Daily Republican., 1883-09-12
SEPTEMBER IL, 's3
Fruit Saving and Fruit Culture

The Dover State Sentinel IL enthusi
astic over the change that has taken
place in disposing of the peach crop and
though it does not say so, we will add
without the aid and intervention of the
Fruit Exchange that exists thus far al
least only on legislative paper, and a
quasi organization of the ephemeral
stockholders. For the first time tht
Sentinel says: buyers have located
themselves at the different stations and
have bought the peaches from the grow.
ers on the spot, the latter receiving as
much for them as if they shipped them
to New York, and better than all they
get clear of paying freight and com
missions. These buyers seem to have
accomplished what the growers up to
the present season have never been able
to accomplish. They have opened up
an eastern market beyond New York,
and a western market west of New York
and by simply shipping the peaches di.
rect to those points they have received
prices for them far in advance of what
they had formerly. been compelled to ac'
cept even at loss in New York. By
the aid of these buyers the peach mar
ket has been brought direct to the door
Of the grower where all the details of
trade are made before the fruit is
shipped instead Of before as was form
erly tie case. BY this new arrange
ment the growers get the topmost price
every day and buyers are equally pro-
tected because if they pay too much
one day they can regulate to suit the
next day. Those who sold their or.
chards early this season for compar-
lively low prices in the expectation of
An rwhelming crop are the disap-
pointed ones. They expected another
crop like thai of 1875 and were anxious
to get their peaches off their hands at
almost any price and made a mistake
which they now sincerely regret. They
did not take into consideration that
even should there be crop like that of
1875 again that there are more and i'm
proved facilities for saving and market
ting it. With routes opened and mar
kets established in eastern, western and
central cities and by the aid of the nu-
merous evaporating, canning and drying
establishments that have been put in
operation there would be no difficulty
in maturing and realizing handsomely
on a crop Of three million of baskets.
The crop this year though not large,
has been a paying one and the growers
are in eCstacies over their success. They
have more money in their pockets with
less labor and EXPENSE than if they had
twice the crop Of peaches saved
under the Sllp-shod hap.hazzard plan.
The Sentinel in advising the growers to
do the fair thing by the buyers that will
every year come among them says
Don't kill the goose that has laid
the golden eggs. The buyers have stood
by the growers like men, and it is due
them that the growers deal suuarely
with them. We want them: yea, need
them. For, while the commission
men have been begging for the fruit
this year, the growers have received
their money from a SET of men who
bonghr and paid for their peaches and
took the risk them mselves-without ask
ing the growers to take the risk not
only of growing but shouldering it
even after the peaches are sold and in
the bands Of the consumers, as they have
to do when consigned tothe commission
men"
But there is another view to be ia ken
Of the peninsula fruit question. The
ease with which this years crops have
been turned into money shows that
fruit culture is but in the infancy Of
development. Some Of the mon who
were the pioneers in peach growing are
still living.
For many years farmers approached
fruit growing very cautiously ana it
was not until the close Of the war that
peach culture was engaged in to any
great extent. 1t was then something
entirely new both to the raisers and the
consumers. We are not at all surprised
that at that time with only phladcl.
phia and New York for markets, and
with very unsatisfactory means of,
transportation, growers should have be-
come dissatisfied and cut down their
orchards to return to raising wheat and
corn again For that time the business
was practically oyerione. Eyapora.
tors canncrirs and drying houses ex-
istcd but in the imagination. If New
York became gluttcl then the crop
wasted, But now this Is all changed.
The growers have Il market abroad and
at home. w" can hardl y conceive of a
crop that would not realize "a handsome
return. The crop Of 1875 which dis.
heartned 50 many peach growers
would now be saved with comparative
ease. Nearly every village Of note has
its cannery and drying establishment.
Instead of the market for peaches ending
in few weeks it will continue all win
ter, for canned peaches will be in as
much demand IN winter and in the
spring as raw peaches have been du-
ring July, August and September.
We repeat, then, that the future Of
fruit growing in the peninsula is but in
the infancy Of Development There il
no place in this broad country Of ours
better adapted 10 the raising Of fruit
than this favored tongue Of land lying
between the Delaware and Chesapeake
hays and nv tho poy ia. ,,,, 1,,oaa.