Quotes

Alleghany

“ Mr. Hiram Shore kindly handed me three of the largest and finest white apples on Saturday that have come under the observation of my “peepers” this season. A gentleman present called them the “Alleghany apple.” They averaged in weight a little more than one pound each.”

                   The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 13 September 1883

Buckingham

“The well known “Buckingham” apple is coming from the mountains and selling on the streets from wagons.”

                   The Peoples Press, Salem, North Carolina, 18 October 1883

“Buckinghams” and “Virginia Beauty’s are now selling for 40 and 46 cents out of the wagons.”

                   The Mt. Airy News, Mt Airy, North Carolina, November 21 1895

“Mountain apples, Buckinghams, the finest in the world, were offered by the cart load on our street, Monday.”

                  The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 8 February 1877

Cain Apples

“Thanks to D.T. Eaton, of Conrads, Yadkin County, for some improved “Cain” apples, the finest fruit of the kind we have seen this season.”

                  The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 24 July 1902

Dried Fruit

“Winston, NC:, July 1, 1885

Dear Sir: -- During the past four years the Dried Fruit trade has been unprofitable, the demand has been light, prices low with a steady tendency downward. Green apples kept through the winter, canned and evaporated fruits, have almost superceded sun-dried; and as the crop this year, in all parts of the country, is the largest ever known, with increased canning establishments in all sections, it is reasonable to expect that prices will be lower than ever before.

All fruit must be thoroughly dried, kept perfectly clean and brought to market in clean sacks; the different grades must not be mixed. Apples should either be in large bright quarters or in white and fancy sliced. Make all the large halves unpaired peaches you can, but do not put quarters or small halves in with large ones.

Dark apples and dark peeled peaches are not wanted at any price.”

                   The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 9 July 1885

 

“As the season for curing fruit has come, and many of our readers being interested in the business, we publish the following instructions handed us by Messrs. Pfohl & Stockton . . .

Blackberries should be more thoroughly dried than ever before. The low prices for them has been caused by poorly dried which soured before consumed.

Sliced apples have become so common that nice bright well cored quarters will pay best this season. Both apples and peaches should be cut in very thin slices to sell for the highest prices.”

                    The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 12 July 1877

 

“DRIED FRUIT – The merchants of Salem are paying the highest market price for dried fruit.”

                   The Peoples Press, Salem, North Carolina, 16 August 1877

From Tree to Table

“We have before us a 60 page book with the above title, written by Mr. W. F. Grabs, a well known citizen of King, Stokes County, NC.  It treats on keeping winter apples, all about trees and fruits, and much valuable information in connection therewith demonstrated by practical experience. The price of the book is 25 cents in stamps or silver. A little booklet containing a prospectus or outline of the larger edition sent free by addressing a card to W. F. Grabbs, King, NC.

                 The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, April 2 1903

June Apples                                                           

“There was an abundant June apple crop this year. Every tree that we have seen was full, and many of the limbs broken by their heavy load of apples.”

                     The Peoples Press, Salem, North Carolina, 5 July 1883

Limbertwig                                                          

“ An apple of the Limbertwig species, was found in the cellar of Mrs. J. N. Blum, where it had been for the last two years in perfect state of preservation.”

               The People’s Press, Salem, North Carolina, 21 June 1877

Magnum Bonum

“Mr. J.G. Jones, of Culler, Stokes County . . . brought to this market 25 bushels of Magnum Bonum apples for which he received $25.72. He tells us 12 years ago he grafted the trees with this variety, with his own hands, and is now reaping the rewards of his labors.”

                      The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 2 November 1882

“Some of the finest Magnum Bonum apples were brought in from the country last week. Every year there is an improvement among our fruit growers. The late keeping apples are: Never Fail, Royal Limbertwig, Cheese and several other varieties, which will be brought in after frost.”

                     The Peoples Press, Salem, North Carolina,11 October 1883

Mammoth

“A Mammoth Apple was handed in during our absence from the office, by Thos. M. Hunter, Esq., of Bethania, for which we tender him our thanks. The weight, 1 and ¾ pounds, conveys to the mind of the reader an idea of its size. There is material enough in it for several pies of very respectable size, and enough juice if converted into the ‘oh be joyful’ to knock anyone, save a confirmed tippler off of his pins.”

                        The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 28 September 1882

Mauslin Apple

“Mr. W.M. Roberts handed us an apple the other day of the mauslin variety that weighed 26 ounces and measured 16 inches in circumference.”

             The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, October 12 1899

Mountain Apple Crop Injured

“Report reaches here that the apple crop in the mountain section is badly damaged by the sudden cold snap last week having frozen much of the fruit on the trees before it could be gathered. Very few apples are being offered in the Winston-Salem market in comparison with other years. Another reason is that while the crop is short, a large quantity is being shipped by rail from Mt. Airy and other places to foreign markets.”

              The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, November 22 1900

Orchards 

“ . . . you scarcely see a farm in Yadkin County but you find an orchard and on many a vineyard.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 30 August 1883

“Orchards are even more personal in their charms than gardens, as they are more nearly human creations. Ornaments of the homestead, they subordinate other features of it; and such is their sway over the landscape that house and owner appear accidents without them. So men delight to build in an ancient orchard, when so fortunate to possess one, that they may live in the beauty of its surrounding. Orchards are among the most coveted of possessions; trees of ancient standing, and vines, being firm friends and royal neighbors forever. The profits, too, are as wonderful as their longevity. And if antiquity can add any worth to a thing, what possession has a man more noble than these, so unlike most others which are best at first, and grow worse till worth nothing; while fruit trees and vines increase in worth and goodness for ages.”

      Amos Bronson Alcott (1799 – 1888)

Pound Pippins

“FINE APPLES – We noticed some extra fine “Pound Pippins” for sale on our streets a few days since. Price ten cents a piece. They were sold in small lots.”

                  The People’s Press, Salem, North Carolina, 9 October 1873

Sinebuanon (Sine Qua Non) Apples

"Mr. A.T. Coble of Liberty, sold 16 ½ bushels of Sinebuanon apples in Greensboro, the past week, at a dollar a bushel. They were part of a yield of two trees.”

                The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, August 6 1903

Summer Apples

“It is rare that the summer lets an apple go without streaking or spotting it on some part of its sphere. It will have some red stains, commemorating the mornings and evenings it has witnessed; some dark and rusty blotches, in memory of the clouds and foggy, mildewy days that have passed over it; and a spacious field of green reflecting the general face of Nature, --- green even as the fields; or a yellow ground, which implies a milder flavor, --- yellow as the harvest, or russet as the hills.

Apples, these I mean, unspeakably fair, --- apples not of Discord, but of Concord! Yet not so rare but that the homeliest may have a share. Painted by the frosts, some a uniform clear bright  yellow, or red, or crimson, as if their spheres had regularly revolved, and enjoyed the influence of the sun on all sides alike, --- some with the faintest pink blush imaginable, --- some brindled with deep red streaks like a cow, or with hundreds of fine blood-red rays running regularly from the stem-dimple to the blossom-end, like meridional lines, on a straw-colored ground, --- some touched with a greenish rust, like a fine lichen, here and there, with crimson blotches or eyes more or less confluent and fiery when wet, --- and others gnarly, and freckled or peppered all over on the stem side with fine crimson spots on a white ground, as if accidentally sprinkled from the brush of Him who paints the autumn leaves. Others, again, are sometimes red inside, perfused with a beautiful blush, fairy food, too beautiful to eat, --- apple of the Hesperides, apple of the evening sky! But like shells and pebbles on the sea-shore, they must be seen as they sparkle amid the withering leaves in some dell in the woods, in the autumnal air, or as they lie in the wet grass, and not when they have wilted and faded in the house.”

                  Henry David Thoreau

State Fair Prizes for Apples

“The prizes for apples shown at the recent State Fair at the great apple show were on Monday sent to the winners. Moses A. Cone of Watauga County, won first prize on no less than nine cases, getting it for York Imperial, Bonum, Ben Davis, Northern Spy, Virginia Beauty, Jonathan, Grimes’ Golden, Fallawater, Gloria Mundi, Shockley, and Royal Limbertwig, His great orchard is in Watauga county. John Farrior, of Haywood Haywood county, got 5 first prizes – for McAfee, Stayman Winesap, Stine, Buff and Arkansas Black-Twig.”

                  The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 6 November 1902

State Fruit Fair

“The State Fruit Fair is being held at Greensboro this week . . . From Forsyth we note the following: Lineback Bros., Salem, N.C. – 9 varieties of peaches, a great many varieties of pears and apples and also figs, tomatoes, plums, and [unintelligible]. J. A. Wolfe, Forsyth County – 19 varieties, 10 of peaches, 3 of pears, 3 of plums, 1 of damsons. Geo. Hauser, Forsyth County – 6 varieties of peaches and 1 of pears; canned fruits and jellies.”

            The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, August 6 1891

Wine Sapp 

“Mr. John F. Tucker, of Abbott’s Creek township, presented us this week with some of the finest apples we ever saw. They are of the Wine Sapp variety, smooth, plump and juicy.”

           The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, 19 August 1880

Winners of the Second Prize at a Paris Festival

“The collection installed at that time consisted of eight varieties as follows:

            Ben Davis, grown by Wilson Hensley, Bald Creek, N.C.

            Buff, grown by Wilson Hensley, Bald Creek, N.C.

            Camack, grown by J.S. Ray, Burnsville, N.C.

            Gilpin, grown by K.E. Smith, Banner Elk, N.C.

            Stipe, grown by D.R. Proffit, Burnsville, N.C.

            Stine, grown by C.D. Ray, Burnsville, N.C.

            Winesap, grown by G.E.Boggs, Livingston, N.C.

            Yellow Newton, grown by J.S. Ray, Burnsville, N.C.

            York Imperial, grown by J.E. Smith, Banner Elk, N.C”

                The Union Republican, Winston, North Carolina, August 9 1900

Winter Scarcity

“It is reported that winter apples will be scarce this year. The Never Fail and Limbertwig varieties are badly specked and rot quickly. We have seen very few Buckinghams from the mountains that were worth buying.”

             The People’s Press, Salem, North Carolina, 23 October 1879