The Washington herald., 1912-03-11

or nearly million bushels of apples
In its fullest year Hood River, Greg.
has, not shipped over 10000 bushels
This comparison illustrates the enormity
OF the fruit Industry at the present
time in Augusta County and indicates
to what greater proportions it is rapidly
growing. T.
Land Values Go Up. ..--
"As for the revenue accI uing from a
bearing orchard. the orchard itself Is
wonderful asset, for which at all times
there is an excellent market" said Mr..
Moonaw.- LAS. for instance raw lands
bought at from $50 to 800 per acre will.
II planted IN orcf ards. in ten or twelve
years time sell easily for 5000 per
acre. with a clear profit OF not less than
500 per acre. An apple tree Is consid-
cred to enhance in value 81 per year.
This is a very conservative estimate OF
the increased worth Of the tree as II
grows TO bearing age.
1T is not. however. always. with the
fruit grower as the booster would have
it. There are Hany ups and downs
there are the pests, the freezes. the
storms, and the fiuctuating markets.
which some years are excellent and some
years are poor There is the long walt
ing and care and attention necessary
for bringing an orchard into bearing,
but IL is by the patient far seeing in
weston that the real rich harvest OF the
apple is reaped- St6tisticians state that
as a general thing so far the whole
country has brought into bearing only
10 per cent of the apple trees planted.
The other 90 per cent have dropped out
OF the running because OF the difhcuIties
above referred 20, but dare say in most
cases on account OF the absence of per-
severance and diligence and ordinary In
telligence,. -.
IN recent years" continued Mr.. Moo
nav. the spirit Of cooperation has
taken hold of Augusta County fruit
growers, and the majority of their crops
are not only marketed in a cooperative
way. through the State organization. the
Virginia Fruit Growers. Inc, but they
have also their local horticultural So
ciety. which has been OF great benefit
in the way OF supplying the fruit grow
ers with the best OF expert information
about the culture of their orchards.
They are realizing that for the best fu-
ture OF their orchard enterprises they
must surely stand shoulder to shoulder
in the work OF producing the finest
fruit, and in the work OF going direct
to the markets with their products, re-
ceiving thereby the utmost money and
the real benefits OF the profitable adver-
tising secured by marketing their ap-
pies under the Dranos OF tnelr own or
ganization with their names as growers
prominently Identified with those brands.
The Growers Cooperation.
1T is not to be doubted that here. as
well as in other sections OF the State
under the cooperative work as carried
on by the Virginia Fruit Growers, Inc,
both cold and common storages will be
erected at the principal shipping points
for the purpose of conserving and hand
ling the crops Of its members in the
most profitable way. and that the out
come OF all this means better conditions
and better results and a finer future. for
the apple industry OF Augusta County.
and that for this reason It should offer
the investor, large and small, fine op-
portunities for profitable investment"