History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 122

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756

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FREEWILL BAPTISTS. See Baptists, Free Will.

FRIENDS, SOCIETY OF THE. A reli- gious body, originally founded in England by George Fox. The appearance of Quakers in America dates from 1656. They had many trying experiences in the colonies. Probably their first organized meeting in America was in 1756. The attitude of the Friends on slavery was one of toleration, but later more rigid regulations obtained and slave-holders were disowned. No formal creed has ever been adopted among Orthodox Friends They emphasize the great importance of the imme- diate personal teaching of the Holy Spirit, or "Inner Light." They regard outward ordi- nances, as baptism and the Supper, as non- essential. Their most important doctrine is that of peace and non-resistance, in accord- ance with which no Friend can fight or di- rectly support war.

Details as to organization in Alabama are not at hand. The U. S. census report of 1906 reports 1 organization; total number of mem- bers 37, of which 15 are males and 22 fe- males; 1 church edifice, with a seating capac- ity of 150, valued at $500; and one Sunday

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school with 10 officers and teachers, and 40 scholars.

REFERENCES .- U. S. Bureau of the Census, Religious Bodies, 1906 (1910), p. 294; Weehs, Southern Quakers and Slavery (1896).

FROG MOUNTAIN. A mountain in Cher- okee County, a few miles northwest of the town of Spring Garden. It is made up of three broken ridges that gradually rise to- ward the north and end abruptly in high butts that are sharply bent to the east. The main mountain, which is the northern end of these ridges, is about 2 miles long from east to west, and its highest peak is approxi- mately 1,225 feet above sea level.

REFERENCE .- McCalley, Valley regions of Ala- bama, Pt. 2, Coosa Valley (Geol. Survey of Ala., Special report 9, 1897), pp. 16-17.

FRUITHURST. Post office and station on the Southern Railway, in the east-central part of Cleburn County, sec. 7, T. 15, R. 12, near the headwaters of the Tallapoosa River, 12 miles from Center. Altitude: 1,074 feet. Population: 1900-374; 1910-257. It was incorporated by the legislature December 9, 1896. It is located on the old public road from Talladega to Atlanta. The town itself occupies 500 acres, well laid out in streets and parks. It is in the center of the "Vine- yard Colony," and contains more than 150 attractive homes and 15 business houses. The first settlement on the site of the present. town was a village and post office called Zidonia. In 1894 the Fruithurst Co., a cor- poration, secured large holdings of the land as the site for a colony of vineyardists. Among the first settlers were C. W. Fox, N. C. Mathews, R. L. Spencer, R. E. Pineo, J. B. Merrill, L. D. Philips and W. W. Summerlin, all of them stockholders in the Fruithurst Association.

REFERENCES .- Acts, 1896-97, pp. 223-239; Pamphlet publications of Fruithurst Commer- cial Club.

FRUITS. The apple, peach and nectarine, pear, fig, plum and prune, grape, cherry, quince, persimmon, apricot, citrus fruits (Sat- suma orange, native orange, grapefruit, lem- ons, kumquats), and berries are included in this title.

Early History .- The history of fruit grow- ing in the State begins with the peach, which was brought in by traders and Government agents among the Indians, long before the coming of white settlers. The well-known In- dian peach is a development from early va- rieties. About the same time the apple was introduced. The home of the great Indian leader, Alexander McGillivray, at Little Tal- lasee, a few miles above Wetumpka, was known as the "Apple Grove." Records show "that nearly all the early pioneers brought peach stones. Many of our white fleshed va- rieties are traceable to these seedlings. In the beginning all trees came from seedlings, but as early as 1844 budding was actively practiced.

The Cling and Chinese are the earliest

known forms. Among varieties known to have originated in the State are Tuskena, the Baldwin, the White July Cling and several others, all by Dr. W. O. Baldwin of Mont- gomery.

The Carter's Blue or Lady Fitzpatrick apple originated at Mount Meigs, Montgomery County, and was first exhibited at the State fair held at Montgomery in 1856. The Duck- ett and Red Warrior apples and the Comak, Green Cluster, Horton and Nabours pears are of Alabama origin, but are now little culti- vated.

R. R. Hunley of Harpersville, Talladega County, R. S. Owen of Tuscaloosa, Robert Harwell of Mobile, and C. C. Langdon of Cit- ronelle were early fruit growers and writers on fruit culture in the journals of the day.

Home Orchards .- About the home of every farmer, from earliest settlement, were to be found fruit trees. From desultory planting came the development of the home orchard, in which there was a systematic effort to pro- duce profitable yields. This was brought about by a study of varieties adapted to the climate and soil, fertilization. and by care in the prevention of plant diseases. In every part of the State will be found remnants of many of the early orchards.

The increase in the costs of living, hazards to the cotton crop by the boll weevil and other pests, and the profitable opportunity offered through the demand for fruits, has afforded a continuing stimulus to the development of the home orchard on modern farms. The ex- perience of recent years in horticulture, the improvement of nursery stocks, and the ex- periments conducted by the various agricul- tural experiment stations throughout the country have all served to further stimulate fruit growing, and many who have made suc- cesses of home orchards have developed them into profitable commercial orchards. The early agricultural periodicals which survive are filled with interesting suggestions on fruit growing, the varieties then existing are listed, and the beginning of experiments in combat- ing plant diseases appear.

Fruit Culture, 1857 .- In its issue for March of that year, "The American Cotton Planter," published at Montgomery, has the following interesting observations on this subject:

"Independent of the pleasure and recrea- tion the culture of fruit affords, it is becom- ing a source of profit to the Southern culti- vator. We often hear it remarked that every- body is going into fruit, and that fruit will soon be a drug in the markets. There is little danger of the markets ever being over- stocked with good fruit. Everybody will eat good fruit, if it is to be had, consequently the best fruit will always command the high- est prices. And then two-thirds that go into fruit culture will fail. Some will plant apple and pear trees, as they would a fence post; others that plant the tree will expect it to grow and produce good fruit without culture, and others cultivate wihout skill or judg- ment. Too much care cannot be taken in planting a fruit treee. Deep planting has ruined many a tree; and after the tree is well

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planted, it should be nursed and cultivated as judiciously as a corn crop. There is a golden field open to the Southern fruit cultivator in the markets of the large cities north, as we can send them fruit from six weeks to two months earlier than their own ripens. And this, with the increasing demand for home consumption, will make fruit culture the most profitable investment of the farm."

Apple Growing in Blount County .- In the absence of early records of fruit growing, the story of the introduction of the apple into Blount County, as prepared by George Powell in 1855, is of sufficient importance to be presented in full. The sketch is accompanied by many very interesting comments, which give it an added value as illustrative of the times. The extract below is from his "His- tory of Blount County," pp. 49-51:

'The first apple tree in Blount County was a volunteer seedling, which was discovered in the spring of 1817. It is supposed that the seed which produced it was accidentally brought from Tennessee by a Mr. Andrew Alldridge, as it was near his house that the young apple tree made its appearance. Mr. Alldridge took great care of the little plant, which proved very thrifty, and is now called (for it is yet alive) the 'Patriarch Apple tree.' I am indebted to Mr. A. M. Gibson for an account of the earliest culture of the apple in Blount:

" 'About the year 1817 a Mr. John Fow- ler, from Tennessee, settled in the County, and soon afterwards, finding the soil and cli- mate suitable for fruit raising, turned his at- tention to that branch of industry, particu- larly to the cultivation of the apple. As early as 1823 (in addition to the seedling stocks of his own production) he had im- ported the most valuable kinds of apples then known in East Tennessee. And al- though he was not a scientific pomologist, yet, under his watchful care and judicious man- agement, the apple was brought to as great a degree of perfection, as it was at that day, in any part of the United States. Indeed, some of his varieties would bear favorable comparison with any that can be produced at the present time. He soon began to trans- port his surplus fruit to the distant parts of the State, particularly towards the south. The name and reputation of Fowler's apples became widely exended; and his ready sales brought to this successful orchardist a con- siderable revenue. His success soon induced many others in the county to engage in the same business; and almost all who did so reaped a rich reward. So excellent is the adaptation of the soil and climate of this county to the production of fruit, particularly in the valleys, that with proper cultivation the orchard fruits of Blount will rival the finest in the world. Apples are now one of the staple productions of the county. Not less than one hundred wagonloads of them are, by estimate, annually taken to the middle and southern portions of the State, where they meet with a ready sale-bringing to the county an annual revenue of many thousand dollars. The cultivation and exportation of

this valuable fruit seems still on the increase. All of this has resulted from the well di- rected efforts of a single pioneer in improve- ment.'

"At first, I thought the above account of our apple trade rather exaggerated, but upon examination it appears that Blount really sends southward at least one hundred wagon loads of apples; but, of course, the amount of money received for the same is uncertain. Our fruit has been mostly destroyed the pres- ent year (1854) by a late frost.

"Mr. Fowler's orchard was of small extent (about one acre only) but thickly planted with trees and produced nothing except fruit. He kept it well pruned, but with the trunks so short that the limbs when loaded with fruit nearly reached the ground. The tillage he gave them was with the hoe, as the limbs were too low to admit a horse under them. When his fruit was in danger from late spring frosts, he kindled as many small fires as he had trees. He had at all times large stocks of wood ready for the purpose. The fires were placed in the center of each space throughout the orchard, hut so as not to in- jure the boughs of the trees, which some- times nearly interlocked across the spaces. This firing prevented the frost from killing

his fruit. It was some trouble, but tife trouble and expense were small when com- pared with the profit. He could at all times sell his apples at fifty cents per bushel to the wagoners, who hauled them to market; but after frosty springs, when all other or- chards failed, he could obtain one dollar per bushel for them, and thus realize five hun- dred dollars per acre from his orchard. This five hundred dollars was saved by making one hundred and sixty small fires at the proper time-the cost of which would not ex- ceed ten dollars. Thus the frosts that de- prived others of the produce of their orchards served to double the value of his."

Fruits of Alabama, 1869 .- An official pub- Ilcation issued by the Commissioner of Industrial Resources contains the following notes on the fruits of the State on that date:

"Among the Southern States Alabama has attained a great reputation for her fine fruits, especially apples and peaches. Superior ap- ples are grown in every part of the State, the early varieties of the May and summer apples in the southern and middle sections, and the late varieties of the fall and winter apples in the northern section. In the north- ern part of the State, on the carboniferous formation, the fall and winter varieties, when the trees are properly cultivated, are long- lived, profuse bearers, and remarkably free from the ravages of the borer. Very excel- lent peaches grow in all parts of the State, from Mobile to the Tennessee line, and if thoroughly cultivated would be a lucrative crop. On the red sandy loam drift of Middle Alabama, the peach attains a degree of per- fection in its juiciness and its peculiar nec- tarine flavor seldom if ever met elsewhere. The pear, the cherry and the plum also grow to great perfection. The vine does very well, and under proper treatment will give re-

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munerating results. Wine of good body and excellent flavor has been manufactured, and there is nothing to prevent the establishment of an important wine interest here. Figs and grapes are indigenous in the State. Many of the small fruits, as the strawberry, black- berry and whortleberry, grow spontaneously and are profuse bearers. They could be greatly improved and rendered profitable by careful cultivation. The State abounds in flowers and plants, many of which (the latter at least) are of medical value. As population increases, so will the value of these products increase, while extending facilities of trans- portation will give a wider market."

Statistics .- The surveys of the censuses have not been uniform, and the methods in gathering statistics have varied. Therefore the few facts as to production and value of fruits are very unsatisfactory. It is believed that the figures given below are far short of the true acreage, numbers, etc. The census of 1910 was a great enlargement and improve- ment of previous enumerations, but it is prac- tically out of date. Some of the data below is taken from the papers of the Alabama Hor- ticultural Society.

The total quantity of orchard fruits pro- duced in 1909 (reported in 1910) was 2,476,- 000 bushels, valued at $1,819,000. Peaches and nectarines contributed considerably more than one-half of this quantity, and apples and pears the remainder. The production of grapes, 1909, was 1,723,490 pounds, valued at $81,386; and tropical fruits, 1909, were valued at $86,121.

The production of all orchard fruits to- gether in 1909 was 161.2 per cent more in quantity than that of 1899, while grape pro- duction decidedly decreased. The value of orchard fruits increased from $477,000 in 1899 to $1,819,000 in 1909, while that of grapes decreased from $84,861 in 1899 to $81,386 in 1909. The values for 1899, how- ever, included advanced products derived from orchard fruit or grapes, as cider, vine- gar, etc.

In 1909 the more advanced products manu- factured by farmers from orchard fruits and grapes were as follows: Cider, on 569 farms, 12,577 gallons; vinegar, 2,687 on farms, 18,- 217 gallons; wine and grapejuice, on 839 farms, 12,820 gallons; and dried fruits on 4,955 farms, 201,797 pounds.

Detailed statistics follow:

Apples: 1890-780,657 trees, with a yield of 238,734 bushels; 1900-2,015,711 trees, yielding 719,175 bushels; and 1910-1,468,- 438 trees, yielding 888,396 bushels, valued at $620,745.00. The value of the trees of 1910 is estimated at $2.00 each, making a total of $2,936,872.00.

Apricot: 1890-1,326 trees, with a yield of 611 bushels; 1900-3,541 trees, yielding 115 bushels; 1910-2,342 trees, yielding 952 bushels, valued at $920.

Cherries: 1890-7,204 trees, with a yield of 1,862 bushels; 1900-44,849 trees, yield- ing 1,159 bushels; and 1910-25,566 trees, yielding 3,588 bushels, valued at $4,783. The cherry was once a favorite home orchard tree

on many farms, and in many gardens and yards, and while the trees reported show an increase, it does not appear to be generally cultivated.

Currants: 1909-2 acres; 1910-15 farms, no acreage stated, 548 quarts, valued at $64.

Grapes: The early censuses give statistics of wine, but not of the vine. In 1840 there was a production of 177 gallons of domestic wine; in 1850, 220 gallons; and in 1860, 19,130 gallons. In 1900 there were 1,527,429 vines, yielding 4,257,600 pounds of grapes, 32,666 gallons of wine, the value of grapes and products valued at $84,861; and in 1910 -287,431 vines, 1,723,490 pounds of grapes, 12,820 gallons of wine, the grapes and prod- ucts valued at $81,386. Grapes, native and cultivated, grow well in all parts of the State, but the best grape lands are "in the high ly- ing granitic region of eastern Alabama."

Mulberries: 1910-On 253 farms report- ing there were 1,985 trees, yielding 1,527 bushels, valued at $1,210.

Pears: 1890-30,993 trees, with a yield of 22,902 bushels; 1910-206,619 trees, yielding 22,656 bushels; and 1910-142,300 trees, yielding 100,041 bushels, valued at $86,866. The value of the trees for 1910 is estimated at $5.00 each, making a total of $711,500.

Peaches and Nectarines: 1890-1,280,842 with a yield of 2,431,203 bushels; 1900-2,- 690,151 trees, yielding 184,543 bushels; and 1910-3,177,331 trees, yielding 1,416,584 bushels, valued at $1,055,971. In the 1914- 15 season statistics showed 3,177,331 trees in home orchards, valued at $6,354,662. In commercial orchards the same year there were 300,000 trees, valued at $1,500,000.

Plums and Prunes: 1890-144,622 trees, with a yield of 40,451, bushels; 1900-400,- 449 trees, yielding 11,896 bushels; and 1900 -211,991 trees, yielding 61,712 bushels, valued at $45,039.

Pomegranates: 1910-On 240 farms re- porting there were 1,672 trees, yielding 19,- 090 pounds, valued at $617.

Quince: A fruit formerly found in almost all home orchards, but it was never a favor- ite. It is now little cultivated, and few if any references to it are found in late horti- cultural literature. In 1914-15 it was esti- mated that there were 9,667 trees in the State, valued at $19,334.

The Vine and Olive .- The story of the ef- fort to plant the vine and olive in Alabama is one of the picturesque chapters in the pio- neer history of the State. Its details sug- gest pages from the chronicles of old ro- mance. In 1816 and 1817 a number of the high-bred followers of the old Napoleon were exiled from France. Through the generosity of the United States Government they were authorized, by act of Congress, March 3, 1817, to locate, and at a nominal price, purchase four contiguous townships of public land in the Creek Indian . cession of the Mississippi Territory. The liberal terms of the act were prompted by the agreement that the allot- ments should be made by the Secretary of the Treasury under "such conditions of set-

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tlement and cultivation of the vine and other vegetable production." The lands were lo- cated in Demopolis in the present Marengo County. Owing to mistakes in allotments and locations many hardships followed the efforts of the colonists to comply with their contracts. Nevertheless they carefully under- took the cultivation of the different varieties of the grape, as well as the olive, fig and other fruits. Elsewhere will be found a story of the colony proper. It is sufficient to here record that the effort was a failure, and al- though the lands on which the grants were finally located were admirably adapted to agriculture, because of lack of experience and skill, the absence of servants and for other reasons connected with pioneer condi- tions, the original venture did not succeed. The colony finally broke up, some of the col- onists remaining, some removing to Mobile, and some returning to France. For ten years they had undertaken to grow the vine and olive, but without success. Many details con- nected with their experiences and failures are preserved, but the recital would serve no useful purpose here.

Citrus Fruits .- Citrus fruits include the Satsuma orange, the native Florida orange, grapefruit, Ponderoso lomons and kumquats. According to Winburg and Starcher, March, 1918:

"A few citrus trees have been grown in the yards and around the houses in South Ala- bama for perhaps fifty years or more. Most of these were seedling sweet or sour oranges and a few seedling lemons.

"The introduction of the Mandarin orange, Satsuma variety, the pomelo, or 'grapefruit,' Nagami and Marumi varieties of kumquats, and the tangerine marked the beginning of the citrus industry in South Alabama on a larger or commercial basis.

"Since the introduction of these fruits into South Alabama, the development of the citrus industry has been rapid. Present conditions point to the continuation and acceleration of this development."

Interest in these fruits engaged all classes, and around many dwellings, in recent years, lemons, sweet, sour and navel oranges have been planted as other orchard fruit, and the kumquat has also been planted about dwell- ings, barns and chicken lots and along fence rows. The commercial side of the citrus fruit devlopment is less than 10 years old, but its value is more than all others combined, exclusive of the peach. According to a re- port submitted at a meeting of the State Hor- ticultural Society in 1915, based on orchard inspection work during the 1914-1915 season, there were 1,357 citrus groves in Mobile County and 1,100 in Baldwin County.

As stated, the Satsuma orange is the prin- cipal local citrus fruit. It was originally introduced into Florida in 1876. It has been commercially grown in Alabama not more than 10 years. It belongs to the Mandarin group, a name given because it was re- garded as the best of the citrus family. It is sometimes called Tangerine, and also the

"kid-glove orange." It is believed that the soil and climatic conditions of Alabama are more suited to its culture than any other of the Gulf Coast States. While Baldwin and Mobile counties are the best area for devel- opment, the Satsuma has been successfully grown in Washington and Clarke counties, and in a limited way in other sections.

Shipments to northern markets were first made in 1914, and so popular has the fruit become that the demand cannot be met. In 1916 and 1917 the orchards suffered much from freezes, but they have now recovered, and every precaution is taken to guard against future losses. The report of Mr. Win- berg and Mr. Starcher (see References be- low) contains a full review of the losses of those years, coupled with valuable suggestions on orange culture.

In the development of the Satsuma the Alabama State Horticultural Society, the Gulf Horticultural Society, and the Agricultural Experiment Station have lent encouragement by discussion, by experiments, and scientific investigation in soil adaptation, and in citrus fruit diseases.

The reports for the season of 1914-1915 give the total number of Satsuma orange trees in the State at 1,758,590 with a conservative value of $4,792,431. Bearing trees were valued at $10 each.

Of the citrus trifolata (not nursery) 1,616,- 313 trees were reported in 1914-1915, valued at $10 per thousand. This plant is used as a grafting stock for citrus plants, especially for the Satsuma orange. It is also valuable for hedges, having a dense growth, but with- out encroachment upon adjacent lands by long roots. However, by some it is criticized, since it is one of the host plants of the white fly.

Citrus fruits statistics are limited. In 1900, long before the introduction of the Satsuma, 22 orange trees were reported, with a yield of 2 boxes; there were 206 lemon trees, and 8,270 sub-tropical fruit trees, with a yield of 161,870 pounds.

In 1910 no tropical fruits as such were listed.

The Satsuma was still without representa- tion in 1910 (season of 1909) and the sta- tistics of that year on other citrus fruits are as follows:

Oranges: 1910-On 152 farms reporting there were 2,598 trees, producing 1,201 boxes, valued at $3,663.

Grapefruit: 1910-On 66 farms reporting, there were 303 trees, producing 290 boxes. Lemon: 1910-56 trees, producing 65 boxes, valued at $71.

Kumquat: No statistics.

Figs .- As a tree-fruit, whether green or dried the fig is one of the best. It is an Old World fruit, and its history is coeval with the records of the race. Bailey refers to it as an "amateur fruit in America." Its power of sustenance is very marked, and it is both refreshing and palatable. It also has medic- inal qualities which are valuable. It has never been grown commercially in Alabama,

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yet it would appear that there is a great op- portunity for the development of an im- portant industry in that direction.

When the fig was introduced in Alabama is not preserved, but it is believed that it was brought by the colonists to Mobile nearly 200 years ago. Hamilton, "Colonial Mobile," p. 105, refers to the debt due Law's Company, saying that "speculative and careless of means as it was, Law's Company gave Mobile and all Louisiana a forward impulse. Slaves had been introduced by the hundred, the orange and fig successfully planted, never to die out." He further says, p. 123, that "By the twen- ties the culture of indigo had been added to that of rice and tobacco, while the fig- tree had been introduced from Provence, and the orange from Hispaniola."

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History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I, Part 122

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 756

Author: Owen, Thomas McAdory, 1866-1920; Owen, Marie (Bankhead) Mrs. 1869-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 756