Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-09-06
lACS
AS FRUIT PRODUCER
(By Associated Press)

1iNi1NiSi SOlI, IL up. - ANNieiA
er Kentucky as a state nor the
Unied States as a whole, is keep
ing pace in fruit production with
tlle increase in population, ac-
cording to a statement made here
late today by Prof. c. w. Math-
ews, of the University of Kentuc
ky, in an address before the an
nual meeting of the Henderson
County Fruit Growers Associa-
ton. He spoke on Kentucky
as Fruit State" asserting that
while the population of the Unit
ed States had increased thirty
millions since 1900 the production
of apples and some other fruits
had remained practically station
airy.
He pointed out the possibility Of
fruit growing in Kentucky and
declared that many orchards
could be planted in the state with
a reasonable assurance of profit,
provided the important points of
management were observed.
The last census reports a de-
crease in ten years of millions of
apple trees and shows that peach
es and grapes occupy hundreds Of
thousands of acres less than they
did ten years ago" Prof. Mathews
said. Notwithstanding the grow
ing demand for fruits of all kinds
our own state has shared proper
tionately in the decrease. While
in some sections the commercial
orchards have gained ground, the
home orchards have been rapidly
disappearing owing to the in
crease of fruit pests and the neg
lect Of spraying and other neces-
sary care.
Kentucky is growing fruit
proitably in some sections and
has every requirement of soil, eli
mate, and markets for a large eX-
tention of fruit production not
only for its own needs but also as
a surplus for other safes; partic-
ularly those of the south. The
home market now absorbs all Of
the fruit produced in most parts
OF, the state and at good prices,
often without the expense Of
costly packages or transports
ton. r,t e s-tt
+ THE guf states to the south
depend largely upon the sections
farther north for their apples and
Kentucky with its north and
south railroad lines, and its 1000
miles of navigable river front is
certain to be used more freely in
the future. 1t is in a position to
command a large proportion Of
that market if fruit .growing is
properly developed.
thousands of farms suitably
located can be made more profta-
bic by intelligent planting and
persistent care of apple orchards
comprising five to twenty per
cent of the tillable acreage OF
such farms. Orcharding makes
far less demands upon soil fertil-
ity than the cereals and tobacco
and in addition often fits effec-
lively into the system of farming
After ten years of production a
good apple orchard, well managed
and covering fifteen to twenty
per cent of the farm will have
paid for itself and in addition
doubled the value of the farm as
a whole" ar, 43ts y
Careful selection of the proper
location, rigid adherence to a few
varieties found by experience to
be suited to the locality,scare in
planting and maintenance of a
perfect stand throughout the or
chard, faithful observance of a
reasonable spray program, main
tenance of proper fertility and
moisture conditions and careful
harvesting, rigid grading and
packing, were points outlined by
the speaker as being essential to
the establishment of orchards
which were to yield profits.