FRUIT CULTURE. 21 



Ions of the finest Sauterne and other classes of wines, and there is no 

 reason why eastern North Carolina should not compete on even terms 

 with California in the making of wine, and wine of a far better 

 and lighter character than the wines of California. 



ORCHARDING IN GENERAL. 



Of course, the apple is the great orchard tree, and while apples can 

 be grown with success in all parts of the State, the cultivation of 

 winter-keeping apples on a commercial scale will always be confined 

 to the mountain country west of the Blue Ridge and the more elevated 

 lands in the upper piedmont section. In the mountain country apples 

 have long been grown with great success, though with little attention 

 on the part of the grower. The Cherokee Indians in the southwestern 

 part of the State raised a great many apples from seed. Some of 

 these have gotten into the nurseries and are esteemed, but there are 

 still a great many of the old seedling apples in the mountain country 

 which are worthy of cultivation. Apples have been grown in the 

 mountain country in spite of almost absolute neglect, simply because 

 of the admirable adaptation of the soil and climate to the apple. 

 Some years ago there was a specially full exhibit of apples at one of 

 the State Fairs, and three of the best judges of fruit in the country 

 were selected to judge them. These were Professor Bailey of Cor- 

 nell University, Mr. Taylor, who was afterwards superintendent of 

 the horticultural exhibits at the St. Louis Fair, and Mr. Brackett, 

 the Pomologist of the Department of Agriculture in Washington. 

 Mr. Brackett declared that such fruit was grown only in two sections 

 of the United States North Carolina and the Ozarks of Missouri 

 and Arkansas and that North Carolina had the advantage not only 

 of her position nearer the Eastern markets, but that her mountain 

 soils are very fertile, while those of the Ozarks are very poor. With 

 the extension of railroads into the mountain country and some liber- 

 ality on the part of the roads in the matter of freights, the cultivation 

 of apples will grow to an immense business in western North Caro- 

 lina. Here and there large orchards are being planted and cared for 

 in modern style, and the example of these will spread through the 

 section. 



