The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-29
CONCERNING THE PEACH.
Mr.. Blinly Discourses Briefly on This
Luscious Fruit.

LueclOub FTut.
Il don't know what State supplies the
greatest percentage OF the vast guam
tity Of peaches nowadays consumed in this
town." said Mr.. Blif1y, "but Georgia, I
guess. Certainly Georgia sends here an
overwhelmingly large proportion Of the
earlier supply, and l wouldn't be surprised
to learn that we get from Georgia a greater
number OF carloads than we do later from
any other one source, taking the season
through. And no Georgia peaches what
ever, or none to speak Of, came here a
dozen years ago, where now, what with
improved transportation facilities, enter
prise on the part of growers and shippers,
and good fruit. Georgia peaches are it.
II l might be permitted to moralize,
or philosophical, or something, o little bit
over this, I should say that this is all very
pleasant. To be sure, everybody knew
we'll enough the great State OF Georgia;
but now its peaches, a delightful medium,
AVE brought it into pleasantly familiar
and friendly relations with all the people
everywhere throughout the North. For
Georgia peaches are sent not to New York
alone, but every year, in the season, from
the Georgia peach orchards, the peach trains
60 out, on railroad lines radiating, as the
sticks Of a fan, to all parts, to everywhere
east Of the Mississippi, and, for aught I
know, beyond it; and though the fruit they
carry may dissolve as we eat it, yet I do
not hesitate to aver that Georgia peaches
nave done much to recement these glorious
United States in the bonds Of indissoluble
union.
But It was not OF such things that I set out
to speak, but only OF peach street cries, and
in these we seldom or never hear the name
Of Georgia; in these peaches are all Della
ware. We see signs aud placards, Georgia
peaches everywhere, but we seldom hear
Georgia cried in the street by the wagon
vendors, and the reasons for this are very
simple.
"Dela ware Is the traditional, as 1t was
long the chief, source Of our peach supply.
DELI ware stands for peaches; Its name is a
vocal symbol Of this fruit, and 80 in these
days still, and from wherever they may
have come, peaches are sold by the wagon
vender as D elawares.
There Is another reason; Delaware is a
word that comes smoothly from the vender's
tongue. Georgia Is a bigger and robus-
ter word, but Della ware, we must admit,
has a sound rather the smoother and
more musical. And see how happily
and how, 1t must be, to his own salts
faction, 1t lends itself to the vender's
use. He can cry Georgia! Georgia! and
it has a brave sound; but see how he can
divide up and linger with long drawn joy
on Del-a-warel Del-a-wa-re! And
surely 1t has a pleasant sound, Delaware,
and its peaches a pleasant taste, and for the
reasons l have given you, and wherever
they may have come, most Of the peaches
that are cried in the streets by wagon ven-
ders are still sold as Delawares.
while the name d delaware as applied In
this manner thus persists, there is one
other peach tradition that with the present
day widespread area of peach production
seems likely to fade; this being the long
annually printed story Of the blasting Of the
Della ware peach crop, a story which now,
with 30 many other sources to draw from,
would have little significance. While We
may miss that good old friend at first, the
name Delaware remains, and 80, happily,
do that States fine peaches.
FINALLY, and from whatever. source, at
the moment 1t may come to us, and by
whatever name, happily, 1t may be called,
let US be grateful, all, for that heaven sent
fifth peanh.