FRUITS IN WEST VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, AND TENNESSEE. 9 



EAST TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION. 



PHYSICAL FEATURES. 



North of the Tennessee-Virginia boundary line the altitude of 

 the Appalachian Valley physiographic province rises above 2,000 

 feet. The altitude of that part north of this line together with its 

 northern latitude differentiates it from that part in eastern Tennessee. 

 The State boundary line, therefore, is made the boundary between the 

 East Tennessee Valley region and the Virginia Valley and Ridge 

 region. The eastern boundary of this region is defined by the 

 western base of the ranges of mountains which mark the boundary 

 between Tennessee and North Carolina. To the south the East 

 Tennessee Valley region extends into Georgia and Alabama. Its 

 western boundary follows the eastern base of Walclen Ridge from 

 the vicinity of Chattanooga. Tenn.. northeast to Cumberland Gap. 



The topography of this region is characterized b} T many long 

 parallel ridges which are elevated to a considerable height and run 

 lengthwise of the valley. The altitude of the region varies from 

 about 650 feet at Chattanooga near the Tennessee River to from 

 2,000 feet to 2.500 feet at the summits of the ridges near the Virginia 

 line. 



There are many different types of soil in this region. For de- 

 scriptions of these types and their distribution the reader is referred 

 to the publications of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion (44 and 45) and to the soil surveys made by the Bureau of 

 Soils (40 and 50) of the United States Department of Agriculture. 

 Anyone wishing information about a particular section should write 

 to these sources of information. The soils of limestone origin have 

 proved particularly desirable for fruit growing, and most of the 

 orchards are located on them. They are underlain by retentive clay 

 subsoils, which help to make conditions favorable to fruit growing. 



POMOLOGJCAL PEATUKES. 



Three fruits, apples, peaches, and strawberries, are grown exten- 

 sively in this region. On the higher slopes of the long ridges there 

 are many good orchard sites, and profitable apple and peach orchards 

 are found on them. The ridges running parallel to Walden Ridge 

 of the Cumberland Plateau and located a few miles to the east of it 

 have been regarded as especially suitable, and in this section are the 

 largest centers of production for the general market. Figure 3 shows 

 a typical peach orchard located on one of these ridges. Winter 

 apples such as the TV inesap and others belonging to its group, are 

 the leading varieties grown in this region. In the southern part 

 some fruit for the early apple markets of the North are grown. The 

 Elberta is the principal peach variety and ripens immediately after 

 the Elberta season is ended in the peach section near Fort Valley, Ga. 



Because of good transportation facilities and the earliness of the 

 season of ripening, strawberries are grown in the section adjacent to 

 the Tennessee River between Chattanooga and Harriman, and also 

 near Cleveland, Knoxville, and Maryville. Near Chattanooga the 

 Klondike is the principal variety, while further north, about Dayton, 

 Knoxville. and Maryville the Aroma is the leading berry. 



