The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1909-11-26


and is bringing handsome returns to
all who are engaged in it.
Running through the length of
Berkeley county is an elevated ridge
of land known as the Apple Pie
Ridge. This ridge, which is twenty
miles in length and about one mile
wide, extends through in Virginia.
The soil on the ridge is fine sand
shale. with rich clay subsoil Here
are located most of the leading
orchards, and here the apple attains
a high state of cultivation. All of
the orchards, however, are not To-
Gated on this ridge, as there are
other portions Of the county con-
tanning soils equally as good for
pple-growing The climate in this
section is especially well adapted TO
fruit-growing, this being evidenced
by the fact that in the whole his
tory of the industry there has new
err been a crop failure due to adj
verse weather conditions.
The present generation of apple
growers are fully alive to the inn
portance of spraying the trees with
proper chemical mixtures to offset
the ravages of insects and fungus
diseases. With the aid of the Unit
ed States Department Of Agriculture
and the State experimental station
the growers have not only learned
how to spray scientifically, but the
absolute Importance of spraying to
secure good, sound and healthy
fruit. They have also learned the
value Of using fertilizers containing
proper ingredinets necessary to aid
the young trees to attain their full
growth and become large producers,
At first small hand spraying ma
chimes were used, but as these have
gradually been perfected the grow
ers in this section have been quick
to adopt the latest methods, and
today most of them are using small
power spraying equipment run by
gasoline engines and mounted on
portable carriages.
1t is estimated that in the county
altogether about 5000 acres are
laid out in apple orchards of the
bearing age, and 1t is said that the
number of growing trees which will
reach the bearing age within the
next five years aggregates 10000,
As the industry is steadily expand
ing, it is fully believed that the next
Ito years will see crops harvested
valued at millions instead of hun
dreds Of thousands OF dollars to-
day. ...a...
These brief references give some
idea of the character and scope of
what has been accomplished as a
whole in apple-raising in this one
county, but the value and import
ance of the industry can perhaps be
more clearly understood and some
more definite idea secured by ref
erence to some individual results.
John W. Stewart has an orchard
containing about 10000 trees, less
than one-half of which are, of the
bearing age. From the bearing
trees, the oldest of which was 10
years, he secured between 5000 and
1000 barrels of first-grade apples
this year, and received for them
: about $40 barrel T. o. b. cars In
: orchard. In few years, he states
he will have an output of, at least
: $4,000 barrels annually. Mr.. Stewar
is one of the younger men engaged
in the industry, and he has beer
one of the most progressive in thu
matter OF scientific and modern
orcharding, the result being that hi
g has one of the finest and healthies
| orchards in the county. In order t
! secure good grade of labor Mr.
D Stewart had erected, adjoining hi
3 orchard an especially planned
e building for housing and feeding hi
employees. This building contain
: comfortable quarters, and also ha
t an individual electric light plant in
: stalled Here he houses and feed
e from rs to $50 men, who receive
in addition to board and lodging
r $1.75 to 81 day wages. For hi
S individual use Mr.. Stewart has ais
y established a cooperage shop hayin
o a capacity of $4,000 barrels in s
n days He is also interested as cor
r trolling owner in an orchard Q
1900 apple trees in Illinois an
o 100, 900 apple and 100000 peac
/ trees in Connecticut, but said tina
re the one in Berkeley county was tn
u most profitable per acre. His know
e edge and close study of the chem
, cal ingredients necessary to offst
i the ravages of insects and fungi
II diseases led him to form compan
Z known as the American Horticultu
~ al Distributing Co., which manufa
r. lures various chemical preparation
le used in spraying trees In additio
al to the main plant of this compan