Smyrna times., 1874-04-29

crease of about eighty per cent. from a Sec C
tion of the peninsula that suffered the most of G
all from the effect of the terribible drought. t
From the junction and Breakwater Railroad 6
there were shipped in 1872, 379, 100 quarts of
cultivated berries and 1894 buckets of wild t
berries, while in 1873 the shipments of cult
waited berries were 5l9, 100 quarts, and of wild '
berries 45l buckets. Here again is a marked
increase in the shipment of last year over that
of the previous year, yet as we advance upward
that increase does not appear to be so large.
From the Kent and Queen Anne's Railroad
there were shipped in 1872, 36,25O quarts of
cultivated berries, and 97S buckets of wild
berries; and in 1873 there were shipped of cu.-
tivated berries 1873, 400 quarts, and of the wild
berries, 1876 buckets.
When the amount of berries shipped from
these branch roads is added to that received
from the main line we have the amount of ber-
res shipped from all sections of the peninsula
to New York and Philadelphia, and we find it |
| to have been in 1872 5,Il4, 450 quarts of cult
vated berries and in 1873, 7,57O,69O quarts,
making general increase over the entire penin-
sula of about fifty per cent. in the crop cf last
over that of the previous year.
| BY an examination Of the table Of shipments |
! from off tho Delaware and Eastern Shore Rail |
roads, roads which run from few miles north |
of Kirkwood to Crisfeld, distance upward
Of hundred and fifty miles, almost directly
| nQTku anu oOuIu, IL Will Dd Se6u ludL Iuo
further south We get the greater is the increase
in the yield of berries from the last year $
| crop over that of the previous year. Mount
| Pleasant which in 1872 made very credlkabe
shipment of nearly l., 0O0 quarts, last year did
not ship berry. The growers of 1872 lost
money on what they shipped, as it did not pay
them the expenses of picking and shipment,
and consequently they become disgusted and
dug up the plants, and made use of the land
for other purposes.
The land surrounding Mt. Pleasant is of a
heavy clay loam, and when made rich or fertile
blue and joint grass grows so rapidly that
nothing else has chance, and nothing but the
most incessant and persistent toll can prevent
those grasses from completely choking the
strawberry plants This was, perhaps, the
greatest of all the causes which led to the dis
continuation of the strawberry culture at Mt.
Pleasant; but the geographical position of
New Castle county, Del. and Cecil county,
Md, excludes them from any reasonable hope
of ever making the cultivation of berries a
source of profit as such fruits ripen, just as
Lower New Jersey growers, who in great
measure supply both New York and Philadel
phia markets, are sending forth the glut Of
their crop. However, some attention Is given
by several fruit groves near Mount Pleasant to
the cultivation of gOOseberries and currants.
One grower near the Delaware river has now
Just coming into bearing hne patch OF five
: acres of currantS, containing about 25, 900
bushels. 10 digress little from strawberries,
would state that this grower informs me that
. it takes man fully day to pick seventy five
pounds OF currants and as this patch, should
: when matured yield fully sc, 900 pounds, and
; must be picked in about week, it will require
: ITO men per day to pick it. This is more la
: borers than can be found unemployed in the
entire township in the season of the year when
= currants ripon and unless he can induce the
) women and children to go into the field and
pick for him, he cannot secure his crop when
y matured This would not be difficult matter
D in New York or New Jersey, but in Delaware
;; and Maryland the people have not been educa
~ ted yet to having their women and children
. work in the field excepting the colOred portion
y of the population, and for the past few year.
" that source of labor supply has been emigrat
. ing very rapidly to the cities and further
: north.
l. TO return to Strawberries By further ex
~ animation of the table it will be seen tina
Is there was decided decrease in the shipmen
DO of berries last year from Mddetown, Towns
r- end and Blackbrd. These stations are all il
re New Castle county, Del, and it has beer
nc found that the cost of cultivation and uni
l. formly low prices preclude any profit from tn
Z growing of strawberries in that county.
le Green Spring and Pennington and the in
cluded stations are in Kent county, aud it vii
" Do seen at all SueS6 oldIlOuS3 Will Ou6 6ACcp
IE tion, there was last year very healthy in
crease in the yield over that Of the previOu
- year. The exception is FELTON,. The crol
n around FELTON, was very much injured by lonj
~ drought, perhaps more than any other station
$50 on the road. However, there is another caus
ssS s5S which leads to the decrease-it was scarcely
$50 decrease-and that is the intention which ha
400 been diverted from strawberries to the cutivs
3S 3oS ton OF pears and grapes.
,5OS There was very good increase at all tn
80 stations in Sussex, showing decided increas
e9S coo in the planting of new patches"
900 From DeImar to Crisfeld the increase wa
.sssS far greater than in any other section of tn
800 peninsula. AS far as | have been able to al
80 certain-I fnd the interest taken in the straw
sSS berry culture greatly increasing, and undoub
I9eS edly the day is not far distant when tn
tioS :i amount of sales from the strawberry crop {
9sS the peninsula will be fully equal to that of th
$50 peach crop because find that the percen
200 soS age of new planting of strawberry patches
,IO far exceeds the new planting of peach orchards
lao The gross sales of the peach crop of la
,ar year was only about 81 AGO. 900 an average
of about 81 per basket, while allowing the berl
nc crop to average twelve cents per quart, tn
1us gross sales of the berry crop were $900,00t
his and over.
of This year should the crop be as good as e,
inc pected, at least 100000 of quarts OF straw
400 berries and blackberries will be shipped fro
ase this peninsula to the market. OF that qua
tity ninety per cent. or more will be strawbo
the ries. This season is an unusually early on
the and should not cold weather visit the low
the peninsula undoubtedly by the first of MI
the 6rst strawberries Of the season from tn
go quarter will be finding the way to marke
Iere The New York commission dealers are ar0u' ~,
ted even this early soliciting consignments. Th
and consignment soliciting among commission me
ber chants has become almost as much an instit
vild ton in Delaware aud Maryland as eommerc
travelling is in the West. Some of the mea
the employed by the sharps or market sharks
Wi. impose on the growers are at least ingenlus,
in not creditable and as IN almost sll other cas-
the victims are those leo Sd able to be imposed G
oad The most frequently played, however, is
!, in some one Of the numerous sidewalk merchaE