Page 44 - BNP January 2016 web
P. 44
Page 44 January 2016 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com
R eminiscing...
The History of Orchards in Thurmont with Elmer “Lee” Black
Deb Spalding — Part II —
The sale of wholesale fruit was Photo by Deb Spalding When Robert was in school,
big business for the Black families’ many of the cultural techniques were
orchards in the 1960s and 1970s. different. For example, when Harry
They were the first ones in the area to was running the business in the
have Cortland Apples. 1960s, the “practice” was to keep
“When we first started to sell loose soil by discing or cultivating to
Cortland apples, we had one heck of keep the rot spores from dispersing
a time getting rid of them,” recalls Lee from the orchard floor throughout
Black. the orchard. This was a huge problem
Then they started to promote when heavy thunderstorms would
Cortland apples. Lee indicated that erupt over the farm, cutting deep
many Washington, D.C. workers ruts that would wash the top soil off
were from New England states, so the of the fertile hillsides. Today, nearly
Blacks advertised that Cortland apples three quarters of the ground cover is
were an “offspring” of the McIntosh planted to Kentucky 31 Fescue, which
variety they ate up north, and that is a deep-rooted grass that can handle
started a trend here in northern heavy tractor traffic, even after a rain.
Maryland. Several thousand feet of grass water
Lee took his black raspberries, that ways and contour ditches were built
he had planted between his young to keep the water clean and prevent
apple trees for some early season Pictured left to right are Pat Black, Frances and Elmer “Lee” Black, and Bobby Black. top soil from running off the farm.
spending money, over the mountain The State Soil Conservation
to Cavetown for processing. He also combination. When they thought understanding how the air moves off Engineers supervised the ponds
grew strawberries in the late 1950s. the spring had started to go dry, the mountains. “Hooker Lewis figured being built. They stocked the ponds
In the 1960s and 1970s, when Pick- they put in a submergible pump to out the air would come through the with fish to control the weeds and
Your-Own caught on, it was known pump water from the well into the break in those two mountains there. keep them healthy. At one point, the
as Strawberry Hill with a “Million pond. Even though they could still That’s why he bought the land. He government stopped building ponds
Dollar View”! Back then, nearly irrigate the peaches, the Blacks feared knew this,” said Lee. in the area because they felt it was
everyone canned fruit so folks could that they would lose the source of Robert added, “Most of the warming the water up for the trout.
store up for winter and enjoy the water for the peaches, so they built a orchards here along the east side of Brown Trout need colder water to
“fruits of their labor.” They’d fill up second pond that year, pumped both the Appalachian Mountains have a survive. It was an issue. However,
the car with bushels of fruit. of them dry, built a third, pumped great ‘track record’ of having a yearly now, some of the farmers are able to
Prior to 1961, Harry Black was in all three dry, then a fourth pond the crop. The years we lost a few peach build ponds for fire protection or use
partnership to run the orchard with year after that. Since then, they have crops were when we had several the water for irrigation.
then owner, Ira Kelbaugh. When had enough water to keep the trees weeks of above-normal temperatures Orchard processes are as close
Ira retired, he sold the orchard to producing a good crop. Building in late December or January, that to perfect now as they can be in an
Harry, Robert Black’s father. Robert the ponds helped the business had advanced the buds, followed by uncontrolled environment. There’s
remembers, “In the early days of the and provided a great resource for a sharp drop to below zero in a very more technology available. In the
(roadside) market, Dad (Harry Black) generations to come. short time.” earlier years, a soil test was performed
said you could count the number Today, Robert and his family use In the last couple of years that he occasionally.
of cars on your fingers and toes in trickle irrigation to water the fruit ran the orchard, Lee had strawberries; “Now, we want to know
a day.” But, “The first thing Dad trees, berries, and vegetables. This however, a hail storm hit that ruined what is in the soil—pH, Calcium,
did was build a 7,000 bushel cold process uses less water and energy to all the fruit. He said they were magnesium, zinc, etc. We want to
storage.” This was the beginning of water only the tree row, thus saving “devastated.” “Hail is the enemy. The keep the nutrients balanced, so the
the next generation of smart growth gallons of water by not over-watering. heavy rain can be managed,” stated fruit grows best. We take leaf samples
at Catoctin Mountain Orchard. The water source is still coming off Lee. They usually advertised pick- to determine if we’re short in zinc,
Up on the hill at the Strawberry of those ponds, thanks to the 20-25 your-own strawberries, but did not nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus,
Fields, Lee had three small ponds that gallon-per-minute spring that feeds have any that season. sulfur, and so on. If we’re short, we
irrigated all of his strawberry fields, them. The irrigation system is now all Insurance allowed for the add it to the soil or apply it foliarly
peaches, and apples. He said that the piped underground to minimize loss catastrophic damage; they then had to the leaves. It’s like taking a vitamin
strawberries would have burnt up from evaporation. a total freeze-out for peaches in pill. We add several types of fertilizers,
without the water sources. To battle a frost, Catoctin the 1980s. The insurance paid to some with sulfur to keep a balance of
“The hills are great, but if you Mountain Orchard is strategically maintain the farm to stay in business positive and negative charges in the
don’t have water, the trees won’t placed down a slope from the for the following year. However... “An soil to have everything performing in
perform,” said Robert. mountain. Since cold sinks to the orchard owner doesn’t want claims. the soil,” stated Robert.
Ironically, Harry built the first lowest level, it will keep moving They want a crop to stay in business,” With Integrate Pest Management
pond for swimming, but it had to be through open fields and then over said Robert. (IPM), the Blacks monitor bad insects
used to irrigate the peaches on the Route 15. “The biggest thing the government with traps. Good insects eat bad ones.
hills on the west side of Kelbaugh “We are grateful it keeps moving. did for us is soil conservation,” Lee “We were coasting until 2010,
Road. Lee had watered most of his Damming the cold air up would cause mentioned, “just as automobiles when the brown marmorated stink
orchard on Black Road and told a freeze or frost to settle, killing the started coming in. I went into soil bug appeared,” recalls Robert. This
Harry he could borrow his irrigation blossoms for that season,” stated conservation and made a show place bug was introduced to the United
pump and pipe in 1961 since it was Robert. out of this farm. The government States via imported trade from Asian
really dry at the time. The pond Both Lee and Harry credit paid you per acre for helping with soil countries.
was fed by a good well and spring Hooker Lewis and Ira Kelbaugh for conservation measures.” — Continued on page 45 —
R eminiscing...
The History of Orchards in Thurmont with Elmer “Lee” Black
Deb Spalding — Part II —
The sale of wholesale fruit was Photo by Deb Spalding When Robert was in school,
big business for the Black families’ many of the cultural techniques were
orchards in the 1960s and 1970s. different. For example, when Harry
They were the first ones in the area to was running the business in the
have Cortland Apples. 1960s, the “practice” was to keep
“When we first started to sell loose soil by discing or cultivating to
Cortland apples, we had one heck of keep the rot spores from dispersing
a time getting rid of them,” recalls Lee from the orchard floor throughout
Black. the orchard. This was a huge problem
Then they started to promote when heavy thunderstorms would
Cortland apples. Lee indicated that erupt over the farm, cutting deep
many Washington, D.C. workers ruts that would wash the top soil off
were from New England states, so the of the fertile hillsides. Today, nearly
Blacks advertised that Cortland apples three quarters of the ground cover is
were an “offspring” of the McIntosh planted to Kentucky 31 Fescue, which
variety they ate up north, and that is a deep-rooted grass that can handle
started a trend here in northern heavy tractor traffic, even after a rain.
Maryland. Several thousand feet of grass water
Lee took his black raspberries, that ways and contour ditches were built
he had planted between his young to keep the water clean and prevent
apple trees for some early season Pictured left to right are Pat Black, Frances and Elmer “Lee” Black, and Bobby Black. top soil from running off the farm.
spending money, over the mountain The State Soil Conservation
to Cavetown for processing. He also combination. When they thought understanding how the air moves off Engineers supervised the ponds
grew strawberries in the late 1950s. the spring had started to go dry, the mountains. “Hooker Lewis figured being built. They stocked the ponds
In the 1960s and 1970s, when Pick- they put in a submergible pump to out the air would come through the with fish to control the weeds and
Your-Own caught on, it was known pump water from the well into the break in those two mountains there. keep them healthy. At one point, the
as Strawberry Hill with a “Million pond. Even though they could still That’s why he bought the land. He government stopped building ponds
Dollar View”! Back then, nearly irrigate the peaches, the Blacks feared knew this,” said Lee. in the area because they felt it was
everyone canned fruit so folks could that they would lose the source of Robert added, “Most of the warming the water up for the trout.
store up for winter and enjoy the water for the peaches, so they built a orchards here along the east side of Brown Trout need colder water to
“fruits of their labor.” They’d fill up second pond that year, pumped both the Appalachian Mountains have a survive. It was an issue. However,
the car with bushels of fruit. of them dry, built a third, pumped great ‘track record’ of having a yearly now, some of the farmers are able to
Prior to 1961, Harry Black was in all three dry, then a fourth pond the crop. The years we lost a few peach build ponds for fire protection or use
partnership to run the orchard with year after that. Since then, they have crops were when we had several the water for irrigation.
then owner, Ira Kelbaugh. When had enough water to keep the trees weeks of above-normal temperatures Orchard processes are as close
Ira retired, he sold the orchard to producing a good crop. Building in late December or January, that to perfect now as they can be in an
Harry, Robert Black’s father. Robert the ponds helped the business had advanced the buds, followed by uncontrolled environment. There’s
remembers, “In the early days of the and provided a great resource for a sharp drop to below zero in a very more technology available. In the
(roadside) market, Dad (Harry Black) generations to come. short time.” earlier years, a soil test was performed
said you could count the number Today, Robert and his family use In the last couple of years that he occasionally.
of cars on your fingers and toes in trickle irrigation to water the fruit ran the orchard, Lee had strawberries; “Now, we want to know
a day.” But, “The first thing Dad trees, berries, and vegetables. This however, a hail storm hit that ruined what is in the soil—pH, Calcium,
did was build a 7,000 bushel cold process uses less water and energy to all the fruit. He said they were magnesium, zinc, etc. We want to
storage.” This was the beginning of water only the tree row, thus saving “devastated.” “Hail is the enemy. The keep the nutrients balanced, so the
the next generation of smart growth gallons of water by not over-watering. heavy rain can be managed,” stated fruit grows best. We take leaf samples
at Catoctin Mountain Orchard. The water source is still coming off Lee. They usually advertised pick- to determine if we’re short in zinc,
Up on the hill at the Strawberry of those ponds, thanks to the 20-25 your-own strawberries, but did not nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus,
Fields, Lee had three small ponds that gallon-per-minute spring that feeds have any that season. sulfur, and so on. If we’re short, we
irrigated all of his strawberry fields, them. The irrigation system is now all Insurance allowed for the add it to the soil or apply it foliarly
peaches, and apples. He said that the piped underground to minimize loss catastrophic damage; they then had to the leaves. It’s like taking a vitamin
strawberries would have burnt up from evaporation. a total freeze-out for peaches in pill. We add several types of fertilizers,
without the water sources. To battle a frost, Catoctin the 1980s. The insurance paid to some with sulfur to keep a balance of
“The hills are great, but if you Mountain Orchard is strategically maintain the farm to stay in business positive and negative charges in the
don’t have water, the trees won’t placed down a slope from the for the following year. However... “An soil to have everything performing in
perform,” said Robert. mountain. Since cold sinks to the orchard owner doesn’t want claims. the soil,” stated Robert.
Ironically, Harry built the first lowest level, it will keep moving They want a crop to stay in business,” With Integrate Pest Management
pond for swimming, but it had to be through open fields and then over said Robert. (IPM), the Blacks monitor bad insects
used to irrigate the peaches on the Route 15. “The biggest thing the government with traps. Good insects eat bad ones.
hills on the west side of Kelbaugh “We are grateful it keeps moving. did for us is soil conservation,” Lee “We were coasting until 2010,
Road. Lee had watered most of his Damming the cold air up would cause mentioned, “just as automobiles when the brown marmorated stink
orchard on Black Road and told a freeze or frost to settle, killing the started coming in. I went into soil bug appeared,” recalls Robert. This
Harry he could borrow his irrigation blossoms for that season,” stated conservation and made a show place bug was introduced to the United
pump and pipe in 1961 since it was Robert. out of this farm. The government States via imported trade from Asian
really dry at the time. The pond Both Lee and Harry credit paid you per acre for helping with soil countries.
was fed by a good well and spring Hooker Lewis and Ira Kelbaugh for conservation measures.” — Continued on page 45 —
