Smyrna times., 1878-06-05
agricultural.
Peninsula Agricultural.

L ne 1elaKAf6 1enlIlSuld Is OuC Vi Iuc
most eligibly located agricultural regions
that can be found on the continent. Its
climate is so mild that besides producing
all the cereals and grasses in the greatest
perfection, it is specially adapted to the
growth of all the semi-tropical fruits and
vegetables that are SO much in demand
in the great city markets, that lie con-
tiguous to it; and also in their cured and !
canned forms in all the markets of the |
world.
The wheat fields of the Peninsula will |
compare favorably with any in New York |
or Ohio; while the quality of the grain pro-
duced in this climate is known to be equal |
to the best in the land. Delaware wheat is |
noted throughout the country as producing |
the very best and richest -four that can be |
manufactured.
The quantity of this grain produced now |
is ten fold greater than ever before, and |
this increased production marks the pro !
gress that has been made in thela quarter |
century in the agriculture Of the Peninsula. |
These products are now ten times as
valuable as they were at the former date.
and are still increasing. One of our neigh
bors, near Lewes, raised last year 4S0
bushels of wheat from Is acres, or an
average product of 50 bushels to the acre.
This shows what our land will do when
properly managed. 1t is not an uncommon
yield to have an average of 20 bushels to
the acre, and we are confident that the
time is not far away when 40 bushels will
be the common product for an acre of our
best land.
The perfection with which Indian corn
is grown is too we'll known to require a
notice here, suffice it to say that our ordi-
nary lands can readily be made to yield 80
bushels to the acre, while an hundred is
among the realities that have been, and
can now be produced.
But corn, once the chief staple of the
Peninsula, has in large measures given
place to wheat, grass, dairy products, fruits
and garden vegetables which are found to
be more proftably; while corn growing is
resorted to chiefly for home consumption.
OF course everybody knows that this
Peninsula constitutes the great peach
growing centre Of the continent. great
deal of money has been made in this busi-
ness and this has caused it to be over done:
but with the improved facilities for ship
ping and the wonderful fruit curing and
canning processes that have been brought
into use, the future promise of the business
is considered fully equal to its past success.
We are now enabled to so much better
economic and manage the business than
formerly that we are more nearly masters
of the situation than ever before. We are
now enabled to ship the best, and by the
aid of the best machinery, dry Tor evapo-
rate) and cam the great bulk of the
crop, and thus convert it from perishable
unto an imperishable product and give us
all the world for a market, and all the year
round to make it in 1t is these improved
and increased facilities that have enabled
us to manage to great advantage the pres
ent large product.
Apples, pears, grapes, and ell fruits and
vegetables can be as readily dried and
deslcated as are the peaches, and now that
this business has got we'll underway, there
is no knowing to what extent it may be
pushed. Milford is the centre of this great
fruit curing interest. In and around the
town are ten of these large fruit curing
factories and every season adds to their
number. This season there will be twenty
new machines put up in town and its imme
date vicinity. These employ many hand.
and add largely to the general busines:
welfare of the whole community. The
fruit business is no doubt yet in it's infancy
and it will grow into business of great
magnitude in the near future. The eyapo
rated is of such remarkable excellence tba
1T Is doing away with all the old fashioned
methods OF preserving. Families that once
get into the use of it, are never again will
ing to do without it, and they find that +
takes the place of all kinds of sugar pre
serves and oil kinds Of fruits. 1t is beauti
ful to the eye, delicious to the taste, anc
remarkably wholesome.
Besides the :. fruit business now grow
ing up soil and climate ar,
specially adapted to the production of al
kinds OF garden vegetables in their hiphes
perfection. Peas, tomatoes, lettuce. cab
bage, beans, beets and sugar beets, suitabl,
for the manufacture of sugar, and all kind
OF melons, pumpkins, squashes and all thss,
things grow in the greatest profusion
Delaware melons are large and reraarkabl,
lucious.
Our soils were once exhausted by slav,
labor, and by the constant production O
corn. But slavery gradually died ou
almost a quarter century ago, and guam,
came in, and with this came an era Of inn
provements that has never receeded o
retrograded; but which is now going O,
more rapidly than ever before. thousand
OF tons of bone are spread out every yea
upon the wheat fields and orchards, beside
the green crops of clover ploughed in ant
the immense piles Of manure manufactured
on the farms, and especially on those whicl
have access to the great saltmarsh meadows
that border the Delaware bay from Bomba,
Hook to Cape Heniopen. Farms that adj
join these meadows have an inexiaustibl
supply OF fertilizer matariola OF bo,d :