Evening journal., 1901-10-03
pELAMARE.s FAnn oENsus

From the Census Bureau. Washing
ton. comes a bulletin giving the lates
lstatistics regarding agricultural D5la
ware. Its summary may be found II
'lanother column. and Is well worth Q
icareful scrutiny, since, in large meas
me, this is an agricultural State an,
the basis Of the prosperity of the peo
rle, outside Of Wilmington, is directly
in tine farm.
The small area might indicate to q
stranger that there would be little va
rlety OF soil and not much diversity
Of farm products. but such is not The
case. Within less than a hundrej
miles there are hands which suggest
New York and New England, and
those which are like Virginia and Other
Southern districts. For grazing and
grain growing, few districts in the
country are superior to rural New Cas-
tie, and better kept farms are hard to
find.
Sussex has a soil of the other ex-
treme; ii Is level and sandy. In for
mW years farming in most of that re-
gion was regarded as Synonymous with
starvation. although II has always been
locally famous for it's crops Of corn. But
this was not because It's soil was Pc
culiar,y adapted to THAT grain. but be-
cause there was little demand for the
products Of the dairy. and in many
Isections it was practically impossible to
grow wheat Consequently the corn
area included a greater part Of the land
under cultivation.
Kent county represented neither ex-
treme There was much coed land and
much that was poor. Good land was
Synonymous with a soil that would pro
duce grass and grain, although fol
many years There has been a diversity
OF crops. Frequently ON adjoining
farms is seen opposite systems In
vogue; one being confined to producing
corn and wheat, and the other fruits
AMID truck.
New Castle county was the first Sec
tion of the country to produce peaches
in large quantities for the city markets
At first they were loaded I'M the holds
OF sailing vessels, and even with such
conditions of shipment this fruit dem
onstrated it's value as a crop. Tho
industry grew to such proportions thai
l"Delaware peaches" became famous
But various diseases. principally tine
"yellows." finally swept away the or
chards, and the former system of farm
ing was resumed and dairying was
largely DEVELOPED.
Then came a revolution in KEN
agriculture; there was a great influx o.
farmers from New York and New Eng
land; these people were progressiv,
and disposed 70 experiment. AS mucl
as thirty years ago the new style o
farming in Kent began. Peach trees
which before had been set in small or
chards numbering a few dozen trees
now occupied large fields. and even
4 whole farms There were large plante
ltions Of berries of the different kinds
land the more progressive agricul,urist
began ,to experiment in producing al
sort of truck for the city markets
The subsequent history has shown
battle with many adverse condition
and high freight rates, but there ha
been progress and success. There
probably no territory of equal siz
where so great a diversity of product
is possible as in Kent county.
In Sussex, Too. lands which former
ly were turned out to commons or a
= lowed to grow up in pines, becaus
!, they were too sandy to grow grain, al
. now yielding fine revenue, Sue
lands, properly improved, are the be-
a for peaches. and for many kinds (
: truck.
o We predict that Delaware will ult
y mately become a great garden, fro
& which the tables of the people OF Il
= large Eastern cities will be supple
10 She Possesses the soil. and her ente
T. prise has been developed. During t
o last four decades there has grown
10 practical knowledge Of soils. conditio
r of c'ant life and climate, which ma
n farming not only scientific. but pIac
he cal