y 1 o Paper-Shell Pecan AND The Satsuma Orange FOURTH EDITION South Orchards Company MOBILE, ALABAMA CHICAGO, ILLINOIS The late Colonel W. R. Stuart Founder of the Pecan Industry The PAPER-SHELL PECAN s£ The SATSUMA ORANGE Their development — Native Soils — Where they hear best — Money made growing them — How bearing orchards can be bought — How they can be paid for — What they will pay NO STOCKS NO BONDS NO COLONIZATION PROPOSITION NO CO-OPERATIVE SCHEME NO IRRIGATION PROJECT NO WILD LANDS Just the simple tacts about acquiring outright an income -producing home property in a land of sunshine, culture, magnificent climate, and of true American ideals and traditions. SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY ^ MOBILE, ALABAMA NORTHERN OFFICE: AMERICAN TRUST BLDG., CLARK AND MONROE STS. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Copyright, 1908 Copyright, 1909 Copyright, 1912 by Percival P. Smith €dA300785 FOREWORD. THE following pages present, in condensed form, the vital facts and statistics regard- ing the culture of Pecans and Satsuma Oranges. Not many years ago much of this information was unobtainable or undetermined. Today it is an open book to those who wish to take time to investigate. There are many reliable and authentic sources of information at hand, among which are the num- erous Bulletins and Reports bearing upon Nut Culture that have been issued by the U. S. Depart- ment of Agriculture ; the Reports of the Agri- cultural Experiment Stations and of the Agricul- tural Departments of Southern States ; the pub- lished proceedings of National and State Horti- cultural Societies and Nut Growers' Associations ; the standard books and Encyclopedias on American Horticulture, and the various periodicals which are devoted entirely or in part to Nut Culture in this country. In addition to information gathered from such sources, many active, growing districts may be vis- ited ; growers, experts, and dealers, may be con- sulted ; government and other statistics covering markets, importations, supply and demand, etc., may be secured. There is besides all this a vast and instructive fund of information obtainable through historical, botanical and scientific channels. A comprehensive two-year investigation of the whole matter by Chicago business men, under the direction of a present member of the organization whose previous horticultural experience especially fitted him for the work, resulted, four years ago, in the formation of the South Orchards Company. These six years of continuous, active, earnest work, — the investigation of the industry, the selec- tion and platting of the property, the preparation of the land, the planting of the trees, and the cul- tural work, culminating in 1911 in the gathering of the first nuts and oranges from a property, zvhicJi is today the largest combination Pecan and Satsuma Orange Orchard in existence, — have been years of intense, absorbing interest, as well as years of confirmation and proof. The Company is now developing 800 acres for its own orchard, and in conjunction therewith, as here- inafter described, is developing orchards in smaller tracts for those who wish to purchase. The facts here set forth constitute as complete a digest of the subject as can be crowded into limited space. SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY. THE PAPER-SHELL PECAN. O matter how briefly one may tell the story of the paper-shell or cultivated pecan, it is necessary to go somewhat into its history and give a few facts regarding its ancestor, the wild pecan. While the paper-shell pecan is the product of approximately the last half century, the wild pecan is many centuries old. Past or present, however, the story is one that is confined to this country alone. The pecan is purely an American tree. Except for a few scattering groves in the north of Mex- ico, it grows nowhere in the world outside of the central and southern parts of the United States. As a forest or timber tree it is found in the Mississippi Valley as far north as Missouri and Page Seven SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY Illinois, but the farther north it is found the less crop it bears, its fruiting area being confined al- most entirely to the Gulf Coast States. General Characteristics. Belonging to the hickory family (Hicoria Pe- can) the pecan is hardy and long-lived. In fact, it lives for centuries and bears from comparative infancy to old age. Several great trees that were recently destroyed near Mobile, Alabama, showed by their rings or layers of annual growth that they were over six hundred years old. They were still bearing. In general appearance and in certain habits of growth, especially in the forest, the pecan much resembles the oak. Its root system radiates from a large central tap root which goes deep into the ground, and through which it draws a never failing supply of moisture. This peculiar root system makes it proof against drouths. On the other hand, it is not adversely affected by excess moisture. Wild trees in some sections of the South thrive well on bottom lands that are covered deep with water for weeks each year. Extreme cold weather has never been known to kill pecan trees, and as they bloom late in the Page Eight S O UTH ORCHARDS COMPANY spring, the crop is never injured or destroyed by late frosts. Native Soils. The forest pecan tree is native to the rich al- luvial bottom lands along the rivers and streams of the South. In these soils it grows to immense size, sometimes over two hundred feet in height, but its crop is usually of inferior and uncertain yield, and the rank growth of wood and foliage retards the bearing age of the young tree. The prolific nut-bearing pecan tree thrives best in the sandy loam soils of the Gulf Coast. In these soils it reaches its greatest crop possibili- ties, its yield being regular and certain. It is here that the finest nuts are produced, — those varieities noted for their extraordinary size, thin shells and excellent flavor. Here, also, the young trees reach bearing age quickest, generally in about half the time required in the richer soils. Historical. History tells us that the followers of Bienville (the French explorer who, in 1699, planted the flag of France on the west shore of Mobile Bay), found the Indians using the nuts of the pecan tree as one of their staple foods. These nuts became one of the first articles of commerce engaged in by the early French set- SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY tiers, and we find frequent mention of them by the writers and historians of that period. From the time of these first settlers until about fifteen or twenty years ago the annual harvesting and marketing of the wild pecan crop was to the people of the South, more a matter of pleasure than of profit. Twenty years ago the wild nuts were sold as low as three-quarters of a cent per pound. Since then the constantly increasing demand has brought the market up to where the grower receives from 10 to 20 cents per pound. The Old and the New. With the possible exception of a few of the facts stated above, there has never been much to create interest in the pecan tree, its habits or its product, until within recent years. Although few people north of Mason and Dixon's line know anything about the tree itself, almost every one is familiar with the ordinary wild or seedling nut. Its shell is hard to crack, its inner partitions are thick and bitter, it is from one-half to three-quarters of an inch in length, and averages about one hundred and twenty to two hundred to the pound. Now, although it has been without the usual blare of trumpets and red fire attending revolutions, Full Grown Pecan Tree. (Courtesy of Dr. C. F. Millspaugh, Curator, Field Museum of Natural History. Page Ele SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY something has been quietly accomplished in the pecan world that is certainly revolutionary in its results and possibilities. This something is the development of the paper- shell or improved pecan. Outside of the districts where it is being propa- gated, few people have even a slight conception of either the present value or the future possibili- ties of this wonderful American product. Few Northerners have ever even seen a paper- shell pecan. Those who know what it is, know that its shell is so thin that it can be crushed in the palm of the hand, its inner partitions are mere tasteless tissues, it is from one and one-half to two inches in length, and averages about forty to sixty to the pound. The paper-shell pecan is as large as the average English walnut, but it contains about twice as much meat. This is due to the fact that the paper-shell pecan is mostly meat and very little shell, while the very reverse is true of the English walnut. While ordinary wild or seedling pecans retail at from twenty to thirty cents a pound, real paper- shell pecans do not retail at less than one dollar per pound. Even at this price the supply is so Page Twelve SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY limited that they are rarely found in any of the stores after the holiday season. The Origin of the Paper Shell. Regarding the origin of the great paper-shell pecan trees, one recent writer on this subject calls attention to the fact that, as in the case of prac- tically all other fruits, the original trees "are freak trees, — generous accidents of growth." This is ex- actly what they are, but the "freak" feature is not in the appearance of the tree. It is in the size of the nuts, the thinness of the shells, the flavor of the meats, the abundance of the crops and the regu- larity of the yield. The original trees are rare, — very rare, generally long distances apart. The country west of Mobile Bay and along the Mississippi Sound is the only section of the en- tire South where the great original paper-shell pecan trees have ever been found in any but widely sepa- rated instances. Here, within a territory of but comparatively few miles in extent, have originated nearly all of the standard varieties of these wonderful nuts; such, for example, as : Stuart, Alley, Delmas, Suc- cess, Pabst, Russell, Jewett, Schley, Lewis, Havens, Mobile, Robson, Taylor, Money, Capital, Hall, Schmidt, Zink, Aurora and Clarke. This section has become famous as "the home Page Thirteen SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY of the paper-shell pecan." It is the birthplace of what is fast becoming one of the South's greatest industries. (See map, pages 26 and 27.) First Results. The early French thought well of pecans. They preferred them to European nuts, and they wrote at length of their commercial possibilities. They pre- dicted a great future for them "if properly cared for and cultivated." Not until about forty years ago, however, had any systematic efforts been made to cultivate pecans for commercial purposes. About that time the late Colonel W. R. Stuart, (for whom the "Stuart" pe- can was named), a retired merchant of New Or- leans, living at Ocean Springs, Mississippi, began experimenting along these lines. The early years of his work brought little but disappointment, but he persisted in his self-imposed task. To detail all the efforts that were made to- ward the propagation and perpetuation of the paper-shell pecan in those first years would indeed make a long story. But briefly : Colonel Stuart visited every spot in the South where one of these trees could be found, and se- lected the choicest nuts. Page Fourteen STUART SUCCESS VAH DEM AH PABST Actual Size ol Four Famous Paper-Shell Varieties Page Fifteen SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY His first attempts were made by planting these nuts that had been so carefully gathered, in the hope that they would reproduce themselves. When the trees grown from these nuts reached bearing age this hope was blasted, for the nuts produced were only ordinary seedlings. Nature had made her demonstration, but she would not repeat it. Then followed experiments in taking scions and buds from the great original trees, and root-graft- ing and budding into seedling stocks. These experiments were successful, and the year before his death Colonel Stuart had the satisfac- tion of knowing that the end toward which he had been striving was reached. He lived to gather the first crop of nuts from his budded and grafted trees — the perpetuation of the paper-shell pecan was an accomplished fact. This budding or grafting process is the only cer- tain method of perpetuating any given variety and is today followed universally by every reliable nurseryman who grows pecan trees. Colonel Stuart was the pioneer in this work — the father of the paper-shell pecan as a commer- cial factor, and of the great industry which is fol- lowing in the wake of its development. A few years later Theodore Bechtel, the origi- nator of the "Success" pecan, added the finishing touch to grafting processes by the discovery and Page Sixteen SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY introduction of the first successful method of top grafting pecan trees. Present Conditions. Rapid and continuous progress has been made in this new and wonderful branch of horticul- ture. The United States Agricultural Department, the Agricultural Experiment Stations, and the Agri- cultural Departments of many Southern States ; the reliable nurserymen of the South, and all intelli- gent and earnest growers of pecans everywhere, have helped the cause along to its present perman- ently established basis. The details of propagation, cultivation, and fertil- ization have been worked up to a state approach- ing perfection. The different varieties of paper-shell pecans have been tested and tried out ; the characteristics of each are known. The experimental stages have been passed. The uncertain elements have been eliminated. The growing of pecans for profit is today an established and well understood industry. Bearing Age, Yield and Price. To the prospective investor in pecan orchard property, the age at which trees begin to bear, the Page Seventeen SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY yield per acre, and the market price of the nuts, are matters of vital importance. Seedling pecan trees grown on the sandy loam soils of the Gulf Coast, under ordinary orchard conditions, usually begin bearing about the eighth or ninth year, but seedling trees are more or less erratic in habit and cannot be used with much degree of accuracy for purposes of illustration. No progressive pecan grower today, however, plants seedling trees. The grafting or budding process in the nursery, referred to above, has eliminated all the uncer- tainties of the seedling and has brought the bear- ing age of the pecan orchard several years nearer for the grower, as the following brief illustration will show. The pecan nurseryman begins, of course, with the planting of the nut, and produces a seedling, which, if he is a reliable and intelligent nursery- man, he carefully cultivates and cares for until it is at least two years old. At this age he root- grafts or buds into the seedling stock, scions or buds taken from a large or original tree of known variety, cutting off the seedling trunk and divert- ing the entire strength of the two-year-old root system to the grafted or budded section, which now becomes the main trunk. When this young tree has had a three-year growth, under proper care and Page Eighteen XUSSELL MOBILE FROTSCHER, AURORA Actual Size of Four More Famous Paper-Shell Variet les. Page Nineteen SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY cultivation, it should be ready to transplant to the orchard. This is what is commonly known among nurserymen as a "three-year-old" grafted or budded tree, although in reality it is a five-year-old tree (dating from the planting of the nut), and if it has been grown under right cultural methods it will be larger and stronger than an average live-year-old seedling tree. It is a much more expensive method to plant nursery grown trees than to begin with the nut, but it saves years of time and it is an absolute guar- antee of desired results. In fact, it is the only safe and sane method to pursue. If good, thrifty, "three-year-old" grafted or budded trees of the best varieties, grown in the nursery, as above described, are transplanted to the orchard where soil and climatic conditions are suit- able to the variety selected, and then properly culti- vated, fertilized and cared for, they will yield, dat- ing from the time they are set out in the orchard, approximately as follows : 6th year 10 pounds 7th year 25 pounds 8th year 45 pounds 9th year 70 pounds 10th year 100 pounds These figures, of course, are averages, but they are averages arrived at from actual results that have been obtained by practical and progressive pecan growers. Page Twenty SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY From replies to over two hundred letters* of inquiry, sent to leading owners of pecan orchards, expert horticulturists, nurserymen, and others closely connected with the pecan industry, even higher averages than these were compiled. The above figures, however, can be relied upon as safe and conservative, as a basis upon which to estimate the returns from a pecan orchard that has been scientifically and conscientiously brought to bearing age. As stated above, the present retail price of wild or seedling pecans is from twenty to thirty cents a pound, while the leading paper-shell varieties do not retail under one dollar a pound. In this connection the following facts should be especially considered : The wild pecan crop, due to the cutting down of forests and the clearing of land, is decreasing yearly. Paper-shell pecans are as yet almost unknown. Nuts of all kinds are constantly growing in favor for everyday table use. Manufacturers of dainty confections, table delica- cies, candies, etc., are opening up new sources of consumption almost daily. * These letters are on file in the office of the South Orchards Company and will be shown to anyone upon request Page Twenty-one SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY Importations of nuts into the United States in- creased steadily from $2,497,150 in 1898, to $13,- 717,104 in 1911. These figures give the import valuation — the amount paid to the foreign grower. To this must be added cost of transportation and duty, besides the profits to importers, wholesalers, retailers, etc., making an annual total paid by the American consumer easily double the above figures, or approximately $25,000,000. For these and many other reasons the price is never likely to drop below what it is today. It is more likely to advance ; but suppose the future orchard price of paper-shell pecans be based upon the present retail price of wild pecans — 25 cents per pound. Planting twenty trees to the acre, and on the basis of the above low averages of bearing age, yield and price, five acres will produce as follows: After Plant- Pounds Income Income Income per ing Tree per Tree per Tree per Acre Five Acres 6th year 10 $ 2.50 $ 50.00 $ 250.00 7th year 25 6.25 125.00 625.00 8th year 45 11.25 225.00 1,125.00 9th year 70 17.50 350.00 1,750.00 10th year 100 25.00 500.00 2,500.00 This showing may seem extraordinary to those unfamiliar with this industry, but it does not rep- resent the full possibilities of a pecan orchard by any means. Page Twenty-two Cultivated Pecan Orchards. ^ Twenty .tbre« GEO.M.BUCKLEY ENGR., 521 FIFTH »V. Mobile is 765 miles directly South of Chicago, 4 miles West. Page Twenty-four Red - U rou ,e o, MobHe-We* Sbo,e E,ec lri c RaUwa, GEO. M. BUCKLEY ENSB.. 221 FIFTH AVF. C" IC»- C Page Twenty-Six Red line from Mobile to Pascagoula indicates the route c to build a line from Pascagoula to Biloxi, which will conn and Pass Christian. Full length of red line indicates entire The Home of the Paper-Shell Pecan Corresponding numbers on map show location of great original trees Stuart Success Pabst Russell Delmas Schley Alley Jewett Capital Mobile Hall Lewis Robson Zink Aurora Havens Money 18 Taylor Clarke May Russell Schmidt "-jswjs aw^osras as iust Mobile-West Shore Electric Railway. It is further _ planned 1 the electric railway now operating between that point trie railway system when completed. Page Twenty-Sevtn MON LOUIS O Block E, Company's Orchard; Blocks B and C already developed, Blocks A and D being sold. Page Twenty-eight Red line is route of Mobile-West Shore Electric Rai • X • X • X X X X X X x X X X X X X • X • x • X X X X X X X X XX XXX X XX XXX o x e x o x X X X X X x X X X X X X XXX XXX • x • x e x • x e x e x X X X X X X • x • X • X xx x XXX • x • x • x • x • x • ■: • x • x • xxxxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx ©X#X»X»X»X» xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx O x x O x ' • < • x • XXXXXXXXXXX xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx • x • x o x • x • X • • J ~ j {| • X • X • x • xx 00 xxxxxxxx •x°ixOx«x«x« xx»«xxxxxxxx • x.»x»x»x«x« & <3 r ■ j SHELL ROAD BRIDLE PA" sg?V"-<© .;:,©'.- <©-;. ELL ROAD Q ^2 © -'_ #' ,~ - a ? :©_ ,.- © --""" $ o. €> r j- a <<2 • x • x o x • x o -x ox e x • x • xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx • x • x*x«x«x«xex*x* 9 A 5 acre corner tract. Dots show Pecan, crosses show Orange trees. Details of Boulevards and Residence also shown. Patfe Twenty-nine Scenes on Fowl River and Mobile Ba] Page Thirty SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY During the early years of the pecan orchard, and until the trees are sufficiently matured, other crops can be grown on the same ground. One of the safest, best paying and most easily cared for early-fruiting trees to plant in combina- tion with the pecan, and one which can be grad- ually eliminated as the pecan tree reaches maturity is the SATSUMA ORANGE. Pecan trees planted twenty to the acre are ap- proximately forty-five feet apart each way. By planting Satsuma orange trees half that distance apart, sixty Satsuma orange trees may be added to each acre of pecan orchard. In many orchards in the Gulf Coast country west of Mobile Bay this combination is being successfully cultivated. The Satsuma is a variety of the Mandarin fam- ily of oranges and was brought to this country by General Van Valkenburg, a former resident of Japan, under the name of Onshiu, and has since been called by some the Kii Seedless. At the sug- gestion of Mrs. Van Valkenburg it was named Satsuma, which name it is generally known by now. It is extensively cultivated in Northern Japan, where there is danger of frost, similar to the conditions found in Central and Northern Florida and the Gulf Coast section of Alabama, Page Thirty-one SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. It is the hard- iest of all varieties of the Orange family, and when dormant will stand a temperature almost down to zero. The Satsuma tree is dwarfed, seldom over eight or nine feet highland when grafted upon Citrus Three Year Old Satsuma Orange Tree. Trifoliata, a hardy frost-proof stock, it hardens early and seldom shows signs of growth until late in the Spring, thus reducing the danger from frost to a minimum. Even in the case of a bad freeze, severe enough to burst the tree, it could be sawed off at the butt and in two years' time would be producing oranges again. It is entirely thornless and bears when very young. Page Thirty-two SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY The fruit ripens in September and October, is of medium size, slightly flattened, and of a sweet and delicious flavor. It has loosely adhering rind and the segments are easily parted, this feature having given it the name of the "kid glove" orange. In color it is deep yellow — not red like King and similar varieties. The Satsuma is easily cultivated, practically free from diseases or insect enemies, very prolific, and ripening as it does in what is the off season with other oranges, it brings high prices. The grower usually gets from 24 to 36 cents per dozen. Assuming, however, as low a price as 12 cents a dozen, (and with the yield' per tree given below, which is much under the average yield) the fol- lowing table gives the additional revenue obtain- able from Satsuma oranges, planted sixty trees to the acre, as above described, in a five-acre pecan orchard. It also gives the total value of both crops : After Oranges Planting per Trees Tree Income per Tree Income per Acre Income Combined Crop per Pecans and Oranges Five Acres Five Acres 6th year 300 $3.00 $180.00 $ 900.00 $1,150.00 7th year 400 4.00 240.00 1,200.00 1,825.00 8th year 500 5.00 300.00 1,500.00 2,625.00 9th year 500 5.00 300.00 1,500.00 3,250.00 Oth year 500 5.00 300.00 1,500.00 4,000.00 The foregoing statements are not estimates of possible, or probable results — they are very low averages of actual results that are being obtained Page Thirty-three Views along Bay Shell Road leading to South Orchards Subdivision. SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY today. They contain the facts boiled down. They tell of results obtained under ordinary conditions after the first five years. Whatever risks there are occur before that time, and as all orchard prop- erty which the South Orchards Company sells re- mains under its care during the first five years, the purchaser is guaranteed against all possibility of loss. He is assured of coming into possession of a fully developed, revenue-producing property which will rapidly increase in value and earning power from year to year, and one that will last for gen- erations. HORTICULTURIST. With any orchard property from which a revenue is expected, the conditions governing planting, care, and cultivation, must be properly safeguarded to ensure successful production, for the profits depend upon the yield. To be able to realize the largest returns from a pecan and orange orchard, three essential points must be observed : First : The locality and the soil must be right. Second: The selection of trees must be prop- erly made. Third: The care of the orchard for the first five years must be under the supervision of a man who knows. Considering these facts as a condition precedent Page Thirty-five SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY to the success of a properly conducted orchard business, the South Orchards Company secured for the head of its orchard work a horticulturist of national reputation. He has had entire supervision of the Company's property from the very start. Theodore Bechtel (referred to previously as the originator of the "Success" paper-shell pecan, and the man who first successfully applied top graft- ing to the pecan tree) is this horticulturist. Mr. Bechtel has entire supervision of all the Company's orchards. His advice is followed in the choice of varieties planted. He personally se- lects every tree. Under his direction the cultiva- tion and fertilization of the property is carried on. Being born in the nursery business, his father a nurseryman before him, Mr. Bechtel is espec- ially fitted for this work. For years he has been specializing in pecan culture, being proprietor of the Bechtel Pecan Nurseries at Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and having extensive pecan orchards of his own. Mr. Bechtel is originally from Illinois, and had a nation-wide reputation before going South as the originator of Bechtel's Double Flowering Crab Tree. The Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of the Southern States, refer Page Thirty-Six SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY to Mr. Bechtel as one of the highest authorities in the country on pecan culture. MANAGEMENT. The South Orchards Company was founded by Percival P. Smith, who made all preliminary in- vestigations for the Company, and who has managed its affairs from the beginning. Mr. Smith, like Mr. Bechtel, was born and brought up in horticultural work, his family for several generations having been large orchard and vineyard owners and operators. THE COMPANY'S PROPERTY. Throughout the early investigations made by the members of the South Orchards Company, two vital and essential requirements were kept con- stantly in mind — the most suitable land for profitable orcharding, and the most desirable location for residence purposes. The result is a happy combi- nation of both. Soil. The soil in this tract is a sandy loam with sandy clay sub-soil, and is ideal for pecans and Satsuma oranges. The surface soil is Norfolk loam, of which the Government Soil Survey of the Mobile Area says : "The Norfolk loam is adapted to general trucking. The root crops do Page Thirty-seven jfifo&//-E. Ala. 7f?£L£fS 7£o<>. Mobile's Newest Hotel. Page Thirty-eight SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY particularly well upon it. The soil is likewise adapted to nut culture, and most of the pecan orchards are found on it." (See page 42.) Mr. Bechtel made a thorough inspection and ex- amination of this property and gave it his unquali- fied endorsement before the purchase was consum- mated. Location. South Orchards Subdivision is located eight miles south of the City of Mobile, in Mobile County, Ala- bama, on the west shore of Mobile Bay. It is always accessible by water and equally well provided for by rail. The Mobile and Ohio and the Louisville & Nashville railways, both within a short distance, parallel the property on the west. Of particular interest to residents in this sec- tion is the fact that the Mobile-West Shore Trac- tion Company has begun work on an electric rail- way running south from Mobile along the west shore of Mobile Bay, then west along the Missis- sippi Sound to Pascagoula, Mississippi. This will pass through South Orchards Subdivision and will give a twenty-minute street car service into the heart of Mobile, with free transfers to all parts of the city. (See maps, pages 25, 26, 27 and 28.) The most frequented approach by automobilists and pleasure seekers to the historic section in which Page Thirty-nine SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY this property lies is by one of the South's most noted driveways, the Bay Shell Road. "This famous old road," quoting from a recent writer, "following the shore line of Mobile Bay, winds dreamily along under giant oaks and mag- nolias, garlanded the whole year 'round with fes- toons and bridal veils of the virginal Cherokee rose. Rich-robed on one side, with the rare, luxuriant foliage of the Southland, it looks out upon the other side across the waters of the bay, whose name is so closely linked with the history of the Gulf "Coast. It is one of the most delightful and beautiful drive- ways in all America. Several miles below the city, it runs into a romantic woods road, leading to Dog River (said to be the site of the first French forti- fications) and to several Fish and Hunt Clubs, which are lodges of leisure for fashionable and exclusive Mobile." Old Mobile. The City of Mobile, with a population close to 75,000 (having almost doubled in size within the last ten years), offers every metropolitan advan- tage and attraction to nearby residents. It is a city of magnificent homes and ideal social condi- tions, has exceptionally fine schools and colleges, well paved streets, excellent electric street car ser- vice, thoroughly modern electric light and gas plants, the finest water works in all the South, the Page Forty SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY best of theatres, hotels that are unequalled in any city of twice its size in the United States (see il- lustrations on pages 38 and 46), and large depart- ment stores, with a few sky-scrapers thrown in for full measure. In the matter of transportation, Mobile is mag- nificently served. It is one of the greatest ship- ping points in the South, ocean liners going and coming almost every day in the year to and from all parts of the world, besides being the center for several great railway trunk lines. The South Orchards Subdivision is as close to the City of Mobile as Evanston is to Chicago's loop district, and in the natural course of events there should be a rapid and substantial increase in the value of this suburban property due to its proximity to Mobile ; besides, with the completion of the Panama Canal, Mobile, as the nearest South- ern point in the United States possessing a mag- nificent harbor and the best shipping facilities, will unquestionably develop rapidly in size, wealth, and importance within the next few years. "The Lay of the Land." Lying on a ridge or plateau, thirty to thirty- five feet above the level of Mobile Bay, except that portion which slopes down to the fifteen-foot bank at the water's edge (see map on page 28), Page Forty-one WILD MEXICAN PECANS ORDINARY WILD PECANS WILb PECANS Eft On PROPERTY OF SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY Actual size of Nuts, all wild. What does it show? Page Forty-two SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY this tract is of unique proportions. It is five and one-half miles long, and has a uniform width of one-half mile, the Company's orchard property ad- joining it on the west. Midway through its entire length runs a parked boulevard which is being constructed upon unusu- ally artistic lines, and which is a very prominent feature of this property from a residence view- point. This boulevard is approximately two hundred feet in width. Along each outer edge a row of mag- nolia trees is planted. Next to these on each side there will be a thirty-foot shell roadway. The cen- tral parked space between these shell roadways is planted with two rows of pecan trees, a bridle path running between them in the center of the boulevard. Cross-boulevards one hundred feet in width inter- sect the main boulevard every quarter of a mile, on each side of which rows of pecan trees are planted. (See page 29.) The revenue derived from the sale of the pecans grown on these trees will constitute a permanent fund for the maintenance of these boulevards. The degree of excellence to be attained in de- veloping and beautifying this boulevard system can best be judged from the fact that the revenue re- ferred to above will within ten years amount to Page Forty-three SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY over five thousand dollars per mile annually. Such a sum is undoubtedly sufficient, after providing for all necessary and practical improvements, to make this one of the most artistically beautiful driveways in the world. This entire boulevard system will be held by trustees composed of property owners in this sub- division, as a private roadway property, subject only to such rights of public usage as may be neces- sary under the laws of the State. At either end of the subdivision, and wherever public roads may intersect, ornamental open gate- ways of appropriate design will designate the bound- aries of this property. As can be seen, the above features give an exclu- siveness to this subdivision which is most desirable from a residence standpoint, and greatly increases the value of all properties therein. Surroundings. The land directly south of and adjoining the South Orchards Subdivision, and terminating two miles below at the junction of the Isle Aux Oies and the Fowl rivers, has been purchased, during the last few years, by Chicago and Mobile people who have secured it for residence purposes. In addition to many homes already built, the Alabama Country Club, with golf links, tennis Page Forty-four courts, etc., the Bay View Yacht Club, with large grounds surrounding, and the Rochon Inn, a spa- cious 300-room hotel, set in a beautiful, natural lo- cation of large acreage, overlooking the bay, have all been planned and platted. That this west shore of Mobile Bay has not been opened up for residence or horticultural pur- poses until recently, is due to the fact that mos of it has been tied up in large estates, since about the time of the Civil War. The property of the South Orchards Company cuts through the center of one of the largest of these holdings. When fully developed with U, boulevard system completed as above outlined with its long stretches of orchards and magnificent ave- nues of trees, and when dotted with .homes rom end to end, this will without doubt be one of the mos t beautiful suburban residence communities in the entire South. Natural Advantages. The rainfall averages about 61 inches a year and is very evenly distributed throughout the twelve months. The temperature seldom goes below freezing m winter, and rarely rises above 90 degrees in summer. The ordinary well water in this section has been analyzed by the Dearborn Laboratories of Chi- Page Forty-nv« ' Two o: Mobile's Hotels and Views in City. Pag« Forty- SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY cago and proven purer than that from the world famous springs at Waukesha, Wisconsin. Garden products are simply unlimited in variety and abundance. Everything grows in the gardens here, and almost through the whole twelve months of the year. Oysters, as fine as the world produces, are found almost everywhere along the coast. For hunting and fishing, no better opportunities can be found in all the South than in this section. The climate — but what can be said that has not already been said, both in poetry and prose, of this land of rare foliage and flowers — the home of orange blossoms, magnolias, azaleas, japonicas, ole- anders, and Southern roses — the world-renowned climate of "the Creole Coast." Each year increasing numbers of Northern people spend their winters here. For generations the families of rich planters and the elite of Southern cities have had their summer homes along this coastal land "down by the sea." The great hotels along this coast keep "open house" the whole year through. COST AND CONTRACT. The South Orchards Company is selling only those lands along the boulevarded portion of its subdivision. Page Forty-seven SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY Under its contract, the Company develops any tract or tracts of land purchased, plants as above described with three-year-old pecan and one-year- old Satsuma orange trees, and for a period of five years from date of purchase, pays all taxes, keeps up all improvements, replaces all trees that may die or be destroyed, cultivates, fertilizes and properly cares for such purchased tract or tracts in every particular. This is all done at the Company's expense and under the supervision of its horticulturist. Need- less to say, this is a service that no man, unless himself an expert and constantly on the place, could give his own property; furthermore, it is a service that no man could afford to pay for if the 'whole cost fell upon his property alone, unless his holdings were exceptionally large. Because of the fact that the Company must maintain a highly perfected and competent or- ganization for the development of its own or- chards, it can develop orchards for others in con- nection therewith at a cost much below that at which the individual could do it, or have it done in any other manner. At the end of five years the property passes into the hands of the purchaser, a revenue-producing estate, the first two crops from which will more than reimburse him in full for all money invested. Page Forty-eight SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY The contract which the Company enters into with the purchaser is liberal and equitable. As it covers a period of five years, it provides especially for two serious contingencies which may arise and which are of deep concern to every purchaser — death and financial embarrassment. In case of the death of the purchaser the Com- pany agrees to carry out its part of the contract in every detail, waiving further payments until after the end of the five-year period, if so desired by the heirs. Half of the proceeds from the crops of the sixth, seventh and eighth years will then be applied on the deferred payments, until satisfied. Whatever balance there may be will be paid to the heirs, and in any event the property will be deeded over to the heirs at the end of the eighth year. At any time after two years should the purchaser find himself financially unable to carry out his part of the contract, the Company agrees to return to him, at a stipulated rate, the full amount of money which he has paid on his contract. The present prices of the five-acre tracts range from $2,200 to $2,750, according to location — those on the main boulevard being higher than the others. Payments may be extended over the five-year period of development if desired. During the five-year development period the Page Forty-nine SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY purchaser may live upon the property if he so desires, but he cannot in any way interfere with the cultivation of the trees. After the five-year period, should the purchaser not wish to maintain a continuous residence upon the property, the Company will act as his resident agent — for either a cash consideration or a percent- age of the crops — caring for the property, cultivat- ing, harvesting and marketing the crops and look- ing after his interests in every detail. None of these tracts have been nor will be sold to negroes or "undesirables." All of the above mentioned features are specific- ally set forth in each contract. CONCLUSION. Horticulture is a gentleman's occupation, espe- cially the two important branches to which this short sketch has been confined — Pecans and Sat- suma Oranges. Xo hard labor nor mad rush of work enter into this industry at any season of the year. After the first five years the cultural methods are sim- ple — the labor light. The harvest season is never hurried by weather or market conditions, nor hampered by labor troubles. Pecans when ripe fall off the trees, to be gathered and marketed at one's leisure. Satsuma oranges when ripe hang on the Page Fifty SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY trees for months, to be picked and shipped at the convenience of the owner. The markets for both are always good, and the freight rates always low. Pecans can be shoveled into a box car like grain and Satsuma oranges can be crated and shipped in the most inexpensive manner. No refrigeration is necessary with either — this in itself being a big sav- ing over ordinary fruit. These crops are paying and paying handsomely those who are now cultivating them for profit. Progressive, clear-headed business men are today making splendid successes in these two branches of horticulture. Almost every one of them is steadily increasing his holdings and looking confidently forward to the greater returns which he knows the future has in store. These men belong to the New South. They understand, and are utilizing for profit, conditions that are real and substantial. They have investi- gated and have invested and have profited. To those who wish to begin as these men did, by investigating, this Company offers all facts and statistics in its possession. Whatever information it has secured, from any source, will be cheerfully laid before the inquirer. SOUTH ORCHARDS COMPANY, 530 American Trust Building, Clark and Monroe Sts., Chicago. Page Fifty-one APR 4 1912 George Seton Thompson, Printer Chicago