Middletown transcript., 1875-02-06
9gritaltural.
New Jersey Peach Trade.


The peach crop Of New Jersey dur
ing the past year has been one of th'
largest ever grown in the State bu
owing to the extreme dry weather thai
prevailed during their ripening, they
were not as large and fine as usual, yeI
the prices realized for them proved re.
munerative to the growers. On &C.
count of the scarcity of the Delaware
crop they sold for good prices, A
number Of farmers sold their crops in
the orchard at prices ranging from 75c.
to 81 per basket, the fruit to be picked
and delivered to the purchaser at the
nearest depot Those who sold al
these prices realized more money for
their fruit than those who shipped it to
market, principally on account, as
above stated. Of the fruit not coming
up to its usual standard Of excellence.
The marketing of the New Jersey
crop of peaches is conducted on an alto
gether different principle from the Del
awarean system. There. the whole
matter of procuring cars, loading and
shipping them. is placed in the hands
of the commission merchants agents to
handle as they see ct, on the pretsnse
that they charge pethine for doing it.
Not so with the New Jersey growers,
for they consider that they know how
to handle it better than, any agent, and
having SO much interest at stake in fhe
fruit, they prefer keeping control of it
50 long as they can, consequently q
short time previous to the ripening Of
the fruit the growers in each section
meet and select one person % their
agent, whose duty it is to be At the
depot and receive the fruit, pack it
carefully in the cars, and keep COR
rect account of each shipment then,
when the cars are loaded ito accompany
the fruit to Jersey City and deliver it
to the consignees. For this service the
growers pay their agent one cent per
basket, and he is responsible for all
fruit placed in the car up to its delivery
to the dealer. II, therefore. any, fruit
is lost or delivered to the wrong par
ties, the owner receives pay for it from
his agent, consequently the grower
loses no fruit nor do they lose any by
depreciation in consequences Of bad
handling by their agent; for if the
dealer finds that it is arriving in bad
condition caused by careless handling.
he reports that fact to the owner, who
it immediately ff |
The railroad furnishes them all the
cars they need, upon application. free
from any deposits. and gives these
agents and their assistants pass over
the road, SO the farmers are at no extra |
expense for this agent, as the freight is
arranged at figure to correspond with
The service rendered: The baskets can |
be returned in the same cars they ar
rive, in, free Of cost, at the owners
or they can be returned as freight
for trife cost at the risk of the road
The baskets containing the fruit are
III covered, said covers being marked
10 correspond with those on the ,lockets.
[n order to inform the merchants Of
he quality and variety Of fruit in them,
he growers make use Of green sprigs
'r bits Of bright-celored yarn. When
10 distinguishing mark is used, it is
considered to be all Of one quality. The
1ariety is readily detected by opening
j few baskets, and the number Of
marks are considered as an index of the
Iuality. the highest being understood
q the best. In few instances where
here are . few culls and the general
haracter is even, those culls are mark
d to call attention to them.
The New Jersey peaches are all cart
d to the stores, where they are ex-
mined and sold in proportion to their
alue; for owing to the promptness Of
he arrivals Of the trains, and having
hese agents at the cars to unload the
ruit, it generally begins to arrive at
be stores about l A. M. and as fast
S the fruit can be examined is sold to
obbers and shippers, Who in turn have
in time to sell to their customers, or
hip it to distant markets by the early
ines.
From this statement one can readily
se the advantages the New Jersey
rowers possess over their Delaware
and the profits they realize !;
yer them BY keeping the control over /;
leir fruit as long as they possibly can, ,
lstead Of permitting others to handle /,
who possess no interest in it save
leir commission for handling it
7ow and Then, in Rural NeU Yorker
Why PorAToEs Run OUT.-Some =
10 asks why It Is that potatoes SO soon