The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-05-16
PATRICK. COUNTY

y CONTINUED From First Page)
large orchards which are being push
ed to maturity and perfection in this
land where trees seem to be magically
imbued with growth and thrift. Lest
your readers may be somewhat in
credu1ous as TO the writer's statements
of the near miraculous growth and at
tainments of trees and fruits in Pat
rick County, let the following facts at
test the absciute truth of what has and
what WITH be written in this article.
What PAtsicsx County Hoaats.
Where Is the largest apple tree IN the
world?- The Dandy tree, six miles from
the coufsty seat, 100 years old, twelve
feet in circumference. five feet from the
base. sixty feet high. seventy feet
spread of branches. and Ii has q record
OF 1872 bushels of apples gathered from
IL at one time. Where was the largest
Winesap apple ever Grown? On the
stuart orchard - now modelled In wax
in the Horticultural Department in
Washington. ID. c. Where was the
largest product from single tree in
one season? The Adams apple tree,
seven miles east of Stuart. which bore
at one time 220 bushels of apples that
brought s137.5e. This tree is In fair
!
the largest record from ten-year old
tree? On the Stuart orchard In Oc-
tober 1914, thirty-three bushels of
Winesaps were gathered from one tree
after a wind storm had blown off sew
erai bushels A number of others ha d
over twenty-five bushels each to their
credit. Who're is the oldest apple or
chard in the United States? The
Taylor orchard, eight miles east of
Stuart. Is rapidly nearing the century
and half mark. There are many
| instances of iffaia sdnai trees producing
more than 100 bushels each in a single
lseason. Notably the Cannon Pear
main tree, adjoining the Atwood or
chard, that bore in one year It's
| bushels and in -wo other successive
years an aggregate OF 2SS bushels.
These facts are well attested by the
most reputable items of the county,
most OF whom are vet living
Soil Rich In Potash.
The first decisive step taken by the
writer in promoting the commercial
orchard enterprises was induced by
seeing that the soil was evidently rich
/ In potash. and sseing some five-year-
old trees of the Red Limbertwig yarity
loaded with four bushels per tree.
Some articles written by Professor
Fl, e. Vandemap.. the recognized high
est horticultural authority in the coun-
try, commencing and speaking of Pat
rick County fruit lands in the most
emphatic terms, was also potent fac
tor in determining the investment in
these fertile lands Capital was neces-
sary to purchase. clear plant and care
for the orchards in the proper way
| but the evidence of profita BILE outlook
was SO positive and pronounced that
wary capital began 10 seek the at
/ traetive points for promising results
Many small tracts were purchased that
could be consolidated into boundaries
of 500 to 800 acres each and orchards
are being planted on them all. An
other very large factor, indeed a COM
| pelling factor. IN the promotion OF
these orchards vas the testimony OF
aged men that Is fruit failure was
never known In this stretch of country,
some thirty miles in length by twenty
miles in width. The greatest draw
back for financial profit has been the
lack OF transportation. but now three
railroads have entered the county and
W hen these shall he connected and two
other projected roads built there will
be plenty of steam power to take the
hundreds of thousands of barrels of
apples that will be annually produced.
Much Planting Under Way.
The planting Is going forward--S5.-
GOO trees in this chain .of commercial
orchards and as many more will be set
in the near future. These are inde-
pendent OF the dozen or so smaller
commercial orchards and the hundreds
of privA$e orchards of one to twenty
acres eGSh The latest candidate is
the Rich Creek tract of less than 500
acres right In ths heart of the apple
zone. adjoining sfhe arse Stuart or
chard. and when this Is organized
there will be one continuous tract of
orchards four miles in length, which
is probably the most exclusive scope of
elegant orchard land on terra firina-
Twelve years ago these lands could
he bought for trifie---the people were
Ignorant of the fact that they were
living over gold nfincs--buf the lands
nave increased tenfold and are rising
In price at = rapid rate and q few
short years hence will witness larger
figures being paid in this Eden of APP
Pile culture TIE testimonials that
have been sent by persons of good
Judgment. good taste and prominence
from many States and large cities as
to the handsome. delicious fruit grown
here would fili book and the need
OF praise from the large dailies at the
various fairs and expositions, to say
nothing Of the Iledals. diplomas and
premiums received ~uHfa iiii volume
two.
Ell Thus IL fs that While, Patrick County.
virginia, has been growing apples for
160 years and while for mora than
fiffy years II has been known only to
chosen few that the best that was
known to i1orticu.tnre was In that hid,
den dosnntn, ret Ii has been little more
~ ~ aenerel - ~ ~ ~