Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-09-04
THE LAND OF PEACHES.
How Delaware Grows, Gathers and
Exports Her Fruit.
TIE Hordes Of Pickers Who Plumber the
Pen nsuIa as Well as the Trees-A
Small Crop and High Prices
Basket Making,


whole peninsula is blocked with peach
wagons, peach crates, peach baskets,
and the tramping peach "pluck." The
trains which leave Clayton, the princi-
pal peach shipping station last year, are
carrying fair complement OF the lus-
cious fruit to the New York and Boston
markets. The peach growers estimate
the crop to be less than One-third OF last
wears, the shOrtness being due to the
lateness OF the season and the over pro-
duction of lSS2.
1t is thought that he
10000 Acres of Peach Orchards
that are between the Delaware aud
Chesapeake and Cape Charles will yield
i'm the aggregate less than 4,oOe,OOO
baskets for the market and the Gamers.
The peaches this year are small. The
Gamers and evapOratOrS are buying up
orchards at 10 cents basket. Tue
LARGEST fruit is coming from Kent
county, Maryland, and the orchards be-
low Collins beach, on the Delaware
hay.
Everywhere in the counties of Kent
and New Castle can be seen the dark
foliage of the peach orchard. The sight
% common here was to be seen only
few VI ars ago in New Jersey.
The Peach Centre
is gradually moving south into Mary
land and Virginia. Peach trees need
considerable attention; after n tree has
borne fruit for ten or fifteen years Its
| usefulness is over.
The ground in which it has been rear
ed is no longer fit for peach culture. The
| peach tree absorbS from the ground
| considerable prussic acid, which, when
| exhausted, it cannot recover, except by
| a rest of 10 or Il years. IL is necessary
while the trees are bearing to keep the
| ground fertilized with bone, sublimate
| of rock and potash q few growers use
| ashes of fire wood.
The largest peach farms are in Mary
land. The Round Top Farm has l25,-
! 600 peach trees. On the estate OF Col.
! Watkins there are 10000 trees. y. L..
| Hudson of Clayton, Delaware, has sent
! 5000 baskets to Boston, land D.R.Cum-
Minis of the same place will handle A.
| 900 baskets.
In Peach Orchard.
A walk through peach orchard has
numerous attractions. Here the peach
| is ripeBing in the broad and native sun
| light OF its Southern home, After yOn
| have plucked q ruddy.cheek peach
| turned upward to the sun you readily
| detect the difference between the fruit
lat home" and the peach that has ac-
| uuired its beauty and flavor in some
| commission merchants cellar. With
waves of ripening fruit overhead, the
| blush side turning velvety crimson,
SPRAYED onlylwith the deep green leaves
| around, the scene is captivating to those
| reared out of peach land. The trees are
set about 20 feet apart and in straight
| line; at the foot of each stands bright,
new basket waiting to be filled.
Among the Hardened Branches
and waving green leaves can be seen
| a pair of legs on q tall Step-ladder. Here
the "pluck," with basket suspended
| by duek-strap placed around his neck,
| gathers the fruit into the basket hung
| IN front of him.
The peaches are all hard, so as to al
( low for transportation. The soft ones
are generally eaten on the spot by the
"pluck," whose capacity for the fruit is
astonishing. If the eater happens to he
| cOlOred he will give snatch ola Metho-
dist hymn while refreshing himself.
The "plucks" this year receive seventy
five cents q day and board; last year
they received 81 and Sl.25. After the
pluck" has filled his basket it is put
aboard light driving wagon, generally
known in this section as the "Deach
/ wagon" These saucy vehicles hold
upward Of three dozen baskets, and can
be seen upon every highway in Dels
ware driving on a full trot, 80 If the
health of the peaches depended on
| catching the next train.
The Typical Peach PLUCK"
The peach "pluck" is a cross-cut be-
| tween tramp and a fakir. These
gatherers of the fruit come down on the
Peninsula in peach time like so many
Goths and Nandals from the North.
| They are as n uch hated by Delaware
people as the army worm or Colorado
| potato bug. While the State Is in pos
session of the "plucks" nothing is re-
| garded as safe, especially hen-cOOpS,