Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-23
THE WAVE or MATuRITYS PROGRESS


Early Estimates--The Quantities of
Poor Fruit Affects the Sale of Good |
Peaches.
The early varieties of peaches are a
disappointment to the growers and
dealers, as we'll as to the consumers.
Not that il is unusual for early peaches
to be poor but because they are more
plentiful than usual. Dealers fear that
this season will be similar to that of
1875 when the crop numbered several
millions of baskets. 30 much prema-
ture and otherwise faulty fruit was
shipped that the market did not recover
from the glut and good fruit brought
low prices The remedy say the dealers,
is for the growers to allow the premature
fruit to rot on the trees rather than to
ship ii to the markets. Good peaches
always lose in value when forced into
competition with bad peaches.
t. M. Stayton, one of the largest
wholesale dealers in Wilmington, says
that nearly all the peaches received here
are prematures. The Early Alexanders,
which were such failure this season,
have been followed by the Early Rivers
and Beatrice, which are but little better.
Small, hard and insipid, they are not in
demand either for present eating or for
preserving. Early varieties contain too
much water to make them desirable for
preserving
The reporter tried TO open one of the
peaches known as freestone. On one
side was a pale red blush; on the other,
green. 1t looked nearly ripe, but 1t re-
quired some power to open it, One
half broke off clear, but the stone chung
to the remainder with frmness difficult
to overcome. The stone was finally re-
moved from the flesh by breaking the
flesh in small bits. The fruit itself was
light green and the pit was very light
reddish brown.Another peach which was
soft on the red side and hard on the
green, had very light pit-a proof that
it was immature.
Several hundred baskets are being re-
ceived here each day and they are
quoted at 30 to 80 cents basket. One
dealer said "They are no good any
how, and when man offers us 80 cents
for basket on which we quote so cents,
we either accept his price or lose the
sale, for he won't come up TO ours"
The peaches shown never ripen but
they rot rapidly, and the decay begins
on the red side. There is much differ
ence of opinion as TO what is prema-
ture peach.
One dealer said the trees afflicted
with the ycllows and those whose roots
are worm eaten, bear premature fruit.
While another asserted that premature
peaches came not from disease of the
tree but from disease Of the fruit it.
self On this point Collector Of Customs
Henry NJ. Barlow says that if he saw a
tree in good condition and on it peach
which was ripe four weeks before the
natural time he would call it prema.
ture peach. He would call the fruit
from tree afflicted with peach yellows
diseased fruit. Still another peach
grower said that a broken branch still
clinging TO the tree might allow its fruit
TO mature to certain point and then
rot, but this theory is combated by
Register of Wills James I. Shallcross
who says that that branch would either
bear no fruit or good fruit
Ii should be remembered that all the
rumors about smaller crop than re-
Gently estimated are based on the pres
ent uperabundance of premature fruit.
There is a concensus of opinion that
there can be little to expect in the way
of good peaches until August LIST. At
torney- general John BiRgs, in speaking
of the outlook, said Eve haven't come
to good peaches yet; wait until the first
Of August" The older growers and
dealers profess not to be much alarmed
and are firm in the belief that the later
peaches will more than make up for the
poor showing Of the early varieties.
Inentah (Araar
Harper d. Bro. when they were located
here, knows something about peaches.
He was raised among them" and now
owns an orchard of 2, 100 trees IL miles
below Dover. He says good peaches
will come to market in the following
order of varieties; July 23d, Troths
July 9th, Mountain Rose, then Craw-
ford's EARLY, and on August LIST, Old
Nixon; August 10th, Foster; August
18th, Crawford's Late; August 25th,
| Smock. Then will follow dozen va.
rieties, which will continue the season
until September 18TH. This is com
| parative estimate based on the knowl-
edge Of previous seasons.
An interesting theory advanced by
Mr.. Green is that peaches ripen a day
earlier every ten miles below certain
point. For instance on Monday one
variety will be ripe at Glendale the
next day the same variety will be ripe
at Houston, a day later at FELTON,, on
Thursday at Dover and so on. Mr..
Green says that this rule has never
failed. He thinks the crop will not
reach more than 4,000,O00 baskets.
There are no peaches in Sussex and a
sprinkling in upper New Castle. Kent
and lower New Castle counties and
Queen Anne and Kent counties, Mary.
land, will have the most peaches. Mr..
Green says that the las. cold spell and
the early hot weather affected the bios.
soming trees.
In Brandywine hundred, Collector of
Customs Henry NJ. Barlow, has the
largest orchard, consisting Of 700 trees.
In former seasons all the peaches rotted
but this year he will gather small crop.
Thursday he picked four baskets Of
good fruit. The trees are old and, al.
though unaffected with the yellows, he
thinks they are on the decline,
-1-
Heniopen Clty's Election.
The election held at Henlopen CITY
on Saturday resulted as follows: Com.
missioners, William Bright of this CITY
and Il. j. Morris of Lewes for three
years, Henry Cannon of Bridgeyille
lr. G.. r. Jeiferis of this citv and Ehf