Milford chronicle., 1883-02-09
PEACHES
REPORT OF COMMITTEE.


We the undersigned, committee appointed b.
the Laurel Grange on peaches, beg leave to re
port as follows;
As the scope allowed the committee IS very
large. embracing the cultivation. the soil, varie
ties, manures and marketing, the committee
will content itself with such reflections on the
various points involved as the limited time will
allow. First then, the cultivation of the peach /.
/ Incoming question with thoughtful farmers as
10 its paying even better than corn, as the fail.
ures are so numerqne snd when there is full
crup the prices rule so low that many intelligent
men think that the same ground will pay better
n Some other crops. However this may be. we
think that the cultivation of the peach has de.
generated very much within the last fifteen
years: It used to be carefully pruned, cultivated
and Wormed every season; now il is greatly neo.
leetea especially as to manurps. The result ,s
apparent in the appearance OF our orchards. es.
pecially is this true Of the orchards l. iured bv
tne extreme cold Of :he winter OF 1850 and 1881
ne orcnards most injured were those that had
Oeeo mos. neglected. Then ano.hcr course the
E.-Swers haYe pursued has been to set their
pRach trees on their poorest land, and reserYng
their better land for other crops; row your
committee think that by putting peach trees on
good soil, and giving the attention to manures,
trimming, culture etc. which obtained fifteen or
twenty years ago, tile result would be entirely
different; for it is fact that trees in good condi
tion will withstand more cold or frost than sick
ly or half dead trees can. .,,,- on
AZ 10 IL
have seeccea"' - - '-''--/ ~
Senators Mcpherson in New Nv growers |
4 Plumb. ;Hed with varieues earlier than Troths |
There are some Isolated cases where the Hale's |
Beatrice and other early varieties have succeed
ed, but the number is very few, and we think |
that they are growing less all the time. After
Trotl's, the Mountain Rose, Crawford's Early, /
Reeves Favorite, Old Nixon, Wards Late Craw-
ford's Late and Smock, comprise the principal
varieties grown Tor market in this locality, and
we think that persons setting orchards will do
as well with few standard kinds as Il they
doubled the number with newer and unknown
sorts. As to marketing, we think that this is
almost as important a part OF our subject as the
one we have treated on; as to the manner OF
shipping in boxes or in baskets we have nothing
to say; both have their advocates, but we do say
that growers should ship only their best fruit
In order TO do this the fruit should be carefully
sorted, and packed with care, so as not to brnise
and otherwise iujure its appearance. All the
inferior fruit should be kept at home, or shipped
as inferior, and plainly marked 50 as the com
mission man wouldknOw just what he was sell
ling, and the buyer know just what he was get
ting. By so doing, the shipper will soon estao-
lish his mark in the market, and will be able TO
obtain better prices than the man who sends
his fruit so mixed that the purchasers do not
know what they are buying, aud as eonse-
quence will not pay full prices for it. Before con-
Guiding we wish TO say that the growers should
combine so as to get the benefit Of chartered
cars, il that system is to continue, and not pay
midde.men, or bummers, five or six cents
more or less, on every basket of peaches they
shin. over and above what the RAILROAD company
charges. The growers cannot afford 10 psy any
more than the lowest lreights and commissions
that they can possibly obtain. As to the present
prospects Of a crop in our neighborhood, there
is some difference OF opinion, but we think that
all will agree that the frost has materially snort
ened the crop; while some may nave iaii
crop, others will scarcely have any fruit some
varieties have suffered more than others espeei'
ally is this true Of the early blooming sorta' or
orchards in warm positions, or on light warm
land. While some persons put the crop a. one
fourth. and others at one halt, we will not ex-
press any opinion on that point, eoutenting our
selves with the first remark on this head, that
the crop Is very mach injured by the cold and
lrost and probably the injury cannot be toia
before June, as a great many buds now SEEM
inqly alive may drop their lruis at that time
The committee give the above thoughts ana
suggestions to the grange. not as experts on 'he
subject treated, but simply as plain, practical
men, hoping that they may start others to thing
ing on the subject. so that all will be mutually
profted thereby.
T. H. RIdGnL
J. B. WHEArLEr, CommitLea'
Ehafrfrr HaCON.