Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-21
a 4UTaL F4EIUnE.
No Peaches on the Peninsuia--G Close
of the Special Manifest Office in
This CITY.

-
No Peaches on the Panins'tis--G Close
of the Special Manifest Office in
This CITY.
peach crop was clearly demonstrated
Saturday night when the special fruit
manifest officl of the Delaware railroad,
located in Hlouth's hotel and in charge
of j. ]. Whitaker, was closed for the
season. Tnis office is opened each year
whom tho berry traffic begins aud Is cGn-
tinued until the peach season is'at ~
en-. ALI the manifesta OF fruit and berry
shipments are sent there for entry and
record, instead OF being attended to by
the local agents along the line. The
closing OF this office Just at ths time
when peach shipments ought TO bs get
ting we'll under way, Is practicable and
forcible admission that as far as the Dsl-
aware Peninsula il concerned, the peach
crop is total failure.
The Philadelphia Ledger relates that
Burrell +. Ives, at Water and Dock
streets in that city, was last week ia re-
csipt of the entire peach crop of two
growers, one in Maryland, with an
orchard of 1000 trees, aud another in
Delaware, with fiye.scre orchard. The
product OF the latter was half basket
and OF the former two baskets. These
were awaiting customers on Saturday for
So basket and ware OF q kind that
would sell in an ordinary peach season
for % cents basket. Another farmer
In Delaware told him that from 2 500
trees he gathered four peaches. lie was
also informed by farmer up in the
Juniats valley, in Pennsylvania, who last
year marketed 80 900 baskets, that this
year he will barely have 1880 basketB.
MIR. Ives is of the opinion that New Jer-
ssy is going to produce more peaches
than many people expect.
Last year the Peninsula rails d only
about one-third of peach crop, and
while the result was vastly profitable to
those who had some peaches to sell, so
many farmers we're left without single
basket to send to market that to them the
season was q dead loss. This year not
a grower on the Peninsula will realize
dollar from the thousands of acres de-
voted exclusively to the cultivation OF the
peach. The financial result is disastrous,
and when to this is I'D lei the total fail
ura of last years corn crop in lower Dali
ware, as result of which many farmers
had to buy corn for their stock instead of
having corn for market, and the prospect
or rather sparse corn crop this year,
| the situation il really alarming, and
many farmers will have work to keep the
sheriffs executions from swallowing up
oil of their landed and personal posses'
| sions.
With reference to California peaches,
which are now being received in the
Philadelphia market, the LsIyor says
Prices have ruled pretty steady the season
through, from 50 to 80 so box being
the average prices. As it requires about
two boxes to fill an ordinary peach basket
| it will be seen that the fruit sells for
about SIS a basket. That there is big
profit for some one at this price is appar-
emily evident. It may be said thai il this
| California growers would pack Their
peaches in baskets and ill car with
them, they could be landed in this city
| for less than 81 basket freight, as a car
will contain from 450 to 500 b tskets aud
| the through freight is about $426 car
| II ia said, however, that the greater por-
| ton of the fruit is shipped by agents,
who must have percentage. The oar is
generally stopped at Chicago and re-
shipped east, and there IL another per.
oentage to be claimed. When 1t reaches
it's dest nation In the eastern markets tbs
unsound fruit must be eliminated and tbs
dealer must have his profits from the re
taller, SO that by the time tho peaches gel
to the latter there are number Of
charges piled up which, added to thu
fist cost of tho truit in the orchard
makes the price, $5 a basket, not such al
overcharge as it appeays.