The daily gazette., 1882-02-18
N r. Times. Fen. II. f.. +, ...,.,., sa.i3
The Peach Crop Pfospsct
An Abum@ams Yield ExpeefSa An
Delaware and Mary Emna,fa

1
LARGE AS IN oTHER YEARs-BAD
REPoRTs FROM HUDSON RIVER ORCH.
| ARDS. Ata
The probabilities OF the peach crop
for the next season are beginning TO en-.
cite the attention Of those fruit-growers
and fruit-dealers who are interested In
this fruit. This crop is now more prob
lematleal than usual. In former years,
or at least tor the past rs years, the
only element considered by the Penin-
| sula grower was the condition Of the
weather. II the thermometer never de-
scended to zero or rose much above the
freezing peint 1t was thought to be fav-
orable. The peach trees would stand
that amount Of cold safely, and as 'the
buds could have no chance to grow until
ell the frost was out ct the ground, the
trees would be very late in putting out
their blooms, and If the blossoming
could be kept back until the LIST Of April
In South Delaware and six days later In
North Delaware, there was every chance
Of escaping ths frosts Jnst - the bios
SOM was falling from the embryo peach,
at which time the slightest frost will
kill the tender fruit. For many years
growers Of this fruit looked upon this
period of the growth of peach Is the
most precarlops OF It's existence and as
the first danger to be encountered. But
although tbs germ of the young peach.
shows itself In July and August, yet the
blooming of the trees in the Spring 10
the beginning Of q crop which will not
mature for fully 10 months, Aad when
the little bud Is formed In August, the
germ of q peach was laid four months
earlier; aud when the blossom falls
FROM around the little embryo peach In
March and April II falls from fruit al
ready year old. Therefore the young
peach has TO encounter danger for near
| ly year, and instead Of the shedding
Of tbe blossom being the first danger TO
which II 10 submitted, 1t is one of the
last. -u-u
Last winter was an unusually severe
one, and many Thousands OF peach trees
were killed outright, aud millions of
others 10 Maryland and Delaware, and
New Jersey were so Injured as to be ber
yond recovery. Like people who are
afflicted with chronic disorders, such as
consumption Of the lungs, these trees
still live, without much vital force OF
power Of healthy reproduction. These
trees. were all afflicted with that disease
last Spring when they put forth their
bloom, and the pollen from them was
carried to the healthy trees; and while It
is possible that the fecundatlon from
| such pollen may produce healthy fruit,
| 1t 10 not probable. Following the wet
opring Of last year there came period
OF drought, and as neither excessive
rains nor extraordinary droughts are
favorable to the healthy growth Of any
fruit, there was but little of last season
calculated to encourage the hope THAT
there could have beeu any unusual Te4
cuperatlon OF the health OF the peach
trees, DO sadly disordered by the severi4
ty OF the previous winter. From the 1st
OF November last the weather has been
everything that fruit-grower could de-
sire, excepting, perhaps, for o day or 60
along the Hudson River, where the ther-
uaometer fell In some places to 200 be-
low zero. la Now Castle County, Del,
the opinion IL almost unanimous that
there ID now the best reason for hoping
that the crop for the coming season vii
be full one. The buds are all alive
now, aud there are enough of them,
should they prove to be healthy, to make
the crop good one. There was sufh
Gent growth OF new wood last fall TO in
sure good yield Gall fruit grows upon
new wood,) and the growth Of wood ap-
pears to be healthy Ten years ago
when Delaware was producing such i'm
mense crops of peaches, yielding for oul
markets upward of 200 car loads day
New Castle County produced fully hal
Of the crop. In fact the two lower town
ships of that county sent for several sue
cessive days upward Of 100 carloads
over the railroads to New York. Bu
ten years have made great changes in
j that county.
Then there was not q mile OF road
way In st. Georges Hundred (the grea-
/ test peach producing district in tn
: WoTld) that did not skirt peach orchar'
!. and OF the 80 OF 90 miles OF roadway il
It, more than half of 1t divided grea
orchards. The Cochrans, who are mum
bered by the score, own magnlfcen
farms, rich, highly cultivated, and pre-
fitable. These farms, many OF then
were more than half taken up wit
peach orchards. The imBense farm I
Mr.. ShalIcross, extending nearly
+ miles along the public highway, an
having on 1t hali-dozen sets of fin
: farm buildings, contained nearly 200
acres of peach orchards. The Messrl
c BIggs all oWD fine farms which wer
l. then almost entirely given over to ii
y cultivation of peaches. The Clayton
d and Joneses, owners of some of Il
finest wheat lands on this continent, Gu
tlvated hundreds OF acres In peaches. ]
AppoquIni mink Hnndred, adjolniE
st. Georges, are situated the fine farm
of the ToWnsends, who made FORUM
from the Guilty. yat.On OF peaches, and WI
a covered q greater portion of their farm
with peach trees. Where there we
cultivated 10 years ago on these lands
hundred acres in peaches, there are n
4 now I5..In 1875 New CastleOounty gre
Il the greatest crop OF peaches ever pr
duced there or on any like extent
territory in the United State, and 81
4 extent OF thai crop was something ov
2, 100000 baskets. The same genero
y yield from the orchards now standiE
would produce about 100000 baskei
The lands of this county are all too VI
uable to be the cultivation of peachs
a. Neither has there been any increase
y. the acreage of any of the peach farms
the other counties of Delaware, nor c.
On there be any profit to the grower exceI
y; y; log In the lower county, (Sussex,1 whe
" the land is cheap, only fairly adapted
the cultivation of corn, and scarce
nd suited for wheat at all, but thorough
oi adapted to the cultivation of peaches.
In Maryland, especially In Kent a
ooo Queen Anne Counties, there has beer
w w DercepEIble increase In the acreage