Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1917-01-13
Berkeley County's Apple Crop

Last Thursday The World carried an excIu-
sive story about Berkeley countys million Dol
lar Apple Crop" and the good that it has al
ready done for those engaged in Orcharding, in
free advertising and will do can hardly be meas
ured in words. That the article attracted the
attention of the press along the lines of the
great Il. & o. system, which was given due share
Of credit for cooperation in marketing the MAN.
moth fruit crop of 1916, and especially the news
papers OF West Virginia is evidenced in the
production Of the story in full or favorable edi-
torial comment thereon, of which the following
taken from Saturdays Wheeling Register is
good sample:
From Berkeley county, this state, comes the
information that the 1916 apple crop had val
ne Of one million dollars.
This seems TO be tremendous sum to be re-
allied from apples in county and yet it is
not One-half the amount that communities in
other states boast for the same acreage, nor
one-third the amount Berkeley county will be re-
ceiving within few years.
"lt has long been known that West Virginia
is natural apple state biologists often pro-
n0uncing the soil, especially the Eastern Pan
handle, adapted to apple growing, but it was just
within the past few years that West Virginians
came to the realization that there is big money
in apples.
I'm the short period that apple cultivation
has been taken UP in earnest in the state rapid
progress has been made, this years Berkeley
county crop being example of the possibiIi-
ties of the industry.
much of the success of apple growing in the
eastern section of the state is due to the cooper
alton Of the Commercial Development Depart
ment of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, which
company attracted the attention Of apple buyers
and consumers by transporting the Panhandle
products to the eastern markets, where they
were displayed in the b. & O. offices in New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and
elsewhere.
'sThe railroad company, further did every
thing to Facilitate the transportation of the
crop in order to eliminate losses from decay as
far as possible and, by swift handling enabled
the growers to take advantage of any rise in the
market. In fact every possible convenience and
assistance was rendered
And this cooperation between the railroad
and the growers has been productive of results.
West Virginia's apples have been advertised
extensively throughout the east that, it is said,
the greater portion of the 1917 crop has already
been contracted for and, to meet the demand,
which is growing by leaps and bounds, thOHs-
andS of young trees will be set out this spring
and hundreds of additional acres will soon be
bearing fruit.
The berkeley county apple crop has been es-
tinated at 365,00O barrels, 800 900 of which were
fancy fruit. The average price per barrel was
$3.50 to the grower. The profits, it is stated,
were SO good that in some instances the orchard
companies paid dividends IF As per cent and in
dividual growers made even more.
There are, practically, but very few c0un-
ties in West Virginia where apples of quality
cannot be grown in paying quantities. All lands
may not be as productive as the Eastern Pan
handle section, but with careful attention and
cultivation and the cooperation of the g. & O.,
many of the sections touched by the railroad
can be made to produce with the result that with
in few short years the states apple output
can he increased severa-fOld
There is no reason why West Virginia, sit
uated as advantageously as it is, in respect to
the extensive and unlimited eastern and middle
western markets cannot rival and even out
match the great apple state Of Washington,
which yearly sends across-c0ntinent immense APP
pie trains through which its fruit is exploited
''The b. & o., which road has done much as
an agent toward the development of the state,
has issued, and Is distributing, a hand book
bearing the names and addresses of growers and
shippers along its lines and Of buyers and deal
ers in the east
Before, the grower had to seek the buyer,
but now the producer, by becoming listed in the
book along with the extent of his crop kind
quality. etc, does not have to hunt a market
the market seeks him and profits follow as does
night the day"