In 1989 and 1995 a site dating from the early Bas Empire was excavated in Reims. It consisted of square pits arranged in an orderly pattern. A surface area of 6000m2 contained about one hundred of these pits. Later, archaeological fieldwork carried out in advance of motorway construction east of Reims produced similar sets of features and it is suggested that these are remains of orchards located in a rural setting just outside the town. Following these observations, two types of commercial or private production can be proposed. However, these appeart modest in comparison with the large olive groves of southern Gaul. While there are few comparable discoveries so far, these sites provide an opportunity to address the question of fruit production in the centre and immediate surroundings of early towns. This article presents the data and some thoughts on the subject.