The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-30
THE APPLE REGION OF NORT14
CAROLINA.
Progressive

the mountains OF western North Caro-
lima where they wanted me to rold
an institute all alone. The locality
was the little hamlet of Cruso away
up the valley Of Pigeon river before
Mount Pisgah. I have mentioned else,
where the apples Of this section. and
at the State Fair in Raleigh there was
a wonderful display Of these mountain
apples.
There are a few growers who are
caring for their orchards in an intelE-
gent way, but most of the fine apples
are grown by reason of the soil and
climate in and spite Of neglect. But T
saw them hauling down Ben Davis
apples and getting $2-25 per barrel for
them at the railroad station. I also
saw there specimens Of Giliyfiower
apples so superior to those we see in
barrels from the North that one
could hardly identify the monsters ex-
cept by the Gillyf1ower shape. As this
apple always sells at a high price. I
wondered that they did not grow more
of them instead of Ben Davis. Not thar
I consider the Gillyflower a superior
apple, for I do not care for them, as
L like a brittle. juicy apple; but it is
q popular apple with many people,
and always sells for a better price than
Ben Davis.
a friend sent me a box of York I'm
perials from the ounta country,
and finer specimens cannot be found
anywhere, Is big and snowy as the
same variety from the Uacific coast,
and ar better in quality.
At Cruso I was surprised at the
gathering OF the people, some OF whom
came from nearly twenty miles away,
and one man drove al night to get
there in time The meeting was to
have been held in the schoo1house,
n I wondered where there would
be people enough to fill it in tina wild
mountain gorge But by the time I
reached the house there were already
twice al many as the house would
hold, IN we a to hold the meeting
out under the trees with the glorious
ly cOlored mountain for q back
ground.
I am FOND Of talking to farmers,
but that day was almost too much for
me, as / had to talk morning and af-
ternoon till my throat was in a bad
state, and then some followed me to
my stopping place and asked questions
till bedtime, when I had to go to bed
with a mustard plaster On my throat.
I tried to show them the wonderful
adaptation of that section to the ap-
pie crop, and talked on apples main
~ all the morning, urging the plant
ing low-headed trees that are easy to
spray and easy to gather apples from.
I never had a more attentive audience,
nor one that entered into the spirit Of
asking questions better.
There is no section in the United
States that can grow better apples
than the Southern Appalachians from
Virginia to Alabama, and when the
people are fully walked I'D to the
great advantages they ave for grow.
ing rich apples. this will be a show
place for apples as it IS now the
pleasure ground Of the people.
But I wondered that SO many peo-
pie who visit these mountains in sum-
mer leave 50 soon. They do not see
the glory of the in Octiber.
Nc painters brush could transfer to
canvas the wonderful color Of the
wooded mountains. It is absolutely IN
describable, and was a feast to the EYE
NY host was q Michigan man who
with his wife is fond Of thu wild
woods, trout fishing and hunting, and
has built him a pretty cottage at the
foot Of the mountain in a bank OF
rhododendrons, with the music of the
~cataracts in the river in front to lull
them to sleep. The only bit of level
land he has Is a small garden and a
few fruit trees. and the great difficulty
with these is that the sun peeps in on
him after 8 o'clock. and the shadow
of the opposite falls on him
about 3 p. m, and he has less sunlight
than needed. Laurel n Is the
name set in nickle letters over the
porch. and he said: you would
naTQIV Dc11etc lHdt III HIS %
country / got most of the woodwork
Of this house from Chicago cheaper
than I could get it here
At Canton, fourteen miles down the
valley on the railroad. / visited the
great paper nuIp works. where they
are working 900 men and are g~rindlng
up 800 cords of wood daily for papeT
ipuap, and making brown farboard
from the bark and waste. Men Were
working in a temperature or 100 De
grees shoveling sulphur into great re-
torts in an atmosnhere that | cOulo
. hardly breathe, making the sulphur
Gus acid for the solution of the wood.
And at the other end of the immense
buildings. the pulp. dried and maze
into great White rolls like thick paper,
was being loaded on the cars to go 70
Oh; - ~ In III S