y .
C. BUSH, Publisher
The Only Paper Published 'in Polk;;County A Live Clean Paper'for the Home
Volume XXVI II No. 29
S(*te
r?iy
Price 5 Cents
Tryon, N. C., March 15, 1923
$2.00 a Year
A VALUABLE CITIZEN.
To Editor Polk County News
Dear Sir: ?
I wonder if we have here in
polk County appreciated the
work that is being done for us
on a hill top on Pea Ridge a
mile beyond Mill Spring.
There, a white headed and
white bearded old man who will
-soon celebrate his 80th birth
day is beginning a -series of ex
periments in testing out fruit
trees that many men of half
his age would consider a
scheme so colossal that they
would hesitate to undertake it.
He is planning to try out
every possible variety of apple,
pear, peach, plum and grape
and many varieties of small
fruits, nuts and persimmons.
He is testing different stocks
tor roots, trying whether root
grafting of scions, or budding
on one year seedling stocks
gives the best tree, whether
some of the pears that have ap
parently never been tried here
cannot be made to succeed by
grafting them into quince
stocks.
He is trying to find out the]
best strain- on which to pro
legate peaches, as well as the
best varieties of peaches to
grow in Polk County. He is
getting scions and budwood
from all parts of the country
and testing them and has found
out already a few facts, or
what in the light of his limited
experience here seem to be
facts about certain varieties.
It is known to all horticul- 1
turalists, (Heavens! what a
long word, but there is no
other English word that means
^ just what Horticulturalist
means so we will have to study
its meaning and use it; it
means: a person engaged in the
propogation and production of
fruit edible by man). It is
known I repeat, to all horticul
turists, Known, not guessed
at that the seed of no fruit pro
duces a tree that will bear
fruit exactly like its parent.
Then in order to produce a
tree that will bear Elberta
peaches, for instance, it won't
do merely to plant the pit of an
Elberta peach and trust to the
Lord for the tree. We must
get a portion of the wood of an
Elberta peach tree and either
by root grafting, budding or
top grafting get this Elberta
wood to growing; *then, and
only then will we get Elberta
peaches to grow again for us.
Yet this is not all we must do.
We have to find what seed to
plant to get the root or stock
on which to bud or graft the
Elberta, whether it will be bet
ter on an Indian peach root or
on the wood ofv some tame
peach. This can only be de
termined by a careful pains
taking and well planned series
of experiments. Curiously,
these experiments ought to be
tried out for every new varia
tion of soil and climate.A peach
that might be the very top
notcher for Saluda; because Co
lumbus is 1000 feet lower than
Saluda and two weeks earlier,
might not do as well in Colum
bus as another variety that, in
its turn, might prove a frost in
Saluda.
In a general way the State
Experiment station can advise
what fruits- to try, and their
abvice is conservative and
good, but often some peculiar
combination of soil, exposure,
climate and mnfblJ would
make soiruP variety other than
that advised by the Experi
ment Station very much more
profitable to grow. The ques
tion is; how can this variety
be found? The answer to this
question is what, our wise,
white-headed old friend on Pea
Ridge is trying to find.
He has just finished setting
out five thousand root grafts
and slips, which will be trans
planted to permanent homes.
So far he has not done much
about grapes, having confined
his attention mostly to apples,
Pears, peaches and plums. So
for he has under way tests on
55 varieties of peaches, 20 va
rieties of pears, about 30 va
rieties of apples, quite a num
ber of plums and 35 varieties of
grapes.
He is certain that there is
nowhere in the United States
so singularly complete a place
for fruit growing as Polk Coun
ty. !
The early Spring, with the
slow putting forth of the flow
ers on the trees, the freedom
from frost of the many hilltops
and mountains sides, the fre
quent and copious showers, the
hot days and cool nights during
summer, the long late falls
which give the trees so much
time in which to harden up
their wood for the winter, and
the mild winters with many
days in them which are so won
derfully pleasant to be "alive in,
make fruit growing, (Horticul
ture) in this region as near a
certainly as possible.
Then the markets ? and the
prices ? where could one find
better or hope for greater.
With the thousands of mill
workers who as soon as our
roads are finished will be only
a few hours truck drive from
our doors, and every one them
clamoring for good fruit, will
ing to pay handsome prices for
it, so willing, in fact, that they
will buy anything today : -they
paid more than 80 cents a bush
el for peaches, shaken from the
trees and delivered in a dead-ex
wagon last fall.
If there were 20, 30 or more
farmers in Polk County run
ning from 1000 to 2 or 3,000
fruit trees not one of them
would ever have to go off his
place to sell his ? fruit. The
trucks from Spartanburg, Gas
tonia, Rutherfodton and all the
way to Asheville would beseige
him for it.
Isn't there some young man
in Polk County who would
rather grow fruit than cotton?
If there is such a chap and he
Wants to learn the business
from the root up, including pro
rogation, pruning, spraying,
harvesting, sorting, packing,
selling, or canning and selling
mv advice to him would be to
apply to Mr. Wm. G. Voorheis,
Route 1, Mill Spring, N. C. for
a job and stick to it for 3 or 4
years. If he didn't whoop it
i up for fruit growing after two
?>r three years with Mr. Voor
hies I'd lose my guess entirely.
I Mr. Voorhies has been grow
ing fruit for the market for
more than fifty years and
knows a great deal about it,
more probably than everybody
else in Polk County. But he
would be he last man in the
county to say he knew it all.
But what he does know which
will be of the greatest value to
us in the county is how to ex
periment and how to learn the
lessons his experiments will
teach when they fruit.
He knows too, how to keep
records of his experiments so
as not to get them mixed. Even
if he went no farther Poft
county would be his debtor for
what he has done for us so far.
I congratulate him and I con
gratulate Polk county # for it?
good fortune in getting Mr.
Voorhies for a citizen.
Veery sincerely yours,
EDGAR W. UPTON.
Dies at Rutherford Hospita1.
Miss Florence Harris, the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam D. Harris, died at Ruther
ford Hospital, Saturday, March
3, at nine o'clock p. m. and was
brought to Montford Cove, near
her home, for burial Sunday.
Rev. M. M. Huntley, pastor of
Pleasant Hill church, conducted
the funeral services. Florence
was sixteen years of age. and
was loved by everyone who
knew her. She has many
friends in Polk County, who are
sorry to learn of her death.
Tho' she is gone ? her friend-1
ly smites for everyone will ever
be remembered.
Mexican Big Boll Cotton
grown in North Carolina has
won out over the far-fa?iea,
North Georgia in recent spoo
ning tests conducted by the
Federal Department of Agri-j
culture. f
! WM
SALUDA IS EXPECTED
TO IMPROVE STREES
There Is Opposition to Move
ment but This Is Being Over
come.
Saluda, March 11, ? For the
past month there has been an
endless dicussion among the
population of this p!ace as to
whether or not to vote for street
paving and water improve
ments. This question has just
about split up the town for sev
eral weeks, but the advocates
of the improvements have talk
ed many of the opposition over,
and from the angle now seen, it
looks as though the vote would
carry through by a narrow
margin when put up to the peo
ple.
Under the. city charter the
town authorities could not vote
any large sum for any purpose
without the consent of the peo
ple, as expressed in an election,
and under the State laws the
city could not vote bonds over
about 13 per cent of its total
taxed valuation. Mayor P. H.
Bailey, leader of the movement
for the bonds, sounded ou.t a
large number of the leaders in
Saluda and arrived at the con
clusion that it would be wise to
vote $25,000 for improvement
of the water works, and also a
bond issue of $65,000 for the
placing of paved streets over
the important sections of the
town. This met with consider
able opposition. The Mayor
went quietly to work with his
plans, and the next thing any
one in Saluda knew about it,
Representative Morgan, of Polk,
had introduced a bill changing
the city charter so as to al
low the city to issue these
bonds, in spite of the State law,^
which was made to concede
with this bill. It passed with
out opposition, and is now a law,
under which he people may vote
on this sum. Under the new
law the city council can vote
on the bonds themselves, with
out putting it to the people
The council acted under this
provision in the matter of the
water works and voted the
bond issue for $25,000. There
was some opposition on the
board to this, but it was finally
put through, and the question
of the paving left up to the
people.
Mayor Bailey caUed a meet
ing of the city council Friday
night at which time it was ex
pected to~ pass the resolution
calling for a vote, but one mem
ber was absent, and another
member of the council ob
jected to calling the election.
The matter could have been put
over, as the advocates had a ;
majority, but Mayor Bailey |
decided to leave it open until
March 24, at which time the
absent member will be present
and the matter will be decided
by a ful1 meeting.
The present tax rate is 80
fcents, and under the vote of
the water bonds it will be in
creased to an even dollar to
meet the requirements. A
schedule has been arranged,
showing the property owners
that by an additional increase
of 25 cents the town could have
over three miles of paved
streets to offer the tourists,
and that this total of $1.25 will
provide a revenue more than
sufficent to take care of the in
terest, retiring bonds and cur
rent expenses of the town, and
will provide a surplus, some
thing that Saluda does not
have under the present amount
of taxation.
The engineers are aJready
at work on the water sysem.
Under the new charter an elec
tion can not be called under six
weeks after the vote for it.
That will mean the election will
take plaqe about May I, and if
it passes work on the streets
will commence as soon there
after as possible, as the prop
erty owners in favor of it are
very anxious to see Saluda
turned from a country viUage
into a modern resort town,
with something definite to offer
as competition to the other
towns in this vicinity making
bids for the summert touris
trade.
? If this goes through, all of
the ' business and residential
streets will be paved.. New
water mains, sufficent to take
care of the needs for years, will
be put in. The program calls
for a most attractive plan and
one that will go far to make
this once popular resort take a
long stride forward to win
back the thousands of people
who were in the habit of com
ing here for the summer be
fore the automobiles demanded
paved roads and streets. ?
AsheviUe Citizen.
o
To Polk County Farmers.
Spring time is here. Seed
time first and then harvest.
Seed time is of most import
ance just now because it comes
first and must be dealt with
first. In fact there wil1 be
no harvest unless seed time is
wisely used. Then again be
fore planting the seeds; pre
paration of soil necessarily
comes; and now is the time
for that. See to it that the
very best preparation in way
of seed bed is made. If your
fields have stumps and rocks,
remove them, or at least a por
tion of them. Don't plow
ground big loose rocks and
stumps that can be removed
with little expense and labor.
I am asked by many farmers
what is the best means of get
ting rid of stumps. Common
sense is the best method I have
ever used or seen used. Dyna
mite for some stums. A good
stump puller for some and a
mat toe and a little elbow
grease for others; but by all
means get rid of some every
year until every field is derr.
When the field is ready for the
plow see that a first class job of
flowing is done, and that a good
well prepared seed bed is made.
Dont be in to great hurry to
plant and neglect this fund
amental operation. I say take
time and prepare the land well
for any crop, including the gar
den especially. When this is
done, the next step is the seed
you plant. All seeds, no matter
what the crop may be should
be of the highest quality; be
cause "Whatsoever seed a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.
This is a law and cannot be
evaded. All seed should really
be tested before panting, and
old unreliable seed not planted.
After planffihg comes proper
cultivation, harvesting and
marketing in regular succes
sion. Preparation of soil good
seeds for all crops, proper fer
tilization and planting are the
all important things just now.
Respectfully, ,
J. R. SAMS
County Agent.
0
HONOR ROLL FOR SIXTH
MONTH.
First Grade
Myrtle Lindsey
Bob Millikin
Elsie Mills
Billy Wilkins
Second Grade
Mamie Cantrell
Franciis Justice
Third Grade
Sarah Millikiin
Viola Lindsey
Eunice Rollings
Elizabeth Avant
Fourth Grade
(Not ready. Will come out
next week)
Fifth Grade
Ollie Lindsey
Cleo Watson
Louise Averill
Sixth Grade
John Kittrell
David Strong
Louise Andrews
Katharine Jones
Virginia Simmons
Seventh Grade
Josephine Hill >v
Sidney Sayre
Geraldine Sayre
, Polly Scriven
Franklin Little
The High school and Fourth
Grade Honor Rolls will come
out next week. Because of the
absence of many pupils on last
Friday (the County Bread Con
test) our work was somewhat
delayed.
BLUE RIDGE POWER COM
PANY HAS NOT AN
NOUNCED SITE
Probably will Be Located in
Polk County ? To Generate
Power by Hydro-Eletric
Progress.
PLANT IN HENDERSON
A new $1,000,000 hydro-electric
development along Green river
in Western North Carolina was
announced today by the Blue
Ridge Power company, which
has a plant on the stream in
Henderson county at Tuxedo,
which develops 8,000 horse
power and supplies power to
cotton mills and several mun
icipalities in North Carolina
and ^n Spartanburg County in
South Carolina. The location
of the new development has i
not been made public, but it is
understood it pdobably will be
below the present plant, possi
bly in Polk County. ? AsheviUe
Times.
o
REMARKLE LETTER
(From Peoples's Journal, Ab
erdeen, Scotland.) .
A remarkable letter, alleged
to have been written by Christ,
is being published in the
United States and Canada,
and the story of its seeing the
light is surrounded by super
stition worthy of the dark
ages. -
In the letter was an injunc
tion that it should be published
to the world by whoever found
it, together with the state
ment that misfortune and bad
bac' luck W"Ud follow the per
sor: having possession of it in
the event that it was not given
publicity. There was like
wise a promise that whoever
might have a copy in his or her
possession would prosper and
be followed by good fortune.
According to the history of
the letter, it was written by
Christ just after His crufixion,
signed by the Angel Gabriel 99
years after the Savor's birth
and presumably deposited by
him under a stone at the foot
of- the Cross.
On this stone appeared the
legend "Blessed is he who shall
turn me over" No one knew
what the inscription ? meant, or
seemed to have sufficent cur
iousity to investigate, until
the stone was turned over by a
little child, and* the letter
which follows was discovered.
."Whosoever works on the
Sabbath day shall be cursed. I
command you to go to church
and keep holy the Lord's day,
without any manner of work.
You shall not idle or misspend
volir time in bedecking your
self in superfluities of costly ap
parel and vain dressing, for I
have ordered it a day of rest. I
will have that day kept holy
that your sins may be forgiven
vou.
"You will not break my com
mandments, but observe #
keep them, they being written
bv my hand and spoken by my
mouth. You shall not only go
to church yourselves, but also
your man servant and maid
servant. Observe ? my words
and learn my commandments.
Finish at Six o'C^ock
"You shall finish your work
every Saturday at six o'clock m
the afternoon, at\ which hour
the preparation for the Sabbah
begins. I advise you to fast
five days in the year, beginning
on Good Friday and continu
ing the five days following, in
remembrance of the five bloody
wounds I received for you and
mankind. - -
"You shall love one an
other, and cause them that are
not baptised to come to church
and receiive the Holy Sacra
ment that is to say, baptism,
and the Supper of the Lord,
and be made a member there
of , and in so doing I will give
you long life and many bless
ing. Your land shaH be re
plenished and bring forth
abundance and I wiH comfort
you in the great temptation,
and surely" he that doeth to the
contrary shall be cursed. v
"I will also send hardness of
the heart on them, and especi
ally on hardened and unrepem
tent unbelievers. He that
iftfijjfi f li t T
hath given to the poor shall
find it profitable. Remember *
to keep the Sabbath day, for
the seventh day I have taken
as a resting day to myself.
"And he that hath a copy of
this letter written by my own
hand and spoken by my own
mouth and keepeth it without
publishing it to others, shall
not prosper, but he that pub
lishes it to others shall be
blessed by me, and if their
sins be many as stars by night,
and if they truly believe they
shall be pardoned; and they
that believe not this writing
and my commandments wil1
have my plagues upon you, and
you will be consumed with your
children, goods and cattle, and
all other worldly enjoyments
that I have given you. Do
but one thing of what I have
suffered for you, if you do, it
will be well for you in this
world and in the world which
is to come.
Found By A Child.
"Whosover shall have a copy
of this letter and keep it in
their house, nothing shall hurt
them, neither pestilence, thun
der nor lightning, and any wo
man be in birth and put her
trust in me she shall be deliver
ed of her hild. You shall hear
no Scriptures unti1 the day of
judgement. All goodness and
prosperity shall be found.
Finished."
The story goes that the little
child who found it passed it to
one who became a convert to
the Christian faith. He failed
to have the letter published.
He kept it, however, as a sac
red memento of Christ, and it
has passed down to different
generations of his family for
more than one thousand years.
During this period the fam
ily suffered repeated misfor
tunes. migrated to different
countries, until finally one of
them came to America, bring
ing the letter with them. They
settled in Virgina, then moved
futher south, still followed by
misfortune, when finally the
last member, a daughter, ap
proached her death bed and
called a neighbor, giving her
the letter, and related its his
tory for more than one
thousand years. The woman
began the attempt to have it
published, and it first appeared
in 1891. It then appeared in
the "Dalton Citizen," and an
Indian woman clipped it and
kept it in her possession for
many years without an effort
to have-it published. She was
followed by misfortune, which
she attributed to h?r neglect
in trying ; to have the letter
published.
Still ^ another woman is said^
to have a copy and failed to
make an effort to have it pub
lished for three years, and was
followed by a varied lot of mis
fortunes which she attributed
to the fact of her neglect in
this respect.
KJ
A Victrola Wanted
f
Has some one a Victrola that
is in bis way, and of which he'd
like to make a gift, or sell very
reasonably ? The primary
grades of our school are in
need of onte.
If you should like to dis
pose of one, phone Mrs. C. W.
Kittrell, Chairman of Needs
Committee of P. T, A.
o
MEN'S NIGHT
Friday evening at 7 :45 there
will be a meeting of the Parent
Teacher Association at the
school building to which the
fathers of the school children
are especially invited. Both
mothers and fathers and others
who are interested in the
school will be welcome how
ever, and a programme has
been arranged which will be
both entertaining and profita
ble. Prof. Honeycutt of the
Hendersonville school will ad
dress the meeting.
o
Unsprayed was 40 percent
wormy; sprayed fruit was nine
percent wormy according to
tests made in the sandhills last
year by the North CaroHna Ex
periment Station.