Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-03-02
THE PEACH,CR0p is RUINED.
Such Is the Unanimous Opinion Of
Growers In Lower Delaware.
Unfavorabie liesuIts of All invcstig ations-
The Recent Severe Cold Killed the Fruit

The Recent Severe Cold Killed the Fruit
I:uds-prospects fnr Apples and Berries.
Bridgeville, Fob. q. The Delaware
and Maryland peach crop has been de-
stroyed. This is tho opinion of many
prominent peach growers who havo
made thorough and careful examination
of the buds. The buds could not with
stand the severe cold. The Thermometer
was IL degrees below zero two success
sive mornings and the surprise is gen.
eral that even the trees withstood the
cold.
The result Of the Investigations re-
Gently made was awaited with no
little concern. Tho buds are shriveled.
Cut them and note the result. 1t lacks
the mark Of fire. Tho germ Of the
peach 10 black hnd withored AN un-
mistakabie evidence Of its destruction.
The damage is not confined to any
section of the Peninsula, but is general.
Yesterday the correspondent inter
viewed, by telephone, some of the
largest peach growers on the Peninsula
and thoy have found the crop same as
in this vicinity destroyed. William
u. Kclley on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, has more peach trees than
any other person on the Peninsula and
he said concerning the crop outlook;
After the great blizzard of 1899 we
are able to estimate the full extent of
damage to the fruit crop Tho coolest
day was the 18th inst, when the mer-
curry was IL below zero, and killed
every peach bud, even Hale's hardy
peach, Crosby, reported to Withstand
% below zero in Connecticut. Not a
bud Is found alive, but few miles
away, as is sometimes the case, if the
mercury was not below six or seven
degrees, there may be some peaches.
At 10 degrees below zero no peach bud
can live in this section or ever has,
within the last so years.,
Philip L. Cannon said he could not
find a live peach bud and believes tho
opinion of Thomas w. Willin, Charles
and others, who have examined many
Of the peach buds.
This makes the third successive de-
struction of the reach crop ana the
loss to the Peninsula is beyond esti-
mate. As an Indication OF the unlikli-
hood of crop OF peaches a grower who
has kept q record says there has been
but four crops Of peaches within the
past 16 years, yet the opinion is nearly
general throughout the country that
the crop is never destroyed, but that
the accounts of the destruction are
without foundation.
Apples, pears and Strawberries are
not thought to be injured, especially
Strawberries. The vines being beneath
the snow were protected from the cold
and a strawberry crop is now expected.
Blackberry and raspberry vines above
the snow are very likely badly injured.
Severe cold freezes tho cane and it
bears no fruit.
THE SAME STORY. -.5
Milford, Feb. 23.-The peach crop
here, as is shown by the result of per
sonal interviews, as follows;
| John j. Rosa: "After thorough OK
animation of my orchard, find no live
buds"
Luther Cubbage of Milford Neck
81 find all killed except the Early
Rivers. -
T. W. Middleton: ~ find few varie-
ties in my orchard still alive.''
/ b. F. B. Woodall of the Shawnee
Farm "All the buds are dead.''
j. Wesley Bennett Of Wolfe Neck
Farm: "Crop total failure -
George Mills of Cedar Neck; "No
live buds and young growth of wood
dead"
s. W. Kinder: "A total failure"
Alexander Pullin, the nurseryman
~ may have part Of a CROP
\ George H. Draper, Prime Hool;
Neck: "After an examination of my
orchard, | find the CROP badly hurt. I"
| Levi Q. Riggs, Slawton Farm: ''Un-
able to find any live buds in my
orchard. -
William Morris, Barker Farm: 81
find no live buds"
George Roach, Milford Neck: "No
| live buds.'