Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-18
An Immense Peach Crop.

correspondent OF the New York Tribune in
Middletown, Delaware, writes as follows concern
ing the peach crop.
The time when serious danger is anticipated to
the peach crop upon the Delaware and Maryland
peninsula has passed, and the growers are ready to
acknowledge that the prospect at the present mo-
ment for an overabundant yield is appalling. The
widest dream OF the most sangune peach enthu-
siast of ten years ago is likely to be more than
allied this year.
Making the figures of 1875 the basis of calcu-
lation, it appears that the shipment this year will
he between 5000, 900 and 10000, 900 baskets. In
that year the railroad company estimated that they
would ship $1,000 900, and the total yield was s.,
100000. 1t must be born in mind that the water
facilities to New York, Philadelphia, and Bati-
more great, and that the railroad company's
estimate only includes the amount of freight ex-
pected to be carried by them. But these eight or
ten millions will not be the entire yield, for the
numerous canning Establishments all over the pc
ninsular, and the home consumption, together
with the drying establishments, will use up some
thing near 100000 baskets so that it is probable
the total estimate of the yield from the present
outlook will be ii 900, 900 baskets of fruit, which
would afford during the season peck of peaches
for every man, woman, and child in the country.
Until two years ago New York had always been
the grand distributing point, where the bulk of
the crop was shipped, and thence, through com
mission men, resbipped to interior points and to
then made to avoid this and bring the interior
and New England cities in direct communication
with the grower, and considerable quantity OF
fruit was shipped west to Cine innat,, Chicago In
dianapolis, &c Tue object of the convention
which has just been called to perfect this system
and altogether break up the redistribution of fruit
from New York. 1t is understood that the Balt-
more and Ohio Railroad will be prepared this sea-
son to make such complete arrangements that the
fruit can be shipped to st. Louis even in time to
save it from decay, and to this end the fastest en-
gines and finest trucks on the road will be placed
at the disposal of the growers, and faster time
made by the peach trains than is now made on that
road by their passenger coaches. Direct commu-
nicaton has already been made with Boston with
out breaking bulk at New York, and it is even
proposed to send the fruit up in Canada and Maine
direct from the orchards. But should all these
arrangements be completed the effect upon the
price of peaches in New York would not be dis
| advantageous to the consumers. They may de-
pend upon cheap and excellent fruit 10 any event.
Another attempt Is to be made during the sea-
son to ship fruit TO Europe. by means of relriger-
aiors, an experiment which failed in 1875 only be-
cause the steamship failed to carry sufficient ice.
More care will be taken this year, and it is conf
IDENTITY predicted that it will meet with success
| and II It should, great problem for tie peach
growers viii be solved.