Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-03-03
rContributed for the Delaware Tribune.l
Small Fruit Culture.


SOUTHERN DELAWARE p" ACRES
ENOUGH" AND THE HORSE RADIsu CROP.
reckon times are "right smart hard"
down here in Sussex. Everybody knows
that. But what makes EN- be so hard, is
the problem. Some think its want of
money; others think the want Of whiskey
hardest to bear. Another lays the blame
on the taxes. But l see your correspon-
dent, "P.," of laurel. has. after deep
research, no doubt found the real cause of
the hard times. They just come of raising
corn, -" only that and nothing more" as
Poe says.
Now, know if the Laurel people went
into anything they were mighty apt to go II
with rush; but / didn't think they'd glut
the corn market for awhile, so l naturally
turn TO the market report to see about it,
and find, Corn-receipts light, prices well
sustained So l naturally reckon "P'
must have made some mistake He thinks
the large land owners ought to sell most
of their land and induce 500 Northern men
to settle there who would " introduce a
Northern style of farming, which consists
in the production of peaches, pears, black
berries, strawberries and grapes" l sup
pose when the crap" is fair, Laurel ships
about 100, 900 bushels of corn per annum
and it has about as much effect on the
corn market as summer freshet in Broat
creek has on the Atlantic ocean. Now
suppose 500 farmers from upards settle il
the vicinity of Laurel, with right smart o
'em at other places, above and below there
and plant only an average of four acre
each of Strawberries and other small ant
large fruit in proportion, what would b.
the probable result p? A few years ago, th
author of "Ten Acres Enough demon
strated that horse-rudish was one Of the bes
paying crops that could be tended, and tina
it was impossible to livestock the market.
| Well, of course Laurel went INTO it AM
if "Ten Acres Enough" had been correct
Laurel would now be thinking abou
another railroad. or canal, or some taste
and cheaper way OF getting horse-radish t
market than the present facilities. Bu
alas how short is human foresight.
hardly know whether they sold their flrs
crop (they never tended second), Q
whether they supplied all New York fo
years to come; but don't find it quote
any more in the prices current, And Laure
has had to look elsewhere for a livelihood
: So they turn to Strawberries first, followin
with the rest of the berry tribe.
; Last year was about the first Of the sma
fruit "ayle of farming, and they shippe
about eighteen hundred and fifty bushels {
strawberries from Laurel. And, althoug
lhe season was twice as long as common
the price dropped from so cents down to
cents per quart in few hours.
Perhaps strawberries eau be raised near
as cheap as corn but l think not, unit
those who tend them learn to hoe withol
umbrellas. The present cost of picking al
) getting to market and selling them Is 81
more per bushel and suppose 80 bushe
I per acre might be taken as an average GRO
Now, shall leave "P.' to make an esi
e mate of the profits likely to be realized
u his five hundred carpct-baggers' VIII,
they are ready to ship the Strawberries fro
two thousand acres, and by millions
quarts, instead of only twenty-six thousan
,f think the hard times are the result
trying to get something for nothing; tryiI
l. to farm on the credit system; trying to tai
e advantage of nature and -" Aaw" on h
e (sand) banks, long after their deposits we
N exhausted, without renewing ihtm. AL
now the attempt to substitute hdrticultu
'e for agriculture without adopting aiy syste
lie by which the fertility Of the soil S to be r.
Is newed, except by importing higbpriced mi
ID nures, often of doubtful value, seems to
another vain attempt to cheat iature out
'e enough to pay what they alredy owe he
Of DIISUsD DIosPyRos.
is Sussgx County, DEL, Feb %, 1870.