THE PINEHURST OUTLOOK
WHAT IT REALLY COSTS
THE JEFFERSON
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT HOTEL IN THE SOUTH
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
The Country Gentleman's Article on the Exact Costs and
Profits of a Peach Orchard Near Pinehurst
An Authoritati re Story of Agriculture in the Sandhills from the Audited Books
of the Carolina Fruit Company
AN ARTICLE appeared
in the November 20th
issue of the Country
Gentleman giving in ac
curate and detailed fig
ures the financial history
of Mr. B mini's peach or
chard above Samarcand.
We have so often heard
the question asked whether anyone
made any money farming hereabout, and
if so who, and how, that we venture to
print the bulk of this report. The Out
look will vouch for the literal truth of
every statement in it, and with slight
provocation will carry any doubting soul
to see the manager and even the books.
The article goes on to say:
"With the object in view of devising
some accounting system, a few strong
men from various parts of the earth who
found themselves neighbors in Moore
County, North Carolina, called together
the community for forty miles round and
established an organization that bears the
commonplace name of The Sandhill Board
of Trade. The object of this body is, as
far as I can discover, unique. It is not
to boost and hurrah, to eulogize and ad
mire. It is not to promote and add to the
myriad of fairy stories in circulation. It
is to determine the exact truth about all
matters of public interest in that great
Southern region, and to apply one hard
test of figures to all conditions of
life. They have made every man's
business public business. They pay an
agricultural evangelist, who is also an
analytical mathematician, to ascertain the
exact facts and conditions and profits and
losses on all the farms and crops in the
territory the exact gain or loss to Bill
Jones from the mud hole in the road; the
exact distance to and from school of each
individual, and the effect upon the mar
riage chances of his daughter. Facts,
that is all. Every man, woman and child
in the district gets these facts. And you
would be surprised to see how quickly
they take action once they become def
initely aware of their purport. No fur
ther propaganda is required. I ven
ture to say that the carefully tabulated
information gained by this society is of
real and practical value to the whole coun
try. It may reflect either credit or dis
credit upon that vicinity probably it
does both but it will provide at least one
sound balance sheet as an example upon
which others may be made.
I shall take a single case. Let us
suppose that a resident of this section,
reading the illustrated pamphlet of a
nursery, should desire to plant a peach
orchard. Instead of reading an article
that concludes with the "safe assump
tion ' ' that one can get a crate of peaches
to a tree in the fourth year, worth at least J
one dollar a crate net, or $140 an acre a
year, he puts on his hat and goes to Roger
Derby, president, and demands to know
every single fact and figure, good or bad,
about an orchard now with its place in
the sun and its notes in the bank.
Because it may be of interest to some
one actually contemplating this thing. I
shall put down here exactly what he would
receive. It would be the audited report
of the Carolina Fruit Company, a little
ninety-acre orchard in the neighborhood
whose career is typical, neither good nor
bad.
This orchard is planted on good peach
ground, but land in nowise remarkable.
Equally good land can be obtained almost
anywhere in the district, and in most dis
tricts from Georgia to Connecticut. It is
fairly well on top of a hill, but not so high
s is generally considered desirable. It wras
planted eight years ago, in 1907, and was
badly mismanaged for three years. The
San Jose scale was allowed to make some
progress, and the trees were not properly
sprayed or pruned during that period.
It has been since that time under very
able and skillful management. It cancbe
considered an average orchard, and with
ordinary care and skill anyone could ex
pect to obtain the same results. It will
be observed that anyone can readily point
out unnecessary expense in this statement
and figure larger returns. But this is a
question of exactly what has been done,
not what anyone thinks he can do.
The orchard was planted about Jan
uary, 1907, and the entire plant was made
from wild land covered with scrub oak
and pine stumps. The expenses of the
company from its beginning until Septem
ber 1, 1910, which included one small
crop of peaches, are exactly as follows,
according to the books as audited by
Edward C. Patterson, certified public
accountant :
receipts: 1907 to September 1, 1910
Capital stock:
Issued for .cash $12,620.00
Issued to promoter 1,250.00
$13,870.00
Cotton grown on an acre, 1909 53.82
Cowpeas grown between trees. . 176.00
Corn sold ' 3-30
Interest on idle money invested 40.28
Owed open account 161.23
Peaches sold, 1910 2,403.26
$16,707.89
disbursements: 1907 to sept. 1, 1910
140 acres of wild land $ 845.00
Buildings: 7-room house, 4-
mule barn, shed and tenant
house 1,214.96
io nno nonh treps . 844.85
r
Fence
66.45
h 'rnmll -srt lift
t
V 2
. ft.-
Eighteen Hole Golf Club of Country Club of Virginia Nearby
11 The many points of historic interest in, and around the City, and its central
location make Kichmond a very desirable stop-over point for tourists.
II Eooms single and en suite, with and without baths. Turkish and Eoman Baths.
Every comfort for the tourist, every convenience for the traveling man.
H For handsomely illustrated booklet or reservations, address
THE JEFFERSON, Richmond, Virginia
O. F. WEISIGER, Manager
.-;-. ' . ' :.' .-. -...iis.i. , :..,' ......... .... ' . ,'. s
HOTEL WENTWORTH
NEW CASTLE PORTSMOUTH N. H.
The Leading New England Coast Summer Resort.
Every facility for sport and recreation : Golf, tennis, riding, driving,
yachting, fishing, bathing and well equipped garage under competent
supervision. Fine livery. Music by symphony players. Accommo
dates 500. Local and long distance telephone in every room.
Send today for illustrated booklet.
WENTWORTH HOTEL CO., H. W. Priest, Manager
Address Until May 1 , The Carolina, Pinehurst, N. C.
BRETTON IN THE HEART OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
yyQQT35i Improved Golf Course Full 6,450 yard
THE nOUVT
Ralph J. HERKIMER
Winter: The Ocklawaha
Eustis, Florida
THE MOV1T T
D. J. TRUDEAU
Winter: Hotel Ormond
Ormond Beach, Fla.
Information at 243 Fifth Ave., New York, and all of Mr. Foster's offices
JSTBRETTON WOODS SADDLE HORSES AT ORMOND THIS WINTER