The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-09-08
Tbc HamnsI1Ire Peach.

The following interesting story Of
the development OF the peach indus
try in Hampshire county, with sensi-
BILE suggestions as to the possibility
of profitable fruit culture elsewhere
among the West Virginia hills, is told
by the Parkersburg Dispatch-News:
Hampshire county has 100000
producing peach trees, and half
million more that are on their way to
the bearing age. Fortunes are earned
each year from its peach orchards.
The Hampshire peach is an aristo-
crat. It demands and gets a prenl-
UNI in city markets. A comparative
ly few years ago. peach growing in
that county amounted to practically
nothing. Now. 1t is Hampshire's
chief business and the source of its
greatest wealth and fame.
How Hampshire came to be a great
peach growing county is interesting.
It started from a little thing. A man.
by name ]. ]. Roderick. owed $3.50 to
one I. H. Pancake, keeper of gem
eral store. Roderick was in too deep
to pay, but he was an honest man,
and he offered his creditor all he had
In the world, which was an old hin
farm four miles distant from Rom
ney. Mr.. Pancake thought SO highly
of the~oner that he at first refused It.
saying that he would rather lose the
account than to have to pay taxes on
the farm. The debtor said that 1t
was the best he could do and he
would send a deed for the farm. In
the meantime, the storekeeper took a
trip through the peach belt OF Viz
ginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and East
Tennessee. and the soil and climate
and typographical conditions were SO
similar to those in his own county
that he was much impressed, and
made up his mind to experiment with
the peach business. When he arrived
home he found Roderick's deed to the
old, MISUNDERSTANDING hillside farm.
1t was just to his purpose, and he
proceeded to set out a number OF
peach trees, adding to them each
year. The third year he harvested
1,70O baskets of fine peaches. They
were superior in,every respect. These
he sent to eastern markets, asking
from the commission men that they
remit only what they thought the
peaches were worth. He received sat
the size and quality OF
commission men sent their represen-
tatives to him to purchase his entire
crop. They said it was the best
peach that ever came to the markets.
From that small beginning grew
Hampshire county's immense peach
industry. Hillside acreage. long of no
value, jumped from $500 to $1,000
an acre when cleared. Eventually,
the industry grew to such large pro-
portions, that it became necessary to
organize and Incorporate stock com
panIes, and many OF the great or
chards are so owned and conducted.
One company. capitalized at 100000,
has never paid less than 40 per cent.
dividends annually since its organiza-
ton.
Surrounding counties have followed
in the wake of Hampshire. and are
great peach growing sections. but
Hampshire leads them all. What has
been done in Hampshire and it's sur
rounding counties. can be done al
most anywhere else in West Virginia,
not only with peach trees, but with
apples and other fruits. Every con!
dition to be found in the state favors
fruit production. Here in Wood coun-
ty we have already made start. We
know of two orchards not very dis
tant from this city. whose owners es-
innate will produce $4,000 and $4,000
crops respectively this year. That
isn't bad. Closeness to markets, the
right soil = and climatic conditions
these are the chief things needed in
fruit culture. And West Virginia Is
right there with the goods.