2 BULLETIN 1189, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



regions of the area and (2) by presenting the information obtained 

 regarding the behavior of fruit varieties in those regions. 



While studying the strawberry varieties in the different regions 

 of the area much information on the general culture of that fruit 

 was obtained which has been published as a Farmers' Bulletin (14) 

 of the Department of Agriculture. 



To obtain the information desired, orchards in all parts of the 

 area were studied. Many of these orchards have been visited each 

 season of the years during which this work was carried on and notes 

 taken on the behavior of the varieties under the varying conditions 

 that have prevailed in the different years. The effect of the soil 

 and climatic conditions on the behavior of varieties was observed. 

 Information was also obtained from the growers on other factors 

 which help to determine the economic value of different varieties, 

 such as the demands of particular markets for certain varieties 

 and the securing of labor to harvest the fruit at the time of ripening. 

 Summaries of such information are given later under each variety. 



POMOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AREA. 



HISTORY. 



The development of the fruit industry in this area has not been 

 essentially different from that in other parts of the eastern United 

 States. The early settlers from the Atlantic Coast States carried 

 seeds and trees of the various fruits with them. Large seedling 

 orchards were first established and later were followed by grafted 

 and budded fruit. Many of the settlers in Tennessee and Kentucky 

 came from North Carolina and secured their varieties from that 

 State. In the northern part of the area varieties from States 

 farther north were planted, for many of the settlers came from 

 the Northern States. 



The development of the apple industry was encouraged in parts 

 of this area by the manufacture of brandy, and by 1850 orchards 

 of 50 acres of grafted apples were established as far south as the 

 southern border of Tennessee. 



With the introduction and spread of various orchard diseases 

 and insects and before spraying methods were known, the industry 

 in the southern part of the area began to decline. Along the Ohio 

 River, however, very extensive plantings of the Ben Davis, Rome 

 Beauty, and other apple varieties were made as recently as 1890 

 to 1900. 



In recent years, except in rare instances, plantings have been con- 

 servative even in the well-known fruit sections of the area. At pres- 

 ent, in Kentucky and Tennessee but few people who have not studied 

 the industry are planting orchards. In West Virginia the plant- 

 ings also are being made for the most part by those who have had 

 experience in fruit growing. When the development of an industry 

 takes place under such conditions, there is the least danger of heavy 

 loss. There are, of course, in each part of this area orchards which 

 will never be profitable because of bad management, bad selection 

 of varieties, poor location, or poor site. Generally, however, in an 



