I got some help from the Southern Fruit Fellowship members who are in Jackson Mississippi. Some of what they advise is:
red apple - Anna
plum - ruby sweet, but for plum curiculio (spelling?) spray it and peaches with Imoden
blackberry - Apache
raspberry - Dorman red
fig - Celeste, most cold-hardy.

Another good resource is the Miss. State Univ. suggestions:

http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p0966.pdf

LSU (also my alma mater) should also have a similar publication on their websites.

cherry- I tried a montmorency, and it was stunted the first summer and never came out of dormancy the second; I think we don't have enough chill hours for good cherry production.

I replaced the cherry with another fuyu persimmon, which is my favorite fruit of all (it is a non-astringent variety that you can eat like an apple). The persimmons have fewer pest problems for me than the peaches, and bears well and is delicious. I didn't spray my peaches this spring and lost all of my heavy crop to plum curculio (sp?).

For good pest resistance, pomegranate works well for me- few pests and good production, plus it is a pretty shrub with conspicuous red flowers.

I have 2 requisite pecans, plus am trying some filberts (hazelnuts) from Burnt Ridge nursery.

I also am impressed with the serviceberries which I hope will be more drought resistant than my blueberries, but they are just getting established so the jury is out on that. I'm putting in a couple of pawpaws, but they are very small yet.

Good luck on finding good varieties for your area! I think we are too far north for bananas, but I may be wrong. I do have one as an ornamental but don't expect fruit.

Also, on apples, try to find fireblight resistant varieties. My Ein Shemer got destroyed by it; the braeburn and gala escaped so far, but that may be luck rather than fireblight resistance....

Susana McIntosh

Thank you Susan. DUH! I should of tried the LSU ag site first. I guess I was just too lazy. Thanks again and if anyone else has advise please chime in.
Pattie

Pecans there nursery just south you biggest in world Bass pecan nursery at lumberton miss.. Pawnee small tree it was devolpe for pan handle texas nut come off sept 20th thats before early freeze Elliot small pecan but bare well and shells easy. Both have stronge wood.
Peaches I would go with Red Globe, Harvester Bob wells nursery here in northeast texas has good selection what do good here in zone 8 northeast texas where I live.
Private pesticide licsene will come very imporant in what you do. Imidan very good on PC control locate large chemical company in your area like Helena chemical co.or BWI. Dorman red good heat torlant raspsberry trailing they need line trillising. Blackberries throny types Chickasaw & Kiowa they bring fruits thronless Ouachita & Natchez they bring in fruits will need V trillis of T-post. Boston mountain nursery in mountainburg Arkansas give great bare root cheaper plants order now september good time order all fruit plants exspect plants come in mail early january don't ship until first hard freeze has pasted. As you long time gardener you may know that K-Mag good fertilizer 0-0-22-11-22 to make melons and small fruits sweet at harvest. You need learn that to grow from seedling to mature tree is good have one practice after that tree is mature use different fertilizing practice and prunning. Once learn peach mangement practice you have it for apples plums nectrines pear there some differents but be small. Going into lowes are home depot in garden section there be book called ortho problem solver the photo are very helpful google photos begining get good on deseases. You-tube has started having good prunning demo's. A good book to buy is pecan production in southeast I think come from
georgia was Auburn. Banana you have to stay after them with fertilizer they make if yellow they want rose fertilizer works on banana. When hear of frost coming go look for pod cut take in house they make in area that would called wet if on small hill facing south up close to metal building add some tropical time for plant east if not south fig same.

gator, lots of good info, thanks. I have a pecan in back, not sure of name but I'm in an area that has grown them for so long they are in the woods.. Still young and hasn't produced yet. I did have some peaches at a rent house once but, the bugs always beat me to them. We didn't spray either so, I will need to learn more on that. I don't think I'll do berries other then strawberries. There are lots of wild ones around though. Mostly fruit and nuts. Thanks. Back to reading. LOL
Pattie

Sounds like a good mix for you. The birds get all my cherries, so I'm thinking about pulling em out. My apples all stink with disease, except for a Pristine apple. (But I don't spray)

I did have decent crops of Jap plums. But the squirrels or raccoons got all my Santa Rosa plums. Berries grow pretty good for me as well. Seckel and Maxine pear is a good producer for me too.

Good luck with your orchard!

Pattie,
I didn't want to spray either but I am about to give up and spray the peaches and plums with the imoden, just to get a taste!

Especially if you don't want to spray I can't emphasize how much I LOVE the persimmons; maybe you can find some to taste this fall to see if you like them too. Here are a couple sites to read more about the non-astringent (most popular in taste by far):

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/japanese_persimmon.html

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/361/

I can see why they are called fruit of the gods!

Good luck in your endeavors!!!

Susana_Mc