Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-08-12
Pc A G II E g..
Whit to One Of tie Crest Peaoh Orchards.


Baskets. o
4
Notwithstanding that the Peach Culture U
of Delaware has become matter Of such .
vast importance, not only to the grower of !
that luscious fruit, but, also, to the consul n
mer; few persons are acquainted with the 0
p,od,ss operGndi by which large crop of y
peaches are raised and marketed. Hoping .
in measure to supply this want OF infor- :
nation, especially to those residing at a re-
mote distance from the peach growing re-
gion, your rambling correspondent paid
flying visit to the heavy peach producing
region about Mlddletown, or rather on the ,
road Loading from Armstrong; Corner to the
town of Odessa.
| Having been informed that Mr. Serrach F.
Shallcross was the largest peach grower in
this section of the State, Inaturally passed
by the smaller peach orchards of the Coch-
rams and others, several of which contained
from 5000 to 10000 trees, and producing
from 10000 to 60, 900 baskets; until found
myself crossing the borders of the largest
peach orchard in New Castle County, be-
longing to Mr.. Shallcross.
Here beautiful sight met the eye; in
front lay an orchard dressed in the gorgeous
hues of dark massive green relieved here
and there by an elevation of the ground,
which exposed to sight the richly colored |
and Luxurious peach ready for picking and |
sending in haste to northern market. The
gentle activities in the ground, which served |
to expose to view the richly colorcd peach,
, reminded us of the luxuriant and gaudy
pink dress, which wrapped the orchard In
it's silken folds in the spring of the year, and
: which was only laid aside q little while to
be again doomed with richer and deeper
hue.
We were asked few days ago by gen.
+, tleman who was well to do farmer, in the
neighboring State Of Pennsylvania, II thou
sane trees did not constitute large peach
Il orchard. There was time, and that not
n very far back in tie past when 800 trees
. were considered to be an Unusually large
y number for one farm, but this was before
Rail Roads permeated every section of the
+, country; the strawberry, the blackberry,
/, And all other berries were allowed to grow,
II ripcn, and waste where they grew. Peaches
- were then taken to the distiery and sold
10 for six cents bushcl they were not then
!. looked upon as luxury, nor even considered
D an article of diet but new era has dawned
% upon the country, the advent of the steam
4 engine and the Rail Road has revolutionized
s. public sentiment, and what was formerly
:, Considered useless as an article of food, is
IN now among the leading luxuries OF life the
Y old peach orchard of 500 or 1000 trees is lost
ny sight of in the general revolution, and in
their stead We find spread out before our eyes,
be orchards numbering tens of thousands OF
r trees, loaded to the ground with the choic-
Fl, est Of fruit.
re, Finding gate which opened into Mr..
VI Shallcross' orchard, ut which lay huge
w. pile OF peach baskets, We entered, aud aflei
re a smart walk along road over which the
I'D limbs of the peach trees had intwined them
ng selves into bower, from which hung peaches
9 j in pendant clusters, we finally came upon
iy- a squad of hands led by Mr.. James Shall
XII cross, busily engaged in picking peaches ant
V" sending them out to Armstrong Station
,l7 there to be culled and put in the car read,
at for market.
10 Struck with the large number of hand
est engaged, VIC were informed in answer to ou
,ak inquiry that it took about 20 hands to picl
~ and market the fruit as fast as 1t became ripe
IN A main wagon road extended through tn,
old centre Of the orchard, at which the larg
aps wagons were loaded, making load TO th,
cad station and return each hour. From til,
I'm, main wagon road, several smaller one hors
me wagons were continually running, carrying
Inv hu baskets to the plckcrs and returning witt
IFS them full of peaches.
scd On account of the heavy crop, the limb
uit- are generally bent down so low that it is n
difficulty to get the peaches. Step ladder
ool, are used for reaching the top branches
an, Care is taken to pick none but the ripest an
ant most deeply colored fruit, the remainde
,oo being reserved for future picking whic
the generally comes on in two or three day
'uld after the first picking. "Troth's Early" wa
not the only variety fit for picking, which wi
ak; be followed by "Crawfords Early" nes
q aed week. new variety will be coming on cac
ni1tv week until the season closes
4 to In company with Mr.. James Shallcross
we took walk over the vast orchard whic
,ene we were informed contained 1000 tree
bed, which lat low estimate, it WAS suppose
be- would average four baskets per tree, w
"a were shown some trees which ii was estimi
lhcy ted would produce from to IL baskets.
,lay We were also shown another orchard @
are MIR. Shallcross farm, four years DID, of I, &c
ITS trees, which 1t was supposed would produt
blow two baskets per tree, which, in addition I
!, the large orchard of 1900 trees, woul
fou M make Mr.. Shallcross' crop approximate So
ared 900 baskets The long continued dry spe
talk of weather has been very deleterious to IL
nted growth of the peaches. A good rain at Il
this present time would add l5,0 600 more baske
maps to Mr.. 81 crop.
n DEL Jumping upon one of the wagons, a sho
h,cn ride landed us at the station, where we four
/. Mr. s. with large squad of hands in a ne
is at peach house, which had just been erect,
make for that purpose, busily engaged in culliI
we're and asserting the peaches as fast as they a
END rived. The best peaches were put into
, LIS basket by themselves, and marked by cove
md ing them with peach tree leaves, and callt
law "prine peaches" which, we were informe
I'd 8. brought double the price Of common peache
the The soft ones were assorted by themselve
un- and given to the workmen, or fed to II
anus hogs.
h hes It is supposed that 100, 900 baskets will
a. no shipped from this station alone, the prese
one | season.
over Alter the labors OF the day were ende
, fin we returned with Mr.. s. to his beautif
were mansion. where we enioved true farme,
ding hospitality. All around were eyidences
thrift and prosperity. An apple orchard
20 acres, with medium crop of apples, W
lost sight of in the overwhelming crop
peaches. Pear trees Of all imaginable v
erest rietics laden with large and luscious fru
tempted the eye, to say nothing of u
anu abundance of great variety of small
boys fruits. We were informed by Mr.. s. th
close the home farm contains $50 acres of Ian
we the Maley farm ITO acres, and the Cannt