The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-10-13

scenes About a Railroad Station
During the Peach Season.

Scenes About n Railroad Station
During the Peach Season.
The vehicles that bring the peaches from
the orchards around the country TO the
station keep up continual travel from 5
o'clock in the afternoon until 8 o'clock in
the evening, when the train leaves. Itusod
to be said that the county fair attracted
more wagons and equipages of various
sorts than anything else. But the county
fair takes back scat this fall. The peach
wagon has the road for Ave hours in the
day, and nothing else much ON wheels has
q show. The scene around the station is
worth days journey to witness. The
rural Jehu on peach wagon is character
in three or four sections and an annex. He
knows his load. lie knows which baskets
will keep twenty-four hours and what bas
kets are already ON the rot He knows
what part of the car the unrips and the
overripe peaches should go in 80 as to carry
best. If the basket arrives at the commis-
sion merchants office in New York with
rotten fruit it is rejected, the fruit is dump.
ed nobody knows where and the freight on
the basket is charged up against the peach
producer.
Consequently the peach producer and
the commission merchant are always at
odds. They have ranking hatred be-
meath the bland smile with which they
greet one another. But the rural Jehu
swears oil over his orchard when he thinks
- he. n1os.
fanes his little establishment down near
West street, New York, when he opens the
basket and catches the odor of rotten peach
Hence the Jehu drives for all he is worth
and gets his wagon wedged in close to the
freight car. There is broad barnyard grin
on his fece when he finds himself with his
vehicle backed up to the open side door of
the freight chr. But how be does swear
when the engine slowly pun up a little,
leaving him between two cars, and with a
poor chance Of recovering his position.
Then it Is that all is made hideous with
bowls. This fight for unloading lasts until
after dark. Then comes the fight for head
place in the procession that is homeward
bound. Some of the farmers who leave
home at 2 O'Clock in the afternoon, do not
get back until midnight. Then they are up
soon after sunrise and out in the orchard.
There the picking and packing takes place.
It is night without parallel.
The most desirable man around an orchard
is the proficient picker. He is the man who
knows the stage Of ripeness of each peach.
He knows by quick pinch of the fruit
whether it ought to remain another day or
two, whether it is ready for transportation
West or South, whether it must go to New
York that evening or whether it is too ripe
to travel and must be sold cheap or given
away near home. Underneath the tree are
the packers. They ire divided ia large,
well-regulated orchard, into divisions. There
is one set of baskets for Western fruit, an
other for Southern, another for New York,
and SO on. The ready picker knows where
each division is. From his perch on the
ladder he dexteronsly throws the peaches he
gathers to one division or another. Tho
packer is also IN artist in his or her way,
for women make some Of the best pickers
and packers. He lays the peaches in closely,
but not SO as to aid decay. When the basket
is full he puts the cover over, ties thick
card around it and then puts the address on
with regular store ink. The basket Is then
ready for the crate or the wagon, and the
Jehu prepares to go through his regular
afternoon and evening OF driving and ours
IN