Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-02-18

this county, the Middletown papers agree
ing that the crop in that belt does not
appear to be SO badly injured. In Queen |
Anne's county, Mo-, all yellow peaches |
are reported TO have suffered very much. |
Tue Smyrna Tmts, as already cited by |
EysRY EyEsIsa, does not look for much |
of crop in northern Kent. The Dover
.Sentiaei says:
We understand that the orchards In st.
Jones' Neck are all right. They had no
peaches last year, and the northeast wind
tended to soften the cold air. That there is
u panic among peach growers, and that
they are badly demoralized, 10 beyond ques-
ton but we hope the picture Is not SO black
as 1t Is painted at this time.
1, We well remember a few years ago, when
making up our annual statement Of the
peach prospects, OF receiving O communi-
cation from one successful grower In which
he stated that he would not have peach
on his farm-all gone. That year he had
the largest crop he ever gathered, and
stated to us afterward that he would never
make another public estimate-and he has
kept his word. There Is apprehension Of
grave danger, but that at this time all the
peaches in this county are killed is very
doubtful.
1u6Eb rs Ouo LhtlB III IdNOr OF inc p6de0bS,
and that is that last fall the weather favored
a ripening OF the wood. 1t matured
thoroughly and the winter has been so
severe that there Is not a particle OF sap in
the trees beyond enough to keep life, the
orchards at this time not showing particle
Of life. 1t has been cold enough to kill the
young wood as we'll as the peach buds, but
the wood is sound and healthy and does not
show the least effect of the cold wave.
The Dover DeIGwareaH says: ''If the
growers of peaches in this vicinity know
whereof they speak, the crop for 1886
will be total failure. We have con-
versed with quite number of large
growers in different neighborhoods, and
all agree that the peaches are killed, or,
il not all killed the crop will be SO light
that it can only be termed failure" e.
81. Bancroft, who has fine property near
Camden and is very observing and en-
terprising pomologist, is quoted as saying
that peaches are pretty thoroughly killed
in his section.
The Greensborough, Caroline county,
Free Press expresses hope that "there
may remain enough live buds to give us
at least partial crop" The Laurel
Gazette says the prevailing opinion in
western Sussex is that peaches have been
destroyed or seriously damaged. The
Milford Ne,os says:
The worst fears of the peach growers were
confirmed on Monday. An examination
showed that nearly all the germs were
tuar n nj
brown, while others were only slightly dis
--eolored. In some orchards not a live bud
was found; in others q few of certain yarie-
ties were alive.
Coming down to details the NeiOs cites
j. j. Rosa, whose name is we'll known
throughout the state, as having, latter a
full examination of trees of all varieties
and conditions, failed to find single
live bud.n George Il. Draper of Slaughter
Neck, reports all his buds killed " except
a few on three trees of Harker's Seeding. !
Joseph Il. Draper found few buds
alive" Charles Barker and the Rev. j.
8. Willis say the destruction of buds
is practically complete. Clarence Hop
kins found in his Milford Neck orchard
''enough live buds for a crop of fruit, bu
found the buds in neighboring orchards
all killed"
The Milford Chronicle says
30 far as we have been able to get authen
tic information on the subject, the chance
are decidedly against crop in this particu
lar vicinity; but there are several reason
why this part of the peach growing bel
should be more susceptible to danger thai
points further north and south of us. Fo
four years our orchards have produces
from average to full crops, and last year il
this section the crop was above the average
This leaves the trees in a more or less OK
hausted condition according to the land
In this condition the buds have not bee
covered with the heavy coating of wood
scales, that would have formed around theI
had the tree been In full vigor, and neithe
is the young wood so well calculated to offe
protection to the germ.
The Chronicle adds that John "
Causey's orchards yielded, on examine
ton, no live buds; ]. B. Gilchrist's, !
@. wilbur's and j. Bickel's orchards, n
live buds; Clarence Hopkins orchard, i
Milford Neck, protected on the north an
west by heavy woods, about 80 per cer
of live buds. "An examination {
branches taken from Nixon and Stuml
the-world varieties, placed in water fc
"a hours, showed but one live bud out
'A3n Zine Chronicle, however, says Thu
in protected localities, such as Il
south side of buildings, the buds are SUI
posed to be uninjured."
The 1SusSer Journal, in reply to Il
question at the head of this article says
The prevailing opinion is that they al
Paynter Frame, Esq, of Harbeson, Mr..
D. Bryan of Laurel, and others interest,
In the crop have been, in our Office Il
week and they are Of that opinion. &c
Stockley informed reporter of t
Journal on Thursday that he had examin
many buds and finds them all dead. I
same report comes from Milford, Dow
Bridgeville and Seaford.
The obvious query why the orchards
Kent and Sussex should have suffer
more than those of New Castle, may fl
an answer in the statement that the &C
snap was more severe there than hel
Strange as it seems and explain it as
may, this seems to have been the CO
We found it pretty cold here on the ea
mornings of Friday and saturdt
the 9th and 9th instants |
the lowest temperature recorded by a
Of the thermometers heard from in Il
end of the State was s. below zero, wi
in Kent and Sussex records of 1872 to
below were reported, and the GAzETI
Milford correspondent the other day spc
of 16o below. Such temperatures W
too widely observed to be explained ay
by faulty thermometers, and tn
seems to be no getting away fl
the conclusion that the lower coun
experienced a cold of from S to TO- be
that felt in this county; mar
sufficient to explain why their orcha
should have suffered while those in \
castle county, and perhaps of some
the Eastern Shore counties, have escaI
as seems likely, SO far as we can ju
from present reports, to have been
case.
Unfavorable reports of the conditio
the peach buds are coming in from +
county. Experienced growers, who OF
to know exactly whereof they speak,
reported as declaring that examination
Ia. - al 4.