Bill Corbin and another employee on the grounds of the Barber Orchard
In front of the Barber Orchard Fruitstand
The Mighty Apple
They say that money doesn’t grow on trees, but in Haywood County it just might. In the 1930s, the county income from apples was twice that of cattle and dairy combined.
The Barber Orchard, established in 1903, was the largest orchard in the county and the largest private apple producer east of the Mississippi, harvesting 225,000 bushels a season in its heyday. Its success was partly due to a type of soil native to the area known as porters stony loam. The combination of minerals in this soil helped to grow the large, richly flavored, deeply colored, crisp, and juicy apples for which Haywood County is famous. Bill Corbin can be seen here, on the left, showing off the bees needed to pollinate such an orchard, boasting 400 acres of bountiful land.
Haywood’s orchards took advantage of the newly developed railroad lines to ship their product to distant markets. The apples even made it as far as England: Queen Victoria once said that her favorite apple was the Haywood Pippin! Today the Barber Orchard Fruitstand remains a favorite of residents and tourists alike.
Photographs courtesy of Clarine Best, The Haywood County Library Digital Collection
What does agriculture look like in Haywood County today?
