Middletown transcript., 1877-05-26
Peach Growers in Council
ESTIMATES OF the CRoP.
HOW DOCTORS DIFFER
A Large Attendance.

D Of the 9TH and 18th inst. was one of the larg-
I est Of the kind that has ever been held at this
place Nearly every section Of the Peninsula
5 was represented, many gentlemen from the
t lower counties having come up on the early
e morning train.
: The meeting organized by the selection Of
! Sewell G. Biggs Of Summit Bridge, as Presi-
dent, and j. Thomas Budd, OF Middetown,
as Secretary.
Mr. H. N. Willis, of Middletown, after
stating the object Of the meeting, said it was
generally conceded that the coming peach
crop would be a very large one, and therefore
il was necessary to make such arrangements
for shipping the fruit as would prove remun-
erative 10 the growers. He understood the
Railroad officials desired the growers to sell
the baskets with the fruit, instead Of having
them returned, and deemed it advisable to
appoint committee TO wait on the Railroad
officials, with a view to securing cheap,
prompt and convenient shipments.
Samuel Townsend, Of Townsend, proceeded
10 give his views in regard 10 the probable
extent Of the coming crop. He was Of the
opinion that the crop would not be 10 extent
more than two-ifths Of the great crop Of 1875,
and ridiculed the ideas Of the newspaper cor
respondents who had recently made an esti-
mate Of 20, 600, 900 baskets, and Of the Phila
delphia journalists who, during trip 10 the
peach country week ago, had arrived at an
estimate Of I, 900, 900 baskets. He sad the
snow and bad weather Of The first part Of
March had severely injured the trees, and
that in the district extending from Bridge
vile to Princess Anne, the crop would be ex-
ceedingly light.
A call for estimates by stations was then
made. With the following response:
Henry Clayton, Of Mt. Pleasant, said that
in his neighbcrhood the late varieties were
badly injured, but the earlier varieties gave
promise Of fair crop. The entire crop, in
his opinion, would be about two.Gfths Of The
crop Of 1875.
Mr. II. N. Willis, ofspeaking for the Mid
dlelown District, said The Smocks would
yield very sparsely, and that the other varie-
ties would produce ieir crop. In response
to a question BY Hon. B. T. Biggs, as to
whether the shipments from MiddIetown
would equal those Of 1875, Mr.. Willis said
be did not think they would.
Edwin r. Cochran, speaking also for Mid
dletown, said be had only examined few
orchards, but was Of the opinion that the
prospects were excellent He thought the
shipments from Mddletown station wond :
reach roo, 600 baskets.
Mr. Townsend insisted that il was too cary
10 make any correct estimates. Last year on
the 10th Of May, the trees contained thousands
Of peaches, and yet the crop did not turn out
near so well as in 1875. Being asked for an
estimate Of shipments from Townsend station,
Mr.. T. said they would amount to about
three-ifths Of the shipments in 1875
Mr.. George W. Cummins, Of Smyrna, said
be had read the peach crop estimates as pre-
pared by the Philadelphia journalists, and |
also Mr.. Townsend's opinion Of the subject,
q contained in recent letter published in
the Gazette. He thought Mr.. Townsend was !
more correct than the journalists, and that
The coming crop would not be more than one {
half Of ihe crop of 1875. He would be glad +
II his crop turned out one-ihiTd as well, and I
firmly believed the trees would shed millions 4
of peaches during the next few weeks. 4
Mr. Charles H. Brown, Of Dover, SAID that 4
he district embracing Dover, Moorton and
8renford could be put down for from one 1
ourth to one-thi7d Of the crop Of 1875.
Dir. Henry Ridgely, Of Dover, said that in il
he district east Of Dover, towards the bay, 0
would require the maturing Of every peach
low on the trees to make good crop; west Il
# Dover the trees were loaded. he thought b
be shipments from Dover station would u
each betepn l75, 900 and 200, 900 baskets. c
Mr.. Jacob G. Brown, o; North Murderkill q
hundred, expects to ship 40, 600 baskets this Il
ear. In the Camden and Wyoming district, b
e said The yield had never promised more h
buntantly, and the crop would equal, il not a
xceed, the great crop of1s75. G
His advices from the districts around Eel il
on and Canterbury were also favorable, and a
an dHAS01ii1 htt yASlAs u
The President stated that he had received Fl
dvces from Bridgeyille 10 the effect that y
With the exception Of the Troths and few n
ther early varieties the prospect for an aver n
ge crop was fair. It would not, however, Il
e anything like the crop of 1875. Il
Mr.. E. G. Kinckendale said that the dis y
rict between Harrington and Milford would q
roduce as great, ifnot eater crop than v
a 1875. n
Mr.. s. s. Hof spoke for Lincoln and vicin-
", where, be said, the crop would be light.
Around Georgetown the early varieties prom
se well, but the Shocks are entirely killed,
nd the condition Of the late varieties is not q
cry encouraging.
DR.. Atkins, Of Easton, Nd, said that the Il
ield in Talbot county, two weeks ago, prom 81
led to be enormous, but latterlg, there had
cen great thinning out and the crops n
rould fall much below that of 1875. r
Hon. B. 7. Biggs said that along the line
the Kent and Queen Anne's railroad the
rop would be fully as large as in 1875, 2
yhen 705 car loads were conveyed to Town II
end and if every peach now on the trees
latured the shipments would reach 800 cars. hi
round Millington all the varieties were in g
ood condition except the Crawfords
Mr.. Townsend said he had no disposition cc
} underestimate the extent of the crops, but &C
be time Of danger was not yet passed The fe
scent warm weather had started the sap in
be trees to flowing vigorously, and sudden :,
st-back in the weather would be attended
ith disastrous consequences He deprecated
le system Of hastily predicting immense
rops, as il had the effect of causing buyers
, refrain from purchasing the early ship &C
tents, with the idea Of securing lower prices; 70
lus putting the shippers 10 considerable loss, Of
Mr.. James Veasey, Of Sassafras Neck, Md,
lid the crop in that locality would be fully "
] large as in 1875. IN
Mr.. Elias Moore said that in the district +,