Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-04-08
APPLES IN VIRGINIA.
Albemarle Pippln Reaches Perfection
n1fs A.. x,sn1.....A ST..

Only In Piedmont Region.
odd Domlnion's" letter in the sun
OF February about the Albemarle
pippin has come TO my attention, and
while confirm largely what ''Old d..
minion" says on the subject | do not
/ agree with him when he declnrs that
the Shenandoah Valley from Charles
Town down to Sta1intol is quite as
well adapted to the production OF high
class apples, the p'ppin included, as
the neighborhood Of Charlottesville.
Nor in my opinion is he right when
he observes: "JuSt why this rarticu-
lar variety of apple (the Albermarle
pippin) should flourish in a certain 10
cality aId remain impossible in an
other Is a question open to discus
sion Prof. George p. Bracket, OF
the United States Department OF Ag-
riculture. has said:
Virginia in the heart Of the Pied.
mont and Blue Ridge sections OF the
Appalachian Mountain range, Is adj
mirably situated for fruit growing.
Two apples that have made Virginia
famous are the wfnesap and the vel
low Newtown. or, as It is called, the
Albenlar1e pippiGG The former reach
es its highest state OF perfection in
the Piedmont section. while the latter
does even better than where 1t origi-
mated in New York State. These two
varieties cannot be surpassed in ex-
na11aytn4a ..Fr {s1
e1y other section OF the country"
Prot. s. B. Hedges. OF Pennsylvania.
extpomologist of the United States
Government. also has said:
There are sections Of Virginia that
are ideal apple countries. consider
them the finest apple sctions that
| know of anywhere in the United
States OF America"
Prof. s. w Fletcher, formerly CON
nected with the Cornell experimental
station. late director OF the Washing
| ten State horticultural station and
now director of the Virginia expert.
mental station, may also be quoted:
Il want to saw that there is abso-
| lutely ne question that the Allie
gheny section and the Piedmont sec
ton of Virginia and West Virginia,
and extending into Pennsylvania and
down into the Carclinas, Ia the SEQ
ton which in the future will be known
| as the greatest fruit country
These opini ms of the best authori-
ties confirm the general statement of
| tOLJ nAr svf DAT -
that the Shenandoah Valley Is quite
as well adapted to the production of
the Albemarle pippin as the neigh
borhopd OF Charlottesville in the Pied
mont section he Is misinforned 1t is
well-known fact, as can be ascer-
tanned from the Department OF Agri-
culture at Washington or from the
department at Biacksburg, Va. that
the Albemarle pippin does we'll only In
tie district where the potters loan is
present and the calico rock Is we'll
| distributed and disi7tegrated through
out the soil This condition is found
to exist more frequently in Abe
marie county than in any other part
OF Virginia. There are outcroppfngs
of this soil and this rock in the She1-
andoah Valley, as, for instance, In
the famous apple Pie Ridge" at
| Winchester, but 1t is net general, and
! the Shenandoah Valley as whole is
underlafd with a limerick deposit
which Is not favorable to the best
growth OF the Albemarfe pippi1. AT
Winchester and in that section Of
| Virginia generally the York I-nperfa.,
Ben Davis and Grimes Golden do ex-
certionnaly well and reach probably
their highest state Of perfection. But
/ il is in the rich mountain coves of
the foothills in the Piedmont district
in Albemarle county that we find the
Afbemarle pipphn in its highest state
of perrecticn and It is w'ell-known
fact that 1t Is In the rich Cecil clay
deposit on the sunny eastern slopes
of the Piedmont district that the wine
sap grows to It's highest state of per-
| lection.
| "Old Dominion" Is righ when he
says that there Is NO apple like the
! Albemarle pippin. 1t Is many years
now since the Albermarle pbpp'n was
introduced at the royal table of Eng
lald and became the favorite of Queen
! Victoria. II is still purchased for that
table and still Is known as the Court
or Queens apple in England.-H. t..
Bowles, in New York World