The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-16
SOUTH JERSEY PEACHES
Facts and Figures of a
Great Rural Trade
Profit and Loss.

ibid you know that the New Jersey
peach belt was much like the wheat belts
of the West. in hat 1t is gradually work
ing its way westward?"
The question was asked q reporter who
was making n bicycle trip through North
ern New Jersey last week and had stopped
for a short rest at Lebanon. The speaker
was Squire Hoffman, one of the best in
formed men on the subject Of peach grow
ing in that region. He belongs to a large
family, who, for thirty years. have been
engaged in the peach growing industry
in Somerset and Hunterdon counties.
The reporter confessed ignorance. and
Squire Hoffman proceeded to explain in
detail aud to tell some interesting facts
about the raising of this fruit.
why. yes" he said, during the last
twelve years the peach belt has shifted at
least seven miles in a southwesterly d.
rection, and it is still moving. This Is Il
busy time of the year with us just now.
as we are getting the baskets ready for
shipping this seasons crop. The only
trouble is that the basket makers cannot
get timber enough for the bottoms. and
we are a little bit worried on that &C.
count. Most OF our baskets are made
right here in the peach district. The bot
toms are mi de at the lumber mills down
South. but the sides and hoops are made
here.
Maple and ash are the woods used
The different parts are cut by specially
constructed lathes. Boys are employed
TO nail than together. They get seventy
five cents for every 100 baskets. Up to
this year there has been no standard size
for he baskets, but last fall the peach
growers insisted that this should
be regulated by law, and AS
duced q bill mic passed the New
Jersey Legislature, fixing q standard
measure of sixteen quarts. The law not
only covers The size OF the basket. but re-
quires that the words Standard New Jer-
sey" be stamped on the sides. II any
grower uses other than the standard bas-
ket he is required to mark them that
way. The new law will be of great
benefit to the growers, enabling them to
agree on a fixed scale of prices and af-
fording protection In other ways.
"The standard peach basket Is Just
thirteen and ~one-Quarter inches high,
thirteen and one-half inches across the
top, and seven and three-eighth inches in
diameter at the bottom. In order that
they may be of a uniform size they are
made On a block. Baskets cost $50 a thou
sand, and you can form some estimate of
the number required when you know
that from 1000 to 1000 are used every day
as long as the peach season lasts. The
factories start in early in the spring to
make baskets for the next summer.
PROFIT IN PEACHES.
SIS peach-growing In New Jersey
profitable? Well. yes. Several Of the old
growers have made fortunes at 1t. One
of the first men to ship peaches from this
section was Elias w. Haver. He made
$1,000 a year for two years running.
Then there WA Nathan Hoffman and his
family. They and many others have
made a great deal of money in the peach
from this section in large quantities
thirty years ago. The price was then 81 Il
basket. and the baskets were of all sizes
and shapes.
"a peach orchard needs a great deal of
care and attention. as the fruit plainly
shows the results of neglect. Although u
peach tree will live much longer. its days
Of usefulness are practically over when ii
is ten years old. Tue young trees are
raised in hothouses and nurseries. As
you know. the peach pit is very hard, and
The grower cracks it with a hammer
before placing it in the ground.
When the little trees are about
eighteen inches high they are
budded with the different varieties. -Four
years is the average length Of time II
takes before the trees blossom, but they
seldom bear abundantly until the next
year. The first three years the farmer
usually plants buckwbeat Or corn be-
tween the trees. In this way he cult.
Yates the ground and keeps down the
weeds, and at the same time realizes some
profit from his land.
ART II TRIMMING.
You can form some idea Of the care
nooaaoarv tuhon T fell vntr h Mt RI lnor n
peach orchard healthy 1t is necessary that
every tree should be trimmed and wormed
twice a year. Trimming a tree properly
is al art. This Is one in the spring and
fall. and consists of the removal Of all de-
cayed limbs aud suckers which would
take away nourishment from the fruit
producing portion of the tree. Worming
Is also highly important and requires a
skill which only comes with long expert
ence. Every yea the trees are attacked
by a peculiar kind of worm which finds
its ways beneath the bark and which, if
left alone, would in time render the tree
useless as a fruit producer. This worm
first makes its appearance near the root
whole length of the trunk.
Some Of the best varieties of peach
trees blossom very early in the spring,
and every year numbers are killed by the
frost, although the grower does not fear
frost so much as the rain. If it rains and
then freezes, the loss will be heavy. The
first fruit to ripen is what Is known as
forced, the fruit lof old or dying trees.
1t would seem that the tree realizes Its
advancing age and makes haste 10 get It's
work done. These are ready for picking
early in July, but they are seldom sent to
market. The best peaches ripeu In Aug
ust and September. While the picking
season lasts every n works from sunrise
till dark. The women and children do
the picking, while the men do the heavier
work of loading the baskets on the
wagons. The average pay OF pickers is
81 a day.
SENDING THEM TO MARKET.
"The presence of worms may easily be
determined by an inspection OF the trunk.
If the bark Is rugged aad a sap or gun
flows. that tree has been attacked and
needs immediate attention. The grower
arms himself with a peculiarly shaped
knife. the blade Of which turns upward
and forms a kind of hook at the point.
With this instrument he follows the rug
ged surface OF the park until it stops.
This indicates the distance the worm has
travelled. and the bark is then opened
and the worm extracted. No one, So far
rs know, has yet been able to trace the
history of these worms or discover how
they get under the bark. An orchard
which has not been wormed may be
easily recognized by the yellow m
crumpled appearance of the leaves on the
trees.
'sAs soon as the baskets are filled they
are piled or specially-constructed wagons
which carry eighty or ninety baskets at a