Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-06-25
FACTS ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE.
NO LXXVI.
Fruit Growing.


portance of the fruit crop in this country
has been steadily increasing. lnsome parts
of the North it is the most important crop
crown, and men have been engaged Tor
years in improving the quality as well rs
increasing the quantity raised. 1t has
been found to pay, andin great many in
stances, those engaged have reaped i'm
mense fortunes from the products of their
orchards Up to this time comparatively
little attention has been given the fruit
crops in the South. Orchards have been
planted without reference to the quality
of fruit, and the trees have been left to
take care of themselves. If the soil in
which trees were planted happened to
be of the proper character, and if good
quality Of fruit was by chance selected
we have seen good orchards, bu. under
such circumstances, as matter of course,
good orchards are few and far between"
But there is an awakening on this subject
now The ready market presented for
good fruit has aroused great many per-
SONS to the importance of the crop, and
they are turning their attention in that di-
rection. That fortunes are in reserve in
the near future for those who engage aC-
lively in fruit growing, there can be no
doubt.
Southwestern Virginia, Western North
Carolina, Southern Kentucky, Eastern
Tennessee, and a portion of Northern
Georgia, present a broad field for fruit
CHlture unsurpassed in the South or in the
country. The climate and the soil are
well adapted to the growth of nearly all
kinds of fruit. Apples, peaches, pears.
cherries, apricots, &C., grow in great
profusion when properly cultivated, while
the smaller fruits, such as strawberries,
blackberTies, raspberries, &C., flourish
with a little attention. 1t has also been
thoroughly demonstrated that the grape
vine thrives here almost equal to any other
locality on the continent.
Since the war the fruit crop of East Ten
nessee has proven most valuable article
of commerce, and despite the little atten-
ton paid to its culture thousands of dollars
have been received every year, as the pro-
Ceeds of the crop. And this has been,
we might say, with a few exceptions,
forced upon us. These vast profits have
come into the fruit grower, while little or
no attention has been paid to orchards,
and almost as little attention to gathering
and preparing for market.
There is a great deal of mountain and
ridge land in and adjacent to East Tennes-
see, which can be purchased cheap, and
which is well adapted to fruit growing.
Some of the best orchards we have in the
country are on this ridge land. For
peaches, which are more likely to be in
jured by late frosts, it is preferable to the
valley land. With proper energy, atten-
ton and skill, it could all be turned to
have never produced dollar in the
world, could be made to produce large
and paying crops of fruit, for which a
ready market can nearly always be OBJ
tanned.
We have spoken of Southwestern Vir-
ginia, Southern Kentucky, &c, as being
fine fruit growing countries, The advan-
tage that East Tennessee has over these,
with the exception of that portion of Vfr-
ginia adjacent to the Tennessee and Vir-
ginia railroad is in the matter of a ready
market. With the East Tennessee Nir-
ginia and Georgia road passing through
this section of the State, penetrated at va
Tious points by navigable rivers we have
facilities for marketing which render it
very desirable to fruit growers, in this i'm
portant particular.
We all remember how scarce fruit was
in the market here last winter and what
prices it commanded. For several weeks
apples sold for from three to four dollars
per busheI. We may always count on
certain market in the States south OF Us
and at home. Our facilities before alluded
TO for getting the fruit into market are
good our climate and soil is good, and
our market is good. Then why
should not men make money by
raising fruit. Our people are beginning to
arrive at this conclusion, and are acting ac-
cordingIy. For the past two OR three years
thousands of dollars have been paid out
annually to the Northern and Eastern
States for young fruit trees. The people
have concluded that there is money in it,
and they are planting large orchards, cul-
tivating with greater care and are bestow-
ing more caution in the selection of good
varieties.
Men have made money of late in the cul-
tivation of smaller fruits. In fact, we
have heard of no one who has gone into it
with zeal and industry that has not made
money. We have heard some thus engag-
ed speak most encouragingly of the results
of their experience. While the demand
for this class of fruits is not so large
as for the class above spoken of, it has
i