The evening times., 1899-04-11
GOOD OUTLOOK FOR
!. Fruit In MARYLAND
Experts Deny That the Crops
Will Be q Failure.
Fair Yields Expected in Many Of the
Counties.
straw wberries PrOmlse to Be Alum
dant-Peach Buds Blasted by the
February BliEzard.

College Park, Nd, April 11.-Prof., W
G. Johnson, State entomologist, and Prof
C. o. Townsend. State pathologist, having
| the commercial fruit-growing centres are
in possession Of facts to enable them ft
make definite statements relative to thu
prospective peach crop and other fruits
They make the following report:
Owing to the very discOlraging reports
that reached us shortly after the February
freeze and the many conflicting statements
deemed it advisable to make personal ex-
aminations Of the orchards. in order that
those packers and shippers who are de-
pending upon the Maryland crop for their
fall trade may not be misled and deceived
I'm western Maryland 1t is safe to say
that the crop is a total failure, at leas,
from a commercial standpoint. We have
found no live buds whatever in Washing
ton county, and practically none in Fred
erick. Indeed. in some instances, the wood
is apparently injured. SO that the growers
are cutting their trees back in order to give
them a better chance for new growth.
''On the Eastern Shore and in southern
Maryland the same conditions hold true
as far as buds are concerned, except in
those orchards bordering tidewater. One
orchard at the mouth OF the PatuXent on
Cedar Point has good stand OF live buds;
those further inland have practically none.
In general, ii may be stated that the or
chards that lie along the water front, and
have therefore been. protected, have SUI
fered less than those inland. s
In Caroline county the crop is a COM
,1 foil NJ Lob <f
Denton, one OF the best informed fruit
growers Of the State, says he found only
few live buds on two varieties. not COM
mercially planted as yet, out Of one hun
dred and thirty-seven varieties growing
~ his place. He stated that the condi-
tiC0s found near Denton would hold large
ly for the county In general. and that the
crop was a complete commercial failure.
Our observations also confirm Mr.. Kerr 5
report. At Ridgcly. DR.. F. =. Herr stated
that there were practically no peaches,
and that there would not be enough TO
supply the local trade. This same condi-
tion is also true of the inland orchards of
Dorchester, Talbot, Queen Anne's and
Kent counties.
1T should also be noted that wherever
the buds have. suffered from the cold ii is
the more valuable yellow varieties that
have been injured most, while the red va
rieties have been little more resistant.
For instance, even along the water front,
Reeves Elberta, Crawford's late and
Crawford's early have not resisted the
cold as the Sinock. Nixon. Hale. Rivers.
Salway, and the like.
From the present indications. ii Is safe
to state that the bulk OF the commercial
crop will come from the tidewater sec
tiOns of st. Mary's, Anne Arundel. Balti-
n,.as AM ~ oil hot nd
Dorchester counties. the main belt being
in Kent and Queen Anne's. along the bay
front, and the Chester and Sassafras River
course. as far inland as Chestertown and
Georgetown. The area, therefore. which
promises a fair commercial crop is ex-
tremely limited. as compared with the to-
tai peach area in the State.
In regard TO the other tree fruits but
little damage has been done to apples and
pears. Pears have been injured slightly in
some sections, but not sufficiently to reduce
the crop to any appreciable extent In
short it may be stated that the present out
look is for full crop OF apples and pears.
Plums and cherries. on the other hand
have suffered considerably from the cold
The Japanese variety of plums have not
been as resistant as the natives. The crop
Will. no doubt. be much reduced by the
cold. but in making this report we are not
anticipating any of the evils that may be-
fall these crops yet by frosts. storms, in
sects. and fungus diseases
The outlook for the strawberry crop is
very promising all over the State. and
growers are preparing for fair yield
Blackberries and raspberries have suffered
considerably, but the indications point to
an average crop.
''On the whole the prospective fruit crop
in general is very promising. and Maryland
can congratulate herself that she has any
peaches at all commercially, considering
the reports of the disastrous results OF the
cold wave throughout the peach, growing
belts of the East and South"