Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-13
100 y"
PEAoH oRuP PROSPECTS.
a variety OF Opinions in Ncnt-
Somerset County Farmers Bis-
eOuraRPI.

Somersel county Farmers Bis-
cOurageds
Baltimore Sun special.
CAKsrERrowN, ND, March 1.-THE mer'
curry here to-day registered l2 degrees. The |
peach is the hope Kent county farmers,
II 1t falls, thsn more farms will b6 sold, and |
The depressing times Of to-day will he but u |
foTeIaste of what is to come. But cheering |
news still comes from the threatened crop, |
although the peach. growers generally are
very apprehensiye. The following reports
from reliable sources we're received to deY:
X. N. Roland, near Ohestertown. reports
that about ons-tbird OF all the buds in our
orchards are open and dead another third,
not 80 far advanced, still show about one
In three alive; the balance, yet unopened.
appear to have one-haEf alive, which, II
true, will give good crop yet II no further
damage Is sustained. But 1t Is too soon to
determine the full eifect OF this morning's
Several growers near still Pond give the
opinion that the unopened buds are unin-
iured.
Near Iambson station they report early
varieties done for, late ones doubtful. Buds
full OF Ice.
Mr.. sutton OF Fsirlee reports peaches not
hurt yet.
The freeze last night has killed the peach
germ in every open bud, and how many OF
the partially open 1t will leave un6catched
remains to ba seen.
MIR. John A. Groves, than whom there i5
no better authority on this question. gives
| his opinion as follows: 81 fear that the
peaches are very badly hurt. 1t is a little
too soon to ascertain the full extent of tho
| damage. All that are in bloom and great
many others are dead" Several tWigs from
Ills orchard were showu your eorre-
spondent. and out OF 80 there was but one
| good germ. MIR. Groves owns about 85,0 600
trees 10 this county, and further stated tnaE
| ne had seen trees IN bloom IN january. One
| year Il was not until May. Iney generally
| bloom lii April. What the farmers have 70
fear now, he says, 10 the frost. 10 1887 the
crop was destroyed by frost which came
in The latter part OF April.
The general opinion is that at present
there Is still fair crop In Kent News was
received hero yesterday that In Delaware
evary peach was killed.
PRiNoEss ANNE, Md, March 7.--This
vi inity was visited by the coldest snap OF
the winter yesterday and to-day. Tho
Thermometer was l7o above zero this morn
ing at 8 O'Clock. lee formed on the river
and ponds about three inches thick, The
weather still remains cold, with the wind
from the northwest. The pc ch crop OF
Somerset county is killed, the trees being
In fail bloom, caused by the warm weather
which has prevailed up to this time. Peas
that were planted In january arc all killed.
Wheat is so far advanced that tho farmers
only crop from which they can expect any
compensation IL the berry crop, The vipea
have been In full bloom for some time, but
will bloom again when the weather mod
crates. Our farmers are very hlua ov thg
prospects. Ii the weather still remains
cold we will be able to fill our Ice houses
with three inch Ice.
DENTON, LID, March 7.-Since Sunday
morning last, when Caroline county fruit
growers found u small block of ice in every
peach bud, much anxiety has been mani
tested concerning the eafety Of the crop. In
the absence of "a grain crop for last yeal
more attention and interest than ever have
been directed toward the fruit crop with d
hope that the rewards which It might bring
| would compensate for the partial crop oi
j cereals. Ii would indeed seem that thii
county is less prepared now to Withstand
failure inevitably produces, than ever be
! fore. The success which has attended tht
> growing OF fruit for the past few years he
, stimulated Its culture and induced a lGrg
per Cent or our farmers to give more Lane
, for trees and less to grain. During the pas
five yea nearly million peach trees havt
been planted, and much money hesides OK
= pended to insure their proper development
Aside from any consideration of the grove
taere are come 20 or 80 canneries with
, capacity to pack 10000, 900 OF cans, whiel
give employment 10 600 men, women ant
, children during tile canning season. /
i can be easily seen. Ia the present depresse,
, condition Of the people, Why a fsiiure o
i the peach crop would be attended with dis
a a,tlous results. W
! Msssrs. ]. Il. Gr.ifin, A. T. Warren an
a Jacob Allen have been Interviewed con
. cerninS the safety OF the buds, and the
express the opinion that, from the result O
their examinations since Sunday there wi
:, bo from one-fourtb to half a crop In Tuck
. ahoe Neck. There are many others VIII
!, are less hopeful, and think that there wi
n be complete failure Ii is evident TIM
II the March weather thus far is decided
9 against the crop. 1t has b en- snowinE
y raining or fraeslns over since the mont
y started In. and there was scarcely a
! orchard In the county that had not plent
o Of trees in full bloom When the cold sna
II began. The outlook is certainly unfavoI
Gble.