 | History of Roanoke County |  |
Fruit Culture in Roanoke
Roanoke County lies in the great fruit belt of Virginia,
and the recent exhibits of fruit from the orchards
of the county at the Great Roanoke Fair, the
Lynchburg Fair, and the Virginia State Fair at
Richmond is ample proof that the county is forging
to the front as a fruit producing section more rapidly
than any other portion of the State. Apples, pears,
peaches, and plums of the finest varieties are grown,
and they command the highest prices. Northern
buyers bought entire crops last year on the trees,
paying from $3.00 to $4.00 per barrel. In the Back
Creek section of the county the Albemarle Pippin
grows to perfection, and has attained a reputation
which has extended to Europe. It is not uncommon
for scores of apple growers to sell their entire crops
at prices ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 per year.
A number of large orchards have been planted in
the last twenty years. Two notable orchards are
the Woodrum Pippin Orchard on Bent Mountain
and the Diamond Orchard near Salem. It is estimated
that more than a million trees have been
planted in Roanoke County in the past fifteen years.
The principal apples grown are the Pippin, Winesap,
Ben Davis, York Imperial, and Mammoth
Black Twig.
The cultivation of the grape succeeds well in
this county.
| History of Roanoke County | |