Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-07-20
PEACHES AND APPLES.
They Will be Plentiful in Mary
land, and of Good Quality.

Fruit predictions m the spring OF
the year are very like those of the man
who rashly undertakes TO forecast the
weather on each day during an entire
month. Some persons 90 so far as to
say that there are three kinds Of liars
who are the peers OF any in the bust
ness-the peach liar, the strawberry
liar and the crop liar BE that as it
may, the spring prophets of evil rarely
fail to destroy the peach crop, and
they doomed it this year, along with
other valuable Maryland fruits but.
as the american suggested at the time,
their gloomy forebodings were decided
ly premature The phenomena upon
which they based their predictions
were actually indicative of a good
rather than a bad crop. Many of the
buds were killed by the frost, they
said. but good crop of peaches does
not mean orchards borne down by the
weight of indifferent fruit, which would
he the case were there nothing to thin
out the worthless buds
A good crop of peaches in the esti-
nation OF the consumers, means or
chards reasonably burdened with prime
fruit. and that is what is promised in
few days. The frosts, which were
so much dreaded at the time, proved
to be, in many instances. a blessing in
disguise The trees were overburdened
with buds, MANY of which were imper-
feet, or promised to become 50 if they
had remained on the trees. The frosts
merely thinned out the buds. and gave
greater sustenance to those which re-
manned. The fruit in some orchards
was almost entirely destroyed, which
was great misfortune to their owners;
but such mistortunes occur every year
from some cause or other. The ma
joritv of the orchards received only a
healthy pruning from the frosts and
cold snaps. The fruit from them will
be good all through, while, had there
been no fro>ts, and no artificial thin
ming of the buds, it would have been
Indifferent all through. and the over
production would have netted the
grower very little profit. 1t is on ali
accounts better to get good prices for
a moderate amount of good fruit than
to get poor prices tor plethora of
Indifferent fruit.
But not only is there promise OF
excellent peaches in Maryland. and
an abundance of them, but the pear
and apple crop is said to be very good
this year. There are no better pears
and apples than those raised in this
State, but these fruits do not receive
the attention they deserve. In the
northern part of the State apples are
extensively cultivated. and they are
very fine; but in the southern portion
OF the State land owners have Of late
years neglected the apple crop, and
some of the choicest varieties have
almost become extinct. The old.
fashioned redstreak, which forty years
ago was rs common in Southern Ma
ryland as johnny cake and fine old
hams, il rarely seen, and within the
last ten years it has been almost worth
its weight in gold at Christmas times.
Maryland can raise as choice apples rs
Western New York, and, a Il partial
failure Of the crop is reported this
season in the latter section. the at:en
ton of the farmers will he drawn to
this important tact by the increased
demand for the produce of their or
chards. Farmers should he As watch.
.ul OF current happenings as those in
other occupations, in order to take
advantage of any opportunities that
NAV occur. Baltimore .Imerican.