Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-16
pgacn cnop scARE AGAIN.
Congressman causey Speaks of the Dam
age by the Nellnws.

The Philadelphia Press of Monday
says: Peach growers from the Delaware
| Peninsula, who are in the city making
| their annual arrangements for baskets and
| the handling of their crops, tell woeful
tales of the failure of the crop this year
The general opinion is that not more than
| oneeighth of the crop will be pucked,
and there is a popularity about the failure
this year.
The annual failure Of the crop is gener-
| all attributed either to late frosts or unusu-
ally heavy rains in May. The June drop
was by no means unusually large. There
were no late frosts, and not many heavy
rains to speak of during May, but still the
| crop is declared to be a failure, and Phia-
delphia and other cities which have TO de-
pend upon the luscious reach from the
| Peninsula, will have to manage to struggle
| along with but n million baskets from the
little State this year. When all the other
enemies of the fruit fail to make an i'm
preston, the mysterious yellows generally
get in their deadly work. But the failure
| of the crop is not attributed entirely to
them The first varieties. such AS Craw-
| ford's Early, are expected within the next
tew weeks To come IN in large quantities.
| Congressman john W. Iausey, who was
| III the city Saturday, explained the condi-
| ton Of affairs. Mr.. Calisey is one OF the
largest growers on the Peninsula, aud with
|
orchards in Delaware, He said;
\ "rhere is great disappointment among
the growers all over the state AT the out
come Of the crop. The orchards in the
| early part of the year never looked better
| and everybody was feeling very much en-
couraged at the outlook. The crop last
year was by no means profitable one,
| and many hopes were buildel upon the
money that would come this year. Now
we have had Il chance to look over the field
| aud the result is by no means encouraging
| There will not he at the outside over one
eighth Of u crop.
| The fruit has taken queer freak. II is
| usually the first varieties that are hurt the
| most, but this year they are all right and
| SO are those coming at the end of the sea
son. The failure in the crop is IN the fruit
which comes in tho middle of the season,
This will have the effect Of leaving us
| without any peaches for quite n while
Just what is the cause of this cannot tell
Around Milford, where | live, this same
complaint is general. There is, | under
stand, considerable fruit over in Mary
land, and down in Sussex there will be d
good and profitable yield Of several of the
late varieties.
The yellows have caused considerable
damage, particularly in Kent county,
while there is scarcely any fruit in New
Castle county. II seems strange there is
nothing To cure the yellows
"Around Smyrna, which formerly was
the centre of the peach district. there is
scarcely any fruit The large orchards
owned by the various members of the
Cummins family have very few peaches III
them; this IS equally true of The other
large orchards. The yellows have done
the work here and for several seasons the
crop has been a failure in this section
The rayages of the disease, which first
made its appearance above Middlctown 0
few years ago, have gradually extended
southwark until now it has reached below
Wyoming. Very little hope is expressed
of this section ever again being productive
Many Of the old growers believe that be
fore many years Delaware peaches will be i
thing of the past. Thousands OF tree.
have been torn ont Of the ground and nov
the lands are used TO grow wheat anc
cOrnn