Middletown transcript., 1877-01-13
Written for the Middletown Transcript
Peach Prospects.

rArative leisure to give this subject our care
/ ful, anxionsthought and see if we cannot find
some sure and satisfactory way out of ou1
present difficulties in marketing our fruit
The ready sales and large profits which
! cheered rs a few years ago seem to be among
the things that were The fact Is apparent.
that while We have been increasing the acre
! age of our orchards, the demand for or fruit
has decreased, owing to he depression of thr
times, and the consequent inability Of the
lnboring classes to purchase such luxnries.
The experience of the past few years has
shown that whether we have a large crop Of
a comparative small one, the profits from the
sale of the fresh fruit are far from satisfactory
: Ia the year 1875 the eight millions of bas-
kels of peaches which we marketed, yielded
hut meagre returns after paying freightage
commission, loss Of baskets, etc while the
thousands of baskets that rotted upon the
ground proved still more conclusively that the
supply exceeded the demand
The crop of 1876 was the exact counterpart
Of the crop Of the preceding year, being what
was generally termed failure, and yet with
this small crop prices ruled SO low in many
instances as to afford but a small profit.
The trees having had a comparative rest for
one season, a large crop or at least an aver
age ore, may reasonably be expected the com
ing season. If it comes, what are we TO DO
with it? Certainly, in the light Of past expe-
rience, we cannot hope, in times Of such gen
eral depression, for paying prices if the crop
is all thrown upon the market in its fresh
condition.
Canning factories have been started in diff
ferent portions Of our country, but the first
cost of such establishments is so great. and
the goods put up by them are so expensive,
that we cannot look to this source for full
measure of relief.
The use ofimproved drying machines seems
to he the only true solution Of the problem
before US. five eau find machines that will
dry in a rapid and superior manner, our cul-
| lings and primes, let us ship only our extras
to market in their fresh condition, ii is evident
| that for such extras we could obtain prices
which would be highly remunerative. If, IN
addition to this we can make our cuttings
and our primes pay US good prices, and also
utilize our soft and specked peaches, We will
! then have reached result earnestly desired
! by all Experience has shown that impaired
peaches will yield about four pounds 10 the
basket of evaporaed product; these are
worth in market from thirteen to eighteen
cents per pound, according to quality.
We therefore see that the cuttings and
primes, properly dried by artificial heat, bring
from fifty 10 seventy cents per basket; taking
out the cost of drying, which will not exceed
fifteen cents per basket with the improved
machines which are now obtainable, and we
have net profit of from thirty-fve to fifty
five cents per bushel. With such prices for
our cuttings and primes, and the increased
price which our extras would bring US by |
keeping our inferior fruit out Of the market,
we are at once placed upon basis that will
make peach growing profitable.
1t may be questioned BY some whether sale
could be made of evaporated peaches in large
quantities at the above figures. A careful
study of the situation will have tendency TO
remove such fears; the price might be slightly
affected, but the demand for such fruit would
nevertheless equal the supply.
Eyaporated peaches, in large portions Of
our own country, and in other countries
where such fruit is not grown, are esteemed
very highly The North and West with its
rapidly increasing population and large areas
where peaches cannot be grown, will ever be
great consumers, while the recent immense
shipments to Germany prove that in her we
have market open for untold quantities of
such goods In fact, with evaporated fruit,
on account of the comparative small expense
ofshipping it, and its freedom from decay, we
have the open world before us for a market,
while with the fresh fruit our sales are con-
fined to a small range Of territory around US.
The difficulty that has hitherto been experien-
ced has been in getting evaporators that had
sufficient capacity to warrant their purchase,
and The erection Of suitable buildings in which
10 operate them High price Of machines,
danger of scorching the fruit, lack of proper
ventilation, danger of taking fire, ETC., seem
10 have been defects in nearly all Of the ma
chimes which have been brought to the atten-
ton OF the public.
We have recently, however, carefully ex-
amined a dryer invented and patented by
Jones Bro Tiers, 0 Sturgis, Michigan, which,
for compactness, rapidity Of operation, perfect
control of temperature and degree of mois-
ture in the air, uniformity Of drying, and ease
and economy of operation, we have Lever
seen equaled. 1t seems to have embodied in
it all Of the essential elements of a perfect
DRYER. The testimonial which the Messrs.
Jones Brothers have from parties who have
used them in the drying of fruits and vegeta-
bles, tobacco, lumber, etc, together with the
medal and diploma which were awarded
them at the Centennial, only confirms the
opinion we have expressed in regard 10 their
merit.
We think that the subject of drying our
surplus fruit is one that demands the careful
consideration Of every peach grower upon our
Peninsula.
We are highly favored in having climate
and soil especially adapted to the growing of
peaches, and We believe that general adop-
ton by US Of the course suggested, would not
only largely increase the profits upon our
fruit but that in turn would enhance the
value of our farms, while failure to adopt
the means recommended will necessarily com
pei US TO cut down our orchards instead of
planting new ones, and cause grand depres-
sion in the price Of our real estate.
Let US carefully consider the situation in
which We find ourselves placed, and then uni
tedly act in accordance with the light of past
experience, and the dictates of sound common