Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.djvu/58

COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES years. It is a natural product that man was never been able to imitate successfully.

Among the famous products of (his section was the Creveling grape, propagated by Mrs. Charily Creveling, wife of John Creveling, a member of the Society of Friends, residing near Espy. The first vine, from which cuttings were sent all over the Union, ran over a large pear tree beside the residence of Mr. Creveling.

Catawissa. which gave a variety of wheat to the world, was also the home of two fruits of national fame, which has not been dimmed even in this modern and rapid age. The Catawissa monthly raspberry was propagated from a single plant discovered in the Friends’ burial ground there and is noted from the fact that blossoms and berries appear at the same time from July to October. The Sharpless seedling strawberry was originated in 1872 by J. K. Sharpless. of Catawissa, and extensively exploited by J. L. Oitlon, of Bloomsburg.

One of the industries of these counties which has lapsed into the realm of memory is the production of maple sugar. In early days maple syrup and sugar were staple commodities, one township—Sugarloaf—being named from the chief of its products. The sugar season was as anxiously anticipated as the wheat harvest, and was more sure and lucrative. In the present time the loss of the noble maples, devastated by the woodman's axe, has caused an almost entire abandonment of this once famous industry.

APPLE ORCHARDS

Pennsylvania is third in the list of apple producing States, and has practically driven the western apple from the home market, because a better apple can be produced here at a lower cost. This is true also of Columbia and Montour counties, where several varieties of apples have originated, among them being the Fomwald, Priestly and Pennock varieties. Some of the best apples exhibited at recent State fairs have been from these counties and have received honorable mention.

The pioneer commercial orchardist in Columbia county is "Farmer" Creasy, master of the State Grange, who has developed to perfection several varieties of apples on his farm, east of Catawissa. J. J. John, of Millville, in an old orchard that had been declared unproductive, produced hundreds of bushels of marketable apples. A. G. Everett of Pine township took hold of an old orchard that had never given him a profitable crop, and in the first year sold over three hundred bushels of good apples. The next year he sold almost six hundred bushels of a better quality, and in the fourth year he harvested nearly twelve hundred bushels.

Another instance is the experience of Ira Chcrrington, of Roaringcreek township, Columbia county. He put brains, hard work and attention into an old orchard, and the first year after he began experimenting harvested a larger crop than ever before in its history. The following year he picked from the old trees a crop of 1,800 bushels of marketable apples.

Instances of this kind arc occurring all over the two counties, and will be multiplied in the coming years, after the intelligent care now being bestowed on the orchards brings forth fruit. Some of these farmers have received over a dollar a bushel for their fruit in the local markets, but at less prices the industry is still very remunerative. If the counties continue to progress in this way during the coming years Adams county, now the foremost fruit raising county tn the State, will have to put forth renewed efforts to retain the prize medal.

Aside from the big apple crops that are raised in Columbia and Montour counties there are a multitude of smaller fruits that, white singly insignificant, together form an aggregate of no mean volume, and arc a source of considerable revenue to the farmer and his family. Each farm has a number of cherry, peach, quince, pear and other fruit trees, bearing a more or less valuable burden each year. There arc one or two large peach orchards, but most of the farmers content themselves with raising only enough for local trade. Nor arc the cultivated fruits the only profitable products. The crabapple, huckleberry, elderberry, chestnut, walnut and hickorynut arc plentiful and afford a source of spending money for the younger generation that is not of inconsiderable importance. When taken altogether the financial value of these fruits and nuts assumes proportions that makes them count in the statistics of the counties.

SWINE RAISING

It is taken for granted (hat the average farmer will raise enough pork for his own use, and that is time of Columbia and Montour counties, but in addition enough hogs are raised to make the industry quite a lucrative one to the shippers supplying outside markets.