chemist: “Well, of all the 
careless idiots, you head the list! 
Haven’t you any idea of the value of 
strychnine ?”—Life. 
New England Animal Fertilizers 
Especially made for 
NEW ENGLAND SOILS. 
The West may boast of its boundless prairies and deep soils, but our good 
old New England farms when properly handled will produce 
MAXIMUM CROPS OF 
SUPERIOR QUALITY. 
Our New England Fertilizers were originated to put back into the soils 
of New England the ingredients that years of cultivation have removed. 
Not too much of this and too little of that, but the right balance of ammonia, 
phosphoric acid and potash in the proportions needed. 
Our chemists have studied New England soils and crops and we offer to 
our progressive farmers a line of fertilizers particularly adapted to their needs. 
New England Animal Fertilizers are complete , reliable and lasting. 
NEW ENGLAND FERTILIZER COMPANY, 
BOSTON, MASS. 
See Local Agents or send for descriptive booklet and price list. 
Make Your Old 
Wagon New 
Just as strong and as good as ever 
and more convenient. Write us and 
let us show you how cheaply we 
can fit your old running gear with 
our superb 
Electric 
Steel 
Wheels 
ch put an end to all break-downs. 
No shrinking or drying apart or tire set¬ 
setting. Makes your wagon a real handy wagon. Our 
48 page book shows you why no other wagon wheels in 
the world equal the famous Electric Steel Wheels. 
Reading it will Save you time, money and horse flesh. 
It’s free. Write for it to-day to 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Box48, Quincy, III. 
EAR TAGS 
BUTTON LABELS 
The Best 
& Cheapest 
F.S.BURCH 
Last the 
Longest 
Illustrated catalog mailed FREE upon request 
F. S. BURCH & CO., 177 Illinois St., CHICAGO 
CHR. HANSEN’S 
DANISH 
BUTTER COLOR 
Makes Prize - Winning 
Butter. Purely vege¬ 
table and guaranteed 
under all Pure Food 
Laws, State and Na¬ 
tional. 
RENNET TABLETS 
and CHEESE 
COLOR TABLETS 
for Cheese-Making on the Farm. 
JUNKET TABLETS. for dainty milk desserts 
and ice cream. 
JUNKET BRAND BUTTERMILK 
TABLETS. 
Manufactured and put up only bv 
CHR. HANSEN’S LABORATORY, 
Box 1106, Little Falls, N. Y. 
[LABEL 
atl 1 ’ ilfii »,' 
DANA’S EAR LABELS 
Are stamped with any name or address with serial 
numbers. They are simple, practical and a distinct 
and reliable mark. Samples free. Agents wanted. 
C.H. DANA, 74 Main St..West Lebanon, N.H. 
Get 
Our 
Book 
Free 
ROLLER-BEARING' 
LIGHT DRAFT 
SUCCESS SPREADER 
The only spreader with a 32-year record of good work. Simplicity, Durability 
and Light Draft always foremost. Direct Chain Drive. No Cog Gears. The 
choice of men who investigate thoroughly. Wood or metal wheels. A generation 
of experience back of every Success. The leader from the first. Exclusive features 
all patented. Catalog of facts Free. Write us promptly. 
Kemp & Burpee Mfg. Co. syr n a 5 use 
Get My Big Split-Hickory Book, Sure This Year 
T Me Pay the Postage—Just Send Your Name 
— Shows 125 
T START right out to show you saving, direct prices, 
x and over 125 styles of Famous Split-Hickory 1910 Yehi- 
clcsaml high-grade harness, by spending 8 cents postage 
to mail you my splendid 1910 Big, Free, color-iilnstrated 
Book of Styles. Select what you want—choice of trim¬ 
mings andtinish,etc.—made-to-order, lshippromptlyon 
30 Days’ Free Road Test 
I canaffordtodo this because I know you'll be pleased 
—because my vehicles and harness are made right—be¬ 
cause I save you big money on prices bv taking only one 
small maker’s protit— because my immense production 
and large number of sales (over 150.000 buggiea now) get 
the best grade of materials and work l or 
you and save me on costs—you get my 
2 Years’ Guarantee thSlI^ 
exclusive vehicle and harness factory in 
the world. Write me today. 
H. C. Phelps, President. 
The Ohio Carriage Mfg. Co. 
Sta.290, Columbus, 0. 
H. C. PlIELPS 
Manufacturer Split 
Hickory Vehicles 
SAVE *2652 AND UP ON PRICES 
Direct from 
Factory to 
Home. 
30 Days’ Free 
Road Test— 
Two Years’ 
