STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 241 



Among the pioneers of thi.s county, who settled on the north arm of tlie Grand 

 Prairie, I would also name R. Blackman, Elijah Austin, Col. J. Mayo, John Stratten, 

 \vho came in 1818; and Col. J. M. Blackburn, Gen. J. Sandford, Wni. Murphy, Laban 

 Burr and E. Pursell, who arrived in 1819; all of whom planted orchards. That 

 of Col. Blackburn was one of the best of these early orchards, being planted of 

 givafted varieties and suckers from trees that had been known to produce good fruit. 

 He was the originator of the Red Hughes'' Crah, from seed of the Hughes' Virginia 

 Crab, which is larger and superior to the old sort, and decidedly the best cider apple 

 known in this country . 



Paris and Vicinity .— The city of Pai'is was laid ofl' in 1823, by Samuel Vance, wlio 

 planted an orchard the following spring of seedling trees, brought from Wm. Archer's 

 nursery, in Clark county. In this orchard originated the Vance's Harvest, a popular 

 midsummer apple, which has been extensively disseminated. 



Smith Shaw, who settled in 1822 in what is now the east part of Paris, and removed 

 a few years later to the beautiful site where E. P. Shaw now lives, was the first 

 inhabitant of the place. Of the trees and fruits that he planted none remain but a few 

 very large apple trees— the city having extended over the orchard and nuich of the 

 farm. 



Nathaniel AVayne was the first tavern keeper; planted the orchard now in the south- 

 west limits of the city; sold out to the late Gen. M. K. Alexander, who was an ardent 

 amateur Horticulturist. Wm. Means and Adriel Stout, settled iu the vicinity of Paris 

 in 1822, and planted orchards in the spring of 1824, of which there are now living some 

 very large trees. 



Wm. Shrader, John Shrader, and Joseph Hite, were the first to plant orchards in the 

 southwest part of the county. The latter brought the May Cherry from Jctterson 

 county, Ky,, in the year 1827, this 'being its first introduction into this State. Tradition 

 says that it was brought from Virginia to Kentucky by a man by the name of Reynolds; 

 and I have no doubt that it is a native of that State; as many of our best fruits are 

 known to be of Southern origin. It was obtained on its own roots, and has proven to 

 be the most valuable cherry yet thoroughly tested here. Its great hardiness and value 

 was not known until after the memorable winter of 1855-56, in which almost all other 

 varieties were entirely killed. The May is productive, hardier, and ten days earlier 

 than the Early Richmond. 



Grape.— '^\\Q Black and "White Cape were the only varieties cultivated here till 1836, 

 when my i'ather introduced the Catawba, Isabella, York, Madeira, and Clinton. 

 These all did well until about the year 1853, when they began to be aflected with the 

 rot, except the ^V^hite Cape, which is yet free from that malady. 



Evergreens . — This county has no native evergreens except the Cedar. There was a 

 <;onsiderable of a grove of these at what was called the Cedar Clifl:', on Bruelitt's 

 Creek, in the northeast part of the county. Many small seedlings were taken from 

 these and planted on the farms l)y the early settlers, where they have grown into nice 

 shade trees, and make pleasant many a cottage home. 



The first evergreens of the finer sorts iu this county were planted by my esteemed 

 friend, Elijah Bacon, a quarter of a century ago. His Fir, the Pines, and the Spruce, 

 are of majestic size, and beautiful to behold. His experience of over fifty years, his 

 zeal in the introduction and cultivation of tine fruit, nice trees and shrubs, and hia 



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