The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-12-31
Fruit
TtsE & Oh or tiE q AR
AND B
HE oUTLo COX FOR
AS HE FlITtlRE.


The Romney Review In q recent y.
sue contains the following interesting
statistics about fruit In Hampshire
county:
AS stated some time ago, The Re.
view has been engaged diligently, for
some weeks past, collecting statistics
as to the peach crop Of last year in
this county and the prospects for the
future, A mass Of reports and sta.
tistics have been secured, but 1t has
been practically impossible for us 10
secure an absolutely complete report
because Of the failure Of some few Of
the growers to give us the desired in.
formation. In these cases we have
used careful estimates made by other
growers, in some instances the infor.
nation being absolutely accurate as
IT..
.ascertalned from other sources. Then
there are considerable number OF
small growers whom we have been
unable to include in this report, for
lack Of information and then doubt
less some were overlooked by us in
sending out the blanks, However,
the figures given are all that could bc
secured by a reasonable amount Of
work and effort We think 1t in.
cludes as much as so per cent, pos
sibly So per cent. of the county's crop
Of peaches, that is the marketed crop.
The total production for the coun.
ty, as ascertained and reported to us
was as follows:
Delaware Baskets ,.......... S6S,sSo
Carriers ...... .......... 66'OOO
10 lb. Baskets .........t... 44,oOO
This is far short Of what most
persons have estimated the crop, but
is certainly not less than 80 per cent.
Of the entire crop. 1t can easily be
understood that there we're a great
many persons who sold few baskets,
some Of them hundred or more, from
whom we were unable to get a report
and who are, consequently, not iRelal.
ed in this statement. The number
given above has been accounted for.
The number of bearing trees in the
county that were reported or definite.
" ascertafned, are 1926. 400, but Of
this number more than 10000 may be
properly termed non-bearIng, because
of the fact that last year was the
first year they bore and the crop con.
sisted of only few scattering peach.
es. The number Of peaches to be
planted this fall, as definitely ascer-
tanned. was 1880. Probably this is
not more than rs per cent. Of the
total that would have been planted in
the county had not the Hetzer trees
been condemned, because we have
learned that there ar a number Of per-
sons who are planting small orchards
or replanting small orchards or re-
planting in their old orchards, which
were not taken into consideration.
The apple showing is good, the
reports showing the planting of311,-
$50. Quite a number Of persons who
were among the first TO plant peach
orchards now report that they are
setting out considerable number OF
apples,
Many of the Individual reports are
exceedingly interesting.
The number Of baskets lost by the
wet weather of course could not only
be estimated, but the estimate given
by the growers on their reports, ag-
gregate 1000 baskets. Many persons,
in reporting, made no mention Of the
number lost, hence It is impossible
to say whether these figures are any
where near correct on that point.
One other thing indicated by the
reports is that the ravages Of the
yellows is not nearly so great as has
beeen suggested and rumored. Some
Of the older orchards reported affect
ed seriously, that is that many trees
had to be cut, but in most instances
these orchards had reached ripe old
age. One instance we have in mind
is the orchard of John B. Rannells,
near Three Churches. This orchard
is more than thirteen years old and
was one of the first set in that section
Of the country, It contained 1000
trees and according to actual figures
kept, yielded up to the end Of the
season Of 1909 $4,000 worth Of peach.
es. He estimates that he has sold
$4,000 worth Of peaches of 1t since
that time. Nine hundred Of these
trees have died recently with yellow.
He lost also. about LOO more out Of