The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-11-14
For the Valley virginiaa.
Orchard Planting,

VANhasu AsbutiuSs
This is subject that should engage the
careful attention Of every farmer and orch
ardst in the Valley. Man in his natural
state subsists upon fruits alone. Where
fruits grow abundantly. In Asia, Africa, most
parts Of America and the islands of the trop-
ical. sea, mankind fads all his wants sup
piled 10 the palm, orange, banana, fig, grape
and apple. He lives without labor, and
knows not disease. Since the various fruits
are sufficient for the support Of man, they
can be used to supply the place Of all other
food. Since it can be supplied 10 abundance
Dit is cheap and within the reach CT all. Be-
cause healthy, its use is ever on the increase.
Although fruit, generally speaking, is cheap,
yet it can be raised in such large quantities
and at SO little cost as to pay larger profit
to the producer than any other crop More
over, with very little increase of care, by a
judicious selection in the first place, guam
tity Of fruit can be produced in as great guam
tity as the poorest, that will always command
good price. It is an extraordinary crop Of
wheat or corn, that will return $50 gross to
the acre. Yet at half the expense. peaches
will return 500, grapes $3.50 or 5000, pears
$500 to $500. Apples vary SO much in quail
t. and productiveness that it is almost i'm
possible to estimate the value OF the product.
A productive orchard of good varieties may
yield per acre, about 800 worth Of fruit
These figures may be deemed somewhat large
yetthey can be attained and have been exceed
ed. In the Valley very much of the fruit is
raised for the purpose of distillation. Were
care exercised in the selection of proper va
rieties and cultivation, at least double the av-
erage annual products could be raised. APP
Piles, peaches and grapes will produce, with
proper attention, from fifty to eight hundred
gallons of proof fruit brandy per acre.
It is true we have to wait from three to
six years for return, yet that return is Of
ten so large as to pay for the trees in the
first crop The fruit trees set out will in.
crease the value of the estate vastly more
than their cost. With proper care they will
last lifetime. continually rewarding, their
owner with bountiful crops of fruit. Give
each tree every few years half bushel Of
ashes aud lime and bones, and disease will
give ne trouble. Fruit trees will pay on land
that will raise nothing else. The peach wants
sandy soil, the Hale's early variety only
fourishing on that which has graveliy sub
soil. The pear does best on stiff clay, but
not by any means wet. The apple, though
in its varieties, adapted to almost any soil
from Maine to Texas, prefers more loamy
soil or decomposed rock. The vine can he
planted almost anywhere, on sand or clay,
limestone or granite formations. Yet the
best results are generally attained on clay
ey loan. But, although the various fruits
will grow and produce crops on land too poor
for rye to head, yet it should not be expected
they should thrire or do their best. They
will more than any other crop, repay the APP
plication of labor and nanures. Dwarf pears
indeed should be carefully set with bushel
Of oyster shells under each, upon the richest
land, and kept cultivated.
Then fruit may be obtained worth three
or four dollars per bushel (the writer sold at
FIVE dollars.l Although the care of trees
cannot be included in the scope of newspa
per article, yet it may be proper to state here
and at this time, that all bliyhted portions Of
the pear tree should be cut off 6eloao the
blackened bark and burned. The vine, al
so,struggling on bare hill side, will we'll re-
pay the use Of manure or bone dust in the win
ter. With the prospects of an increasing
population Of our State and market cities
of increased facilities Of transportation Of
a vastly increased consumption, stimulated
by new processes Of drying, canning and ex-
portation with the successful rivalry of the
West in grain production with these facts
before u.s. should our people hesitate to set
out orchards aud vineyards :?
Next week shall consider the subject Of
varieties, etc.
HOLLYWOOD.