New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-08
was stabbed twice. and James Hogan, who was stabbed
once in the abdomen and shot in the thigh twenty men
have been arrested.
THE PEACH CROP.
FAVORABLE OUTLOOK ON THE DELAWARE
PENINSULA

PENINSULA.
IFRoM An ccAsroNAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
SMYRNA, Del, June THE late frosts, with
which the month Of May closed extended pretty gener
ally throughout the Delaware Peninsula, and over every
portion Of the Delaware peach belt But no damage was
done by them the peach crop At any rate no reports
Of damage have heard. than week since
the last frost; and careful tour of inspection through
the important sections the peach country has not
revealed TO your correspondent single instance OF IN
jury the crop worthy OF mention No fear Is felt OF
any further rosts this Indeed. those OF last
week by ten days the latest ever known IL
this State. Accordingly peachgrowers feeling con-
dent OF their harvest and beginning TO make es-
mates to its probable amount and value. OF course
there much guesswork any estimates that can
be made at this time They almost certain
to be too high Not before the first week of July can the
crop of the Peninsula peach orchards he measured much
within million baskets OF the correct figure AND Al
though there Is danger OF Osts or any such ca
lamy yet the month OF June the dropping time =;
that is the time when peaches sometimes to the extent
Of bali the crop, drop from the branches, half grown
from apparent cause. Some growers claim that the
dropping Is caused by Insects others lay the blame upon
atmospheric conditions; and in this Oldfashoned region
there much OF lingering superstition that many are
firmly convinced they Of their own existence
that which drop their fruit set out budded
at the wrong time of the However this may be-
is the chief element Of uncertainty making estimates
OF the crop at this time.
There now is reckoned, fully ten million baskets
of fruit the peach Of Delaware. and the appear
OF nearly all the orchards healthy and prom
Using. Unless then the drop" which has begun Is
unusually large the yield will be OF the largest ever
knowni probably the greatest excepting that OF 1879
There ought TO be at least million baskets OF mar
ketabIe fruit That, indeed, is the estimate made by
large growers in the parts OF the state Here from
seven and a half to eight million baskets are
looked for. Elsewhere, not more than six mill
ions are expected. Railroad managers and ship
ping agents preparing handle about million
baskets These figures really represent bigger yield
than that OF 1873 for the Of orchards ia much
smaller now than then.
During these past ten years Delaware has learned
good lesson concerning the peach crop Just such West
and Territories learning, have learned
about wheat and cattle. 1t will do depend upon
single crop Diversity OF products IA essential TO substan
tal prosperity. Ten years ago all Delaware was peach
orchard. Grain. grass, market gardens and all other
fruits abandoned and every available almost
was given mp to peaches The mania reached ITS climax
In 1879 The single county OF Newcastle produced more
peaches than the whole state did in 1882 Then things
went wrong somehow and for five years the orchards
produced small crops and poor fruit and really didn't
pay for working Many farmers were actually ruined
In 1850 4 reaction III and farmers began roofing up
the and planting for other crops. For two years
the peach acreage decreased enormously. This
year it is about the IL was last
year. Next year it viii not be much. II any larger
Nev-Castlc County INDUCED most in the peach craze
suffered the most by failure OF orchards and now has the
smallest acreage and IS the least salsune about thls
years crop.
comprised in Kent County. Del, and queen Ammo
County, Nd. II been shifting IL 20 llon en-
larcng contracting It's borders This year II forms
strip across the Peninsula from Delaware Bay 10 the
Chesapeake, about tArtyve miles wide This taxes IN
portions all three counties OF Delaware and OF Kent
Talbot, queen Anne and Caroline Counties. Nd ana
IL bounded the north by line running east and west
through Mddle0wu and the south by parallel line
through Harrington. The heaviest yield Is near the
Delaware, and the ighes the heavier soil near the
Chesapeake. But tins year there is greater uniformity
IN both quantity and quality Of the crop than has been
noticed for years.
Increasing largely from year % year u generally faV0r
able with the exception of pears Ihey suffered much
IRON the frests and the crop will be very small