Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-19
ORCHARDING IN VIRGINIA
n Famous Horttculturi.t Tells Ho-
Ii Prospers.

HOW
Ii PrOspers.
). H. Hale in the Hartford Courapt
FOR years 1 have been talking Of Tho
prohtabieness of apple culture upon the
cheap, billy lands Of our state To be sure
last year, when there was a tremendous
crop the country over, and good apples
"eht begging at 40 cents a barrel n good
mildly were laughing at me and suggesting
'hat there was not much indication there of
pIohtapie industry, but 1 maintained then
anu sun MAINTAIN that taken one year with
another II apples can be sold at 81 per har.
rel there are thousands OF acres OF cheap.
toush iand IN our states that could he made
to pay liberal dividends sure and annnaII,,
painted in the best varieties or winter
eppies; and L know of no %, siness van.nra
either In agriculture. manufacturing or
commercial enterprises that holds our
greater promise of sure and safe ra,,rns
IMAM tne buying up of large tracts of avail
able orchard lands and planting I'm annles
ms year, with quite general failure OF
.he crop, there are a number of orcharas
IN the state that have had good care ana
are yielding literally, and the price now me-
ing received $50 and over per barr>s, are
mentS. " ~ ''eas-
TWO or three weeks ago. while i'm yirpini.
travelling through Albemar,e Nelson. Am
nerst and Bedford counties, famous the
world over for the production of The so
called Albemarle PippIns (really the N.u
Town PippinD, / found the orchards mostly
on rough hillsides, rocky lands. no better IN
any way apparently than thousands of
acres We have in I.itchfield Tolland AMI
Windham counties of our state and 50 f.r
as could judge producing no better am
pies OF like varieties than can be prown
mere: YET English buyers were out among
the farmers paying from So 50 to 81 40 rey
barrel Tor these apples in the orchards
and was shown the returns from some
shipments made direct by orchar,,;sts thar
station.
Two farms that was on could haya beep
bought hve years ago at less than &, um
each and Yet the 1897 apple crop of one had
sust oeen SOLD Tor $14.Ou0 and the other for
the tree. ' iioi'
i tried to ascertain from several of the
Enehshmen why their markets paid so
much more for this fruit than any other
tnat came from America and they agreed
tnat whiie the variety was an exceedingly
good shipper, it was not of as fine anrea-.
anee OF any better in quality than many
other apples that came from this counGry
put was early taken up by royalty and "a
Salneu a precedence over other varieties or
american apples that was not likely long 10
-, ue maintained and that probably within a
very rev years some of the finer red an
pies grown IN more northern latItudes
would md greater favor with the English
buyers. eis"
The prices being received in Virginia ,b,s
year Will stimulate heavy orchard nlan,ing
A Rlchmond nursery firm told me they had
ALREADY booked orders for over 2toss trees
OF ms one variety, and SO intense is the in
tereSt In apple culture in the old ,jo,ninion
tnat the progressive Southern railway
througn ITS land and industrial agent has
just taken a party of Virginia farmers on
an excursion up into central and western
new York 20 gather in ideas in r,.la1ion
10 apple orcharding and management
Inc southern railway is particularly n
ieauer IN doing everything IL can the last
lew years to bring new methods and better
Information on all agricultural subjects IN
those living along its lines
otner southern railroads are also doing n
good deal of the same sort of missionarv
work, and there is a DEVELOPMENT of in
dustries going on all through the south
mat Is going to make that section n sharn
competitor with the north in many lines OF
production that We have had exclusive CON-
.ioi OF IN the past. The northeastern
farmer has had tremendous opportunities
Tor enlarged business enterprises and has
tailed TO grasp the situation. The oppor-
tunities are still here and with some ad
VantaSes in our favor those who will put
progressive business methods and "A reason-
able amount of capital into agricultural en-
terprises, which they have some taste for
are sure OF satisfactory rewards Educated
young men with taste for agriculture had
better stick to the farm for 1 am sure in
the long run they can maintain more COM
Portable homes and be sure of n better liy-
ing IMAM the average. OF outside opportun.
tues tnat may come to them.