Smyrna times., 1869-10-06

MORE ABOUT PEACHEs.-The Fruit Grow
ers Association, at its meeting in Dover. in
June last estimated that there were along the
line OF the Delaware railroad 1884, $50 peach
trees, from which there would be shipped by
railroad exclusively 500, ,l8O baskets of fruit.
This would be less than basket per tree.
But 1t was further estimated that, of this num-
Der OF trees there were at least SS5. .24O that
were too young to yield any appreciable amount
OF fruit-throe years old and under. They
were accordingly thrown out of the count. thus
leaving the balance, 1909, $50 trees of four
years old and upwards (which included manv
old orchards that are dying out) to supply the
estimate This was putting the yield at bas
ket and half per tree. The railroad estimate
was higher than this somewhat. We do not
remember the exact amount, however. The
mpany furnished 400 cars to meet the emer.
gency. The result greatly exceeds the estimae.
Inc actual shipments, as we stated last week.
were over 2,OO0,000 baskets, or about % per
cent. greater than was anticipated. This is
equivalent to two baskets per tree throughout
the Peninsula Putting the crop at this rate.
and estimating one hundred trees to the acre
Vhere are los, but some are imperfecN and
tnat each basket netted forty cents, we find
that the crop for the present year has averaged
the grower $50 per acre. The average Weld
OF grain per acre is from $40 to $50, we believe.
The peach, therefore, according to this cal
culatlOn, has paid about double the profits of
the grain crop, the present year, but when we
consider that the former yielded nothing last
year and were under the same expense OF cul-
tlvation as if they had yielded abundantly. the
proportion is nearly equalized. We believe.
however, that the peach crop has been under
estimated, as no account is taken of the fruit
sent by express, principally before the regular
shipments commenced, together with that
sold locally and to the canning factories A
majority of the growers in this locality raised
over two baskets to the tree, and We mention
II our Ideals yield of four and a-half bas-
&ets to the tree. Whether or not the crop is
profitable, taking into consideration the fact
that we have had but three good crops in ten
years, we leave the farmers to Judge; that is.
more profitable than other crops. We believe
that the general opinion now is that they are.
But we feel quite sure that, had the crop fail
ed this year thousands of trees would have been
"cut down as cumberors of the ground" and
the peach business pronounced failure; but,
as it IS we feel pretty certain it will be greatly
stlmuatrd in tLis locality at least The grow
ers are IN much better heart than they were at
the close of the 'G7 crop, because, owing to the
dry weather, the fruit shipped in such fine
condition that the prices were kept up in spite
OF the large yield. Peaches We're shipped from
this town to Boston this season in excellent con-
ditiOn, while in 81, when it rained almost every
day, the fruit could hardly be got to New York
in marketable condition. Many farmers who
sold large crops that year were rather discour-
aged than otherwise. Farmers who were look
ing blue then and last year are flush" now,
and are paying their debts or making invest
ments.