Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-11-06

rlniag, on tue ONO River, ana on
land owned by Thomas Grimes. f-om
whom the apple derived It's name.
This variety. conceded by expert
pomologists TO be one Of highest quail
". attains It's greatest perfection
when grown on Apple Pie Ridge
The standard commercial apple
grown here is the York Imperial. The
Rome Beauty, Ben Davis, Winesap.
NJ b. Tvfg. and others are also
grown.
The planting Of apple orchards in
Berkeley coInty began in earnest
about 1890. Up to this time little
attention had been paid to orchard
pests and diseases of fruit trees.
Spraying was practically unheard of.
However, nature, whether wisely or
nor, has inflicted a number of insect
pests and diseases of fruit trees upon
the apple grower. The Department
OF Agriculture at Washington and the
State experiment station have been
Of great service in teaching us how to
fight and control these pests.
Win Fight With insects.
The result has been that, while
discouraged at times, We have won
out over the bugs" To the novice
it would appear that continued plant
ing of trees would surely result in
overproduction. This win not occur,
for several reasons. The demand for
good apples increases each year, new
markets are created, transportation
facilities are better here than farther
west, and the crop can be easily dam
aged by unfavorable weather condi-
tons at blooming time.
Right there comes the strongest
point in favor of apple growing in
this section. There has never been a
failure of crop or serious damage
done by adverse weather conditions.
The planting has increased rapidly,
until the total acreage IN the county
approximates 1900 Spraying, one Of
important factors in apple growing,
is generally practiced, and the good
results obtained have stimulated the
growers to more active and thorough
work along this line.
The first crops were grown in the
years 1894, 1896, and 1898, and have
increased UP to the present time.
Estimate of the Crop.
No correct estimate can be made of
the crop this year, but 100000 bar
rels would be low estimate.
The crop sold brought from SO to
$3.50 barrel from the orchard.
Two years ago the crop was about
the same quality van dprice paid for
the same quality and price paid for
fruit. At that tine the Panic was be,
| ing felt by most business concerns
and banks, but the Ave banks of Mar.
tinsburg had several hundred thous.
and dollars in their vaults deposited
| by the fruit growers which helped
tide them through safely There has
been no serious dearth of labor yet
but the time is near when it will be
serious problem for the grower &c
! find help to care for his orchards
properly and handle the fruit.
Hauling fruit to cars is a promlem
also, as some orchards are ten miles
or more from railroad.
Electric Road Needed.
The building of electric road heavy
enough to operate either steam OIL
electric trains would solve this prob
/ Tnvo This fo cfvN Ga1J hn h,,sl Il
ing of such roads. with unlimited
natural water power.
A large cold storage warehouse is
located at Martinsburg, owned by
Rothwell & Co. This company buys
stores, and sells apples by wholesale;
also stores for growers. Visitors here
can see the fruit being repacked and
shipped to all parts of tire country.
The Southern Golf States offer good
markets for apples grown in this sec
tons and hundreds Of carloads &C
South from here annually. The bar
rel has been the standard package fol
apples here. However, some fruit OF
the better varieties has been boxed
This style of packing Will undoubted
| ly become standard for fancy apples
such as Grimes Golden, Jonathan
Winesap. and others, which rank with
the celebrated boxed apples of Ore
gon and the Pacific Northwest.
Ten years or more ago the fruit
| growers of Berkeley county organic
ed into a society known as the Berke
ley County Horticultural Society Al
that time their object In thus band
ing together was to fight the different
pests which threatened to destroy
the orchards. TINS society has grown
steadily, and the past season held its
meetings in different orchards, where
methods of orcharding were studied
and discussed.
Early the past summer the society
determined TO hold an apple show and
carnival To this end plans were per
/ fected by which the affair will be an.
nual, and valuable cash premiums
will be given on best apples in boxes
| barrels, and on plates
Il. Il