The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-01

much damage has been done to the
Eastern fruit crop by the recent cold
weather. and our advices indicate that
prospects are remarkably favorable for
splendid Eastern market for Cali
fornia fruits this season, including
peaches, which, it may be said, did not
bring very satisfactory prices last sea-
son.
Here is a copy of the Journal from
Denton, Md, dated April oath last, and
this excerpt Will give pretty good idea
of the general condition existing there:
" The condition of fruit buds has
been the subject of a good deal of anX-
ious investigation and speculation
throughout the Maryland and Delaware
peninsula since the cold snap this week.
The mercury fell many degrees on
Monday night, and ice about quarter
of an inch in thickness formed in some
places. By early morning the Their
momete~ registered about ~ degrees
1t had evidently been several degrees
lower than this. 1t recovered, of
course, very considerably during the
day, and as very little damage had
been done up to that time, the air hay-
ing been very dry, with no frost, the
growers were very hopeful that the cold
spell would pass away without any Sc
rious injury to fruit. But on Tuesday
night it was equally cold and calm, and
a white frost fell, and the worst fears
were realized. Exhaustive examina-
tons of peaches, plums, cherries.
straw berries, etc, reveal the fact that
a large percentage of most of them mad
been ruined 1t is predicted by many
that the peach crop this year will
amount to almost nothing, and cherries
show plainly the disastrous effects
I'VE also have information direct
from Fort Valley and the other princi-
pal peach districts, indicating that the
Georgia peach crop is going to be very
short this season Fort Valley is the
principal peach district, and one or
chard there, which has 300 900 peach
trees planted, writes us that the crop
is practicaIly-a failure on account of
the recent wet weather, while the trees
were in bloom. This Georgia crop is
usually a serious obstacle in connection
with California peaches, and the fact
! that it is short is certainly going to be
| OF benefit to the growers of Cali
fornia peaches and other fruits.
! arly urged to thoroughly thin their
| peaches, SO that the fruit will be of
/ good and attractive size and of supe-
rior quality. Much more depends upon
! this than the growers realize. Aside
! from this it should not be
necessary to more than call at
/ tention to the fact that If one box of
uniformly good sized and well-grown
! fruit will bring as much money as two
/ boxes of under-s sized and inferior fruit
/ that it certainly ought to be the aim
! of the grower to produce and ship
nothing but the superior article.
Perhaps the most serious damage
observable is to plums and prunes,
which are only now showing the effects
of the blight by turning yellow and
| dropping. This applies more particu-
larly to the later settings, the earlier
or first formed fruit being hardy
enough to withstand the attack of the
unpropitious elements. The same may
be said of Bartlett pears, which in
many localities are also said to be drop
ping, and the later formed fruit is not
maturing.
ION the whloe, it may be said that
there is a bright outlook for the current
! seasons output Of California fruit.
And that if the growers will see to it
/ that their fruit is properly culled and
well packed, With the constantly in
creasing care in handling and appli-
ances for delivery in good condition.
etc. to the far-aWay markets. there is
no reason why remunerative returns
should not be received"