Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-13
NOT SO MAsr rsaon Es.


Fali short Of the Estimate.
Although the peach crop will he much
larger in Delaware and Maryland than
IL was last year, says the Philadelphia
Evening Telegraph, IL will by no means
come up to the estimates Of the railroad
companies. made in the curly spring.
Their calculations were based on an out
put of at least six million baskets, but
as things now stand, four millions of
baskets is liberal figure. A number
of the commission merchants who han
die the peach trade of Philadelphia,
around Vine street, Mt Dock and Della
ware avenue, and out at Twenty-third
and Market streets, were seen this
morning by a reporter, and their opin-
ions, while differing as to the cause of
the failure of part of the crop, were
unanimous that il would be ut least two
millions of baskets short of expecta-
tons.
One of the most prominent produce
dealers in the Dock street section, who
has been brought up in the business, and
is the owner of number of peach farms
in Sussex county, Delaware, is j. t..
HobsOn, and this gentleman volunteered
some very interesting information con-
corning the conditions which influence
the size of the crop in this section Of the
country.
In the early spring." said Mr.. Hob
| son, Everything pointed to an unusually
large crop. The figures of the railway
companies were larger than they should
have been, perhaps. but the growers
| themselves were deceived. y common
mistake of the railroad officials is to
| calculate on figures sent in by two sta
| tion masters. who include in their re-
| ports of farms which lie an equal dis
tance from each, and in this way many
farms are counted twice.
1.-THE changeable weather has inilu-
cnccd the development of the fruit very
largely, and the small size of the peaches
thus far is another reason for the num-
Der of baskets being less than expected,
MS they pack very much closer than they
would if fully developed.
"Up-country, as they say, or in North.
ern New Jersey, the crop Is u total fail
ure. The blossoms had just opened on
the trees of that section when on two OF
three nights of April the temperature
went down almost below the freezing
point. and in consequence, when thu
peaches had partly niaturcd, they rotted
and fell off the trees. In Delaware, al
the time of the cold snap, the blossoms
had Just withcred and closed in around
tho form of the fruit. thus protecting /,
from the frost There will hardly bt
five thousand baskets shipped from up
nor New Jersey. instcnd of from two Il
three millions, as at first predicted. Ii
tho MARYLAND maintains only half 4
crnn Is cxnccted ROT having done con
siderable DAMAGE
"of course" continued Mr.. uobsnn
"from now nm iii the last of Angus
tho sh;nments will he getting lnrrer du,
Inv doy hut tho crnn will uot last fin tb,
and az octohar ms Il al last yenr som,
of tb, orouore eynn d,cI, ring that mt ,
naoch will ba sb;nnnd after Sentombe
In A. nresent tho small variety colle,
tba ~Troth IL ,hnut over and most q
tho first yood-sizod naarbcs. the 'NIoun
toi, posa, have ,l.n bcen totsp frou
,ho ,raa. w, have had some small shin
me,is ~ tha .Crovford E,riv' lorr
yo,In,y n,,cb which will shortly Inv
mo n,,rLat am, tha .old Niyon.' n lorr
white frnit tho .Stumn' and III
.Rnev,s F,voritn, will nredominat
from tho DOth of Aupust I'M Sentembe,
nnr;ra ,ho lnst ION Sars NJ hncnst IN
oIrt ,,;u come ;f tbara 4. ,nv tb;s van,
&C. a,,r;,,r th,t n,r;n, tho s,,nnIy 10 n,
molir r,,,o,, ar.ntar tban M Jem,n,
md tho dso,ors suffer accordin,,v M
Levine tho .Eov Saod,ing, III. Moore,
F,vor;,a tho Crawford Late, and IN
D