Middletown transcript., 1891-07-30
Peaches.

Inc OIQ CRY OF NOlI WOII - Il
heard on every side, and our ex-
changes devote considerable space to
the hue and cry of premature
peaches. /" While very much can
truthfully be said Of the sad ravages
Of the yellows y in many orchards
in the upper and older peach dis
tricts, yet our observation inclines us
to the belief that there viii be an
average supply of perfectly good ma
tured fruit, while in the central and
lower districts there will be heavy
crop of delicious peaches.
While we most heartily regret the
presence of so fatal a disease as the
"yellows,n yet we can but regret
that so much is being said to mislead
the dealers, as well as the consumer
of Delaware's great luxury, and we
are satisfied that the loud, distressing,
apprehension published must work
serious injury to the growers by de-
tering buyers and inducing the con-
sumer of peaches to stock their lard
ers with other fruits and to their
great disappointment when the time
shall come and really good fruit in
due season be shipped.
In former years it was not expected
that really good peaches would ripen
before August 1st to 10th, and the
rains and cool weather this season
have kept the maturity Of healthy
trees later that hot, dry season
would do. Doubtless the moist and
sultry atmosphere has the tendency
to hasten the decay of sickly trees, and
to cause a premature coloring of
their fruit. Such fruit is no criterion
by which the perfected fruit can be
estimated, and in all justice should
not be sent to the market.
The desire of fruit growers to pro-
cure very early varieties, which are
always inferior in size and flavor, and
many other causes have much to do
with the present unfortunate situa-
tion of some orchards.
When Troths were the early
peaches followed by Early Yorks,
then the Rare Ripe families, then
by Moore's, or Mixons, followed
by Reeves, Crawfords, Heath, Rod.
mans Cling, Morris White, ETC., all
standard varieties and following each
other in regular succession, we heard
but little of "yellows." Then too
the removal Of the grub (or worm
from the egg deposited by the Aphis,
about the crown of the trees, followed
by liberal application of wood,
ashes we heard little of the failure of
peach crops. 1t was then no unusual
thing to see peach trees ten to fifteen
inches in diameter, and bearing
twenty to thirty three-fourth bush
ell baskets each. But the desire for
greater area neglected, (save to plow
and keep clear of the weeds that
might have been of value for the
nitrigen they would restore to the
land, even the leaves of the tree,
natures restorer, been hauled to the
Gull house, and little done for feed
ing the rapidly impoverished land,
until now, the weak trees easily be-
come prey to no greater enemies
than orchards were subjected to in
the early days of peach culture.
The experience of the Michigan
peach belt confirmed this retrospect
and the heroic removal of all trees a
few years since, now enables that ter
ritory to again produce peaches.
The fact of the presence of disease
has been spread far enough. Now
let our growers take the stand point
Of the optimist and thank q kind
Providence for a bountiful crop of
good fruit that will delight the eye
and palate of all in due season.