Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-29
NO DOUBT OF SERIOUS DAMAGE

| ment-No Doubt That tho Freezing
| weatler Inflicted Grent Damage Upon
| the Fruit Troes. FF
Special Correspondent OF 6azette and Journal
SMYRNA, March 2s.-The farmers of
this section are quite concerned over the
peach and plum crops since the heavy
| cold spell has been on. The warm,
genial weather OF week ago made the
buds swell and In many cases peach
trees are in bloom, and likewise the
| plum. Tho pear trees are almost far
enough advanced TO be nipped by Jack
Frost so 1t is really question of un-
certainty whether they are affected or
not. olIs
An interview with one of our enter
| prlsing farmers yesterday revealed con-
siderable anxiety on his part relative to
the destruction Of crops. He said that
all the peach buds that are swollen to
any degree and all those in blossom
would probably be killed, and that the
plum blossoms had gone through a
severe ordeal. Some may withstand IT,,
while others would succumb to the
| froet.
Larger quantities of clover seed have
been sOwn this year than any previous
time, and IL in germinate. state, the
farmers have grave apprehensions of its
destruction also. For two nights the
thermometer has registered 900
NO DOUBT OF SERIOUS DAMAGE.
Special CORRESPONDENCE OF Gazette and journal
DOVER, March 27.--The continued
cold weather Of yesterday strengthens
the belief that the prospective peach
crop is seriously injured. Opinion is
divided upon the matter, but there is no
doubt that many Of the buds are killed,
If not all Of them.
A party consisting of Governor Rey-
nolds, State Treasurer Burnite, Peter
X. Meredith and Mr.. Darby examined
o number of buds yesterday, and found
all Of them dead. The thermometer
went down as low as 2lo yesterday
morning and the day proved to be the
coolest of this severe snap.
Magnolia trees, which were in full
bloom Saturday and presented such \
beautiful appearance with their large
pink blossoms, arc now laden with the
black, withered flowers which look as
If they had been scalded by steam or
stained with black ink.
The fruit trees IN this section were
not as far advanced as those of Sussex
county, and there is some hope that u
few buds may Escape this cold snap and
produce small crop.
GROWERS WEAR LONG FACES.
specialCorrespondence Of Gazette and journal
MILFORD. March 27.-You can almost
pick out a peach grower by his long
face just now. The cold snap of Sun
day and Monday nights undoubtedly
killed millions Of peach buds, and COM
petent and experienced judges are
unanimous in saying there will be very
few If any peaches this year.
BY consultation with q score or more
of the big growers it is learned that
there is not one of these who does NOT
admit the crop was almost, If not en-
tirely swept away by the cold weather
of Sunday and Monday nights, The
buds were almost all open and bloom
ing beautifully when they were caught
The few that were not open may have
stood the freezing visitation, and these
few may possibly pull through and
mature and rlpen. 1t is the general i'm.
preston, however, that even the few
live buds left will fall on or before June
Charles II. Sackett Of Lincoln, said to
u, w. Truitt, this morning, after exam.
lining the trees in two orchards, that he
would not give five dollar bill for all
the peaches that might mature on all
the trees
j. b. Gilchrist said he examined so OF
the open buds and did not find single
live one in all. He thinks there may be
a few of those not open that will vel
prove to be alive.
S. Todd jenkins says he does not see
how there can possibly be a single live
bud. He has not found enc.
John Kenderdine, a nurseryman OF
long experience, says they are all dead
if ice can kill them, He does not think
there are any live ones at all.
Theodore Townsend thinks there NAV
possibly be a few buds yet left alive Of
those that are not in bloom, but even
this hope he considers a very dim one,
PROJECTS STILL GLOOMY.
speclalCorresponde of Gazette and Journa
BRIDGEvILLE, March 2s.-The result
OF Sunday and Monday nights weather
on the blooming peach trees is not yet
known, as it remains SO cold that the
ice in the buds hasn't thawed. Instead
;, 1t froze harder all day yesterday and las
night.
Many growers think that the ice
around the bud will protect it from the
cold, but even If this DO true the croI
will be rendered short, if not totallI
killed, by the heavy frost Of this morn
ing.
The Thermometer at $40 o'clock thi!
morning was 1872, exactly tho same as
yesterday morning. The ground /;
frozen hard, two-inoh ice has formed
aud the heavy frost has killed all the
open buds not already killed, if i
struck any in that condition. TIL,
, growers hate to loose the crop, and
many are hoping that only the oper
buds are killed.
An examination was made by EVER
EVENINGS correspondent of some peacl
buds this morning, though they wer,
only moderately dark tho entire tree haC
, the look as if fire had run through
1t. To.day's weather will probabl,
, settle the matter if the sun is warn
enough.
p FEW DAYS WILL TELL.
, Special Correspondence Of tiazette and Journa
, LEwEs, March 27,-The weather was yer,
unpleasant here on Sunday with rain ant
snow late in the night followed by freezin
weather yesterday morning The cold snal
7 will probably kill the peach buds tina
5 were in bloom, as early yesterday morn
: ing many of the limbs and blossoms wer
r incased in ice. A few days will develol
their condition.
/ DON'T CRY TOO SOON.
r Special Correspondence Of tiazetteand Journa
LAUREL, March 26.-The peach buds ar
not materially injured by last nights sc
we're weather. Not one in 10 of the opel
buds show any injury. Please don't lie