The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-12
Further investigations IN King
George Are Reassuring.
THE He I; SCARCITY; .A' OF LABOR
It is Encouraging Many King George
Farmers to Purchase Op-to-Date
Labor Saving Machinery--Hnn-
dreds Have Gone West.
Especial to The Times Dispatch.)

Il
@NcoAIORN,sVA..,,s8A prl I.-1t is hoped by
many that the fruit was not damaged by
the freeze OF last Saturday night and
Sunday night,as extensively as was sup
posed, and reported on Monday, and this
hope is based upon tho fact that many
peaches appeared to be unhurt and In
tact as late MS the middle Of the week.
While the damages may have been ex-
aggerated at first. and while It Is true
that good deal Of fruit survived the
freeze, 1t is very certain that major
part Of the peaches, summer apples, car
tly cherries and apricots were killed and
arc already falling from the trees In some
sections. TO the una!ded eye. q good
many peaches appear unnjured, but my
croscopic examinations show that they
are blighted-damaged to such an extent
that they will shrivel&up and drop to the
ground In the course OF two or three
weeks from the time Of the freeze. It
must be borne In mind that peaches and
apples fatally Injured by Ice. &c. do not
always "turn black" and fall from tho
trees Immediately after the visitation by
the ice, but some Understanding to
certain conditions, &c.--remain Intact,
apparently alive for several weeks
before they drop.
IA investigations show that nearly all Of
the peaches apricots, early apples and
early cherries In protected places-l. o.,
where the wind could not shake the trees
sc,,,f
&"cups'' of the bloom before Ice form
Eed-are hopelcssly5 dead or dying, and that
there is nothing now upon which to base
a hope for anything like onc-thlrd Of an
average crop Of fruit,
4 AS stated In this correspondence, the
first of the week. the damage to fruit In
the five counties OF tho Northern Neck
will amount to thousands OF dollars, and
this, loss will fall heavily upon tho far
mors, who have expended their money
In endeavorIng to2perfect their orchards.
F. Anticipating nm unprecedented scarcity
{of labor the coming SUNNI er with which
to save tho now promising wheat and
oat crop, u good many King George farm.
crs arc buying up-to-date harvesting ma.
chimes Many who farm on avery lin.
itcG SCALE and whose crops have never
justified the expense OF machinery, have
already purchased binders, and are pro,
pairing to harvest their crops without
hired labor. tJs54 s.gft r E ~ Al u
Hundreds Of aborlng men have gone
North. where they will remain and work
until next winter, contendlng that the
adoption OF labor-saying machinery by the
farmers here has forced them to leave
home to find romunerative employment
0,r Pa he nj he hind
that the action ofsthese laborers In lenY,
Ing here evry spring and remaining away
through the crop season has forced then
to resort to the expensive misunderstanding
machinery, Tho latter contention Is about
correct, 9e "a
Failing to Induce men Of means to es,
tnblish several additional cannorles al
suitable points In this county, a number
OF our farmers are now trying to persuade
some enterprisng man or firm to open Q
pickle factory here. The soil here is pc
culiarly adapted to the growing OF suct
vegetables as are utilized ny cannerles
and pickle factories and there are man,
ly of wheat and corn which would pro
duce thousands Of dollars worth Of ma
terial for pickle factories and cannint
houses Notwithstanding the nifest do
| mand for such enterprises, ana notWlth
standing the fact that the one operated
! last year paid Handsomely, there are nu
two cannerles in King George county
and one'of these has lust been erected, 4
be put In operation the comma summer
| There has never been slch q demanc
here for horses as now, ma Y mere VIZ
never such n scarcity Of 5000 WorK a ~
| farmers have paid 500 to $3.50 apiece fol
horses that would not have sold for y!
| three years ago One Z gentlemang heT'
was the other day offered S4bo 8torLn Pa 9,
! OF mules that cost $3.50 several years a li,'
! Alr, Ben Newton. ot this county Ya'