The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-07-29
PEABH gR0P
l|gN|RI|PE||NIIN!g
FINE ORCHARDS IN HAMPSHIRE
COUNTY TURN OUT THOU.
SANDS OF BASKETS.

SbNOoi Of 6AohE ..
The peach crop in the eastern part
Of the State is now ripening and the
fruit growers are getting handsome
returns for their fruit. This has be-
come one Of the leading industries in
that section and large orchards are
being planted. Some OF the orchards
are among the finest to be found in
the entire country.
Among the coming orchards in
Hampshire county one OF the leading
fruit growing counties in the State
and destined to be the greatest is the
property Of the Hampshire Orchard
Company, owned largely by local
people. 5s5-..s -.
This company was organized four
years ago. After obtaining Its char.
ter 1t purchased twelve hundred acres
of land on South Branch mountain.
All Of this real estate is of the famous
short land that is said to be peculiar
iy adapted to the growing of fruit. In
this soil the trees grow thrifty, bear
early and live long. The fruetiica.
ton is regular, Four hundred acres
OF this land has been cleared and
planted in trees. The company now
has $4,000 peach trees and $500 apple
trees. OF this number 10000 peach
trees are bearing and $4,000 will come
In next season. This season the. com.
pany will market 10000 baskets of
choice fruit. The, earlier fruit is be.
ing marketed now but the best will
come later. Some of the late August
shipments to New York. last year
bought as high as $50 per basket.
The orchard is two miles long on
the top and side of the mountain. It
has an ideal location. onta high alti>
tude the, vista of the visitor is unob.
structed for miles in every direction.
The only boundary TO the vision is the
horizon many miles on every side.
The air circulation is free and the
frost danger is;at the minimum. In
many places in this State this season
there is failure OF fruit due to the
damage done blythe frosts. 1t is con.
sidered by fruit experts to be the best
located orchard in the; best adapted
soil in the United States. This state.
ment was made BY an expert orcbidlst |
in the employ Of the federal govern.
ment.
Cultivated crops are grown in the |
orchard. This aseason the company |
has two hundred acres of corn under |
cultivation which will, yield a hand!
some crop Of first class corn. Rye is |
considered a good orchard crop and
much of this species of grain is raised. |
Tomatoes and potatoes are fayorlte
orchard crops and another one that
the company has found to be profita.
bic is cantaloupes.
To care for the orchard the com.
pany has twenty men in constant EN-.
ploy. For these men and their fami- |
lies the company has twenty houses.
The twelve horses owned by the COM
pany are used to cultivate the crops. |
This fall after the fruit has been |
marketed more ground will be pre-
pared and many more trees will be
planted. During the winter additional |
ground will be cleared for the recep. |
ton of the trees that will be planted
in the spring. The company will plant
the entire acreage in trees.
The land owned by the company
was purchased at very reasonable
figure. This quality of land is very
limited in quantity and the price has
advanced very materially since the
company purchased It's holdings.
AHu,I,,,a,-