Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-10-07
Peach orchards.

EDITORS SOCTHEEN OCLIlAAIo =
As shall be absent, and MUCH engaged,
Tor the nex' two months, | propose to
condense, in one article, all that I have.
yet to say.
lst, On the manner Of picking, pack
ing, and shipping peaches.
2nd, The expense per acre, and proba
bic yield, under judicious management.
For shipment, the fruit should be
picked when quite hard and just as it
begins to color.
In picking, the hands should be care
full not to press the fruit with the fore
finger and thumb, as indentation will
produce decay within twenty four hours.
Clasp tt.e pc;scil rather in the palm of
the hand and apply the fingers to the
stem which connects it with the branch,
and slight pull separate the peach
from the tree without bruising it.
Each hand should carry peach bas
k2i ;inc,! with common horncspu, into
which the fruit should be laid (not
t.lrowm when picked. This prevents
abrasion Of the skin from the coarse
straw Of which the baskets are made By
LAYING them in, bruises are avoided.
Care in performing these tasks, is at the
bottom Of successful shipment, and no
ono aeel hope TO make the business a
snccess, who will not insist on these
conditions being attended TO- unless the
t.rit Is TO be sold in market within
twentv-Four hours travelling distance
from the orchard
Z &: sooa as the baskets are filed, they
$,,.o,ll4 be 81: 'iowa imder the shade of
IA. I:,.,.. : at wi:h springs should
ow ami brir@ them from the orchard
70 tic packing shed, where the baskets
are delivered over to the rollers, or
hands. who wrap the peaches in paper.
These hands should reject all peaches
;ii..t are accidentally bruised, and roll
the balance in.thin paper which can be
bought in New York at 50 cents per
re;;ln, each sheet Will roll four peaches.
rs fast as they. are rolled, the roller
places them in baskets. These baskets
are taken by the pochct, ahd thepcaches
laid carefully, regularly, and closely
into the boxes, and filed so ihll that it
will require considerable pressure to get
inc covers down. Il is well to putabeut
an inch Of paper clippings, or excelsior
i,tcl.ins (Which can be bought, in New
York al three cents per pound on the
top of the peaches before pressing down
the cover. so as to avoid bruising the
fruit with the Stats or box cover Each
end of the boxes should be hooped with
thin hopping strip.
The PEACH BOXES are made twenty
Two inches long, eight inches high, and
fifteen inches wide, with partition
croSSwavs through the centre This
hold. about one bushel
The ends are made of -three-fourths
inch staff, eight inches wide. Tie
sides, of strips two and one-half inches
wide and onc-half inch thick; the top.
and bottom of four inch strips, one-half
inch thick, and arc so placed as to leave
spaces between tie strips tor tie passage
ol air. Pine will do--lighter wood is
better.
ExpESsEs.-The boxes cost about
twenty cents each. The cost Of wrap
ping the peaches is FIVE cents per box.
The cost Of paper, with which to wrap,
and packing for the top Of the boxes, is
about twenty cents The cost of pack
ing and hoping, five cents. Making
all aggregate OF fifty cents per box.
Freight. Via, Savannah, from Columbus,
excluding wharfage, forwarding, &c,
Is 81 25. Commissions for sales, in New
York. ten per cent. J. c. Kimball &
Co. arc pro@lpt and faithful agents.
If the peaches only bring 50 per
bushcl, tho paper. and packing. and q
largc part d the freight IS repaid by
wrapping Tie peaches IN paper, for the
paper di<places at least ore-fttll Of a
buslie! Q: peaches. and so brings back
t. tie shipper one dollar, and, of course,
more when the fruit sells higher. +
mention this that persons may not be
deferred at the expense and trouble Of
wrapping in papers, for it costs nothing,
hut pays profit, and lends materially
70 the preservation Of the fruit
Persons living on the line of the
Railroad above Atlanta. who have to
ship by express, will find. the freight
ab6ilt three dollars per bushel, which
can onlvbe borne by fine peaches matu-.
ring in June and Jul i.
Tie very early peaches, maturing from
the fifth to tie middle of June, bring
from twelve to fifteen dollars per bushel, !
but they are very tenderpcaches (Tillot
SOM and do.not ship SO well as later
kinds. The Hale's early, unless it differs
from the northern fruit. by change of
climate, will not bear shipment to New
York. The Columbus June, a va
rictv now nearly lost, ripcns as ear
lv as the Tillotson, and is a good
shipping peach. Troth's EARLY, old
Nixon Free. the Melacalm's, Early and
l.aic Crawford, Incompatible Chinese
cling. and some other varieties, that
,iI>en late in June, and through July, |
are the safest peaches to ship, and, one
wear with another, will pay the most
money. In my orchard, nowbeipg pre-
pared for planting, containing 10000
trees I shall not set out more than 2000 |
of the earliest varieties. When can
increase nv stock of the Columbus June
J shall plant more freely for the early |
market, bet all things considered, would
rather take the chances of July peaches
for profitable shipment.
PpoFJrs acre of peach trees, |