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By JANE BANGLEY
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
The quantity of the apple crop in Rappahannock may be spotty due to the freeze in April, but apple orchadists agree that the crop’s quality should be the best seen in years.
The freeze did the most damage to orchards . in low-lying areas, while those on higher ground withstood the cold temperatures. “The freeze hurt us here at the house where our Delicious have been cut by half,” said Herbert Foster of Flint Hill. “We have about 80 percent of the crop at our other orchard on the mountain off of Route 631.” Foster has 180 acres of apples.
Foster said that 60 to 75 percent of a full crop should be the norm throughout the country and that would affect prices. Alex Sharp of Washington, who owns or rents 350 acres of orchards in the county, said that he should have 70 percent of a normal crop.
“Certain low areas and the Red Delicious were hurt the most by the freeze,” Sharp said. “The damage varies from place to place, but it is more severe near Woodville.” The apples that are left, though, should be high quality.
“The spring, other than the freeze, was dry and the apples look clean,” Sharp said. “The freeze might have damaged the insects since we don’t have too many, and that’s good.” He said that the late blooming varieties, like Stayman and Golden Delicious, should have good crops. “It doesn’t look nearly as bad as the day after the
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