Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-02-06
GREAT FRUIT CENTER.
Commissioner Koiner Gives Pertinent
: Virginia Statistics Best Apple State
In the Union.

In the Union.
Virginia is destined to become one
of the greatest of all the fruit growing
States. No other State in America
offers better advantages. and the i'm
portance of the fruit industry is now
dawning upon the people. According
to G.. W. Koiner, the Commissioner OF
Agriculture, the soil, the climate, and
the location, all Of these existing to
gether in this one State, gives to the
fruit grower more advantages than
can he found elsewhere.
At the present time there are now
growing in Virginia $780, 900 apple
trees, 1,239, 900 peach trees, 269.Ooo
cherry trees. 291, 900 pear trees, 49,
1913 plum trees and 83l. 900 grape vines.
Notwithstanding these vast figures,
Mr.. Koiner states in his annual report
chat these trees should be only begin
ming in the fruit business in Virginia.
The superior quality of the Virginia
fruit is unquestionable. Every year
there is an increase in exports from
this State to Europe. And this, not
withstanding the fact that most OF the
fruit has not been pushed on the for
eign market, but is left to sell itself,
which it has been able to do Ia com
petition with Northern and Western
fruits that have been abundantly ad
vertised. This speaks well for the
flavors of the Virginia apples. but the
awakening has come, and the beautl-
full Albemarle pippln, the winesap and
the johnson Winter apples will not be
left to find their own ways to English
cons s1mers, but will be backed by the
intelligence of the Virginia fruit grow
ers. 1t is said they now contemplate
sending a representative to London,
Liverpool and other foreign markets.
to proclaim to the world the par ex-
cellence of soil products of the Old
Dominion.
An investment in an apple orchard
that is planted with the best varieties.
and properly cared for. is almost a
perpetual investment in this State.
There are apple trees in Nelson, Roam
oke, Patrickland other counties one
hundred years old, and still bearing
fruit, some of them producing over
100 bushels per tree in one crep. Or
chards have produced a revenue from
$500 to $500 per acre. An orchard IN
Rappahannock county yielded an in
come of $3.50 per acre from one crop
An orchard in Shenandoah county
yielded, from 500 Ben Davis trees. foul
years old, eighty barrels of marketable
apples, anG in the eighth year yielded
1000 bushels. There are many farm
ers who. ten years ago, were hard
pressed to make buckle and tongue
meet at the end of the year, are now
out of debt, and buying more land ane
living in ease and comfort. The money
was made from their well-cared fol
orchards. These orchards will be 6
valuable heritage for their children
Fifty years from now these orchards
will continue to bear, if properly man
aged, while not tree standing now il
the West will, at that age, even leav'
a stump to mark it's former place
The trees live longer here, and produce
a better quality of fruit than grown
elsewhere. There is no better invest
ment than in well selected and pro
perly treated orchard.
/ There are now several large orchard
in this State. The Diamond Orchar'
Company. in Roanoke county, and tn
Scott orchards. in Floyd county. ar
the largest. These two orchards coH
sist of more than 100000 fruit trees
they are we'll cared for, and will pre-
duce an immense revenue in fey
, years. 9
Il While Vagina now ranks eight
in the number OF apple trees growing
according to the Commissioner
Agriculture, she is the best apple Stat
lin the Union. The crop figures fe
1899 show that she produced 10000, On
bushels of apples and s.OOO,O 900 bushe
\ of peaches. Richmond Dispatch.