The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-08

to five hundred per cent. Eastern North
Carolina is adapted to the successful
growth of many fruits besides strawber-
ries-such as peaches, plums, pears, dew
berries, blackberries, figs. pecans,, etc.,
and the interest in same is yearly in
ereasing, as we'll as the acreage. The
famous, scuppernong is native to the soil
the original vine is still living, covering
three or more acres Of ground and pro-
ducing annually tons of grapes. Many
large vineyards of this class of grapes.
both black and white varieties, have been
planted; large quantities of the fruit is
shipped annually. Several large concerns
make large quantities of ScuppernoLg
wine, famous the country over aid sold
everywhere.
The trucking interests of Eastern North
Carolina are great, and have been more
than doubled in the last ten years. While
this may be a little off the subject, yet 1t
is close kin and often carried on in con-
nection with fruit-growing, and cannot be
we'll overlooked here. Hundreds of cars
Of beans, peas, potatoes, lettuce, and
other truck is shipped every. year from
Eastern North Carolina Neither can we
overlook the famous Sampson county
huckleberry, which brings in thousands Of
dollars yearly to Sampson and adjoining
counties. The "big blues of that section
are famous and much sought after.
By the introduction of new varieties of
winter apples especially adapted to the
great cotton belt, it is found that we can
now have good winter apples in Eastern
North Carolina. Formerly We had to re-
ly on the Old Hall apple so very small
that one was only bite, two a taste and
dozen satisfer; but by the introduc-
tion of the Yates, Springdale and Nc
Cullers We have three good winter apples,
"big red apples" seemingly made for the
fiat country, the cotton belt and the sand
hills. | have favorable reports from them
throughout these districts, and have fruit
ed them in the sand hills of Moore coun-
ty, North Carolina, where they have
come into bearing early, obtain to large
size, good color and quality, and keep
under proper conditions through the
winter
Extensive peach orchards have been
planted in Moore county, near Southern
Pines, also large vineyards Of Niagara
and Delaware grapes. No State can
surpass this section in the production of
fine peaches and grapes. We sold our
fruit the past season from that point at
fancy prices, some of it bringing $3.50 to
SIS per 3-peck carrier Southern Pines
Is known throughout the North for Its
healthful climate, and its fine peaches
and grapes.
1t used to be said PLANT pears, and
you plant them for wour heirs" Not so
now. Here we plant pears now and have
fruit in a very few years from our own
planted trees. This change was brought
about by the introduction Of the Oriental
varieties of pears and their seedlings
such varieties as Keiffer, CARRIER, Le-
Conte, Magnolia pear, and others. This
class of pears are rapid growers, early
and prolific bearers, and practically free
from blight. They fill long-felt want;
they give us pears by the bushel, and
are not long about it. These varieties
ripen in succession through August Sep
TENDER, October and November. The later
ones can be pulled and kept, under pro-
per conditions, till Christmas. They are
exceedingly valuable for all culinary rur-
poses, and fine for eating raw when ripe.
During the last decade the introduction
to our State of new varieties and classes
of fruits has been remarkable and NEST
beneficial. The fruit season has been
heightened by. several weeks and many
gaps filed in where before We had no
fruit. we have peaches two or three
weeks earlier and as much later, thus
extending the peach season more than
month. New varieties of peaches have
come. up, so that now we have peaches
ripening in succession without break
from June to October. That's what we
have at Pomona, and we are telling
everybody about it.
One of the greatest acquisitions in the
fruit line. is the wonderful Japanese
plums, imported from the Japs-several
varieties, commencing to ripen in June
and continuing almost without a break
up to the. middle of August. They bear
very young, usually good crop second
year after planting, enormously prolific,
the fruit sticking on almost as thick as
grapes, of delicious flavor, sweet and
good These plums are planted for mar
ket as we'll as for family use There
have been many varieties offered, but
the most prolific ones are Red June,
Climax. Abundance, Burbank and Wick
SON.
North Carolina offers to the home
seeker q hearty welcome, good fellowship.
good climate and variety of soils adapt
ed to all standard fruits, which, with
intelligent management, can be probably
produced for the home, the local market
and for shipment to our large cities, both
North and South.
]. VAN LdNDLEY.
Pomona, N. c.. April 3.