Smyrna times., 1906-07-04
MAMMOTH FRUIT CROP IN DELAWARE
Peaches On the Peninsula Estimated at Nearly
Six Million Baskets, and Pears Nearly
100000 Baskets; |. N. Mills Estimate.

Six Million Baskets, and Pears Nearly
100000 Baskets; |. N. Mills Estimate.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Com
panys agents completed their official
estimates of the coming peach crop
Monday night, a work that has taken
days and nights, and the total figures
show an approach to the great 5000, 900
mark of 1875. They show over balf
that number, or 2, $50, 99j, fully 200 per
cent. greater than last year, and 100 |
per cent. greater than any yield during
the last decade. The Peninsula es-
innate is prepared by Special Agent |
Isaac N. Mills, for years the superin-
tendent of the entire Delaware Rail !
road system, and who was retired that
he might continue with the company
in this valuable service and capacity -
that of the peach crop estimator. A
mistaken estimate would cost the com
pany many thousands of dollars, es-
pecially if it were too high, as the com
pany proceeds to equip or build cars
for this work, the ordinary freight cars
being unsuitable for the transportation
of this delicate fruit unless they are
"shelved," or provided with a series
of floors, one above the other so that
no baskets of peaches can possibly be
packed upon each other The June
drop" always interferes with Mr..
Mills's estimates and delays their pre-
paration. He cannot make out his
final reports until the June drop has
spent itself, usually about the middle
of the last week in June. This last
gauntlet which the fine fruit must run
lasted longer and was heavier this year
than at any time within a decade. 1t
spent itself on Wednesday, however,
and the peaches began to ripen.
Special Agent Mills was assisted in his
work by nearly every station agent in
the employ of the ''Pennsy."
Detailed Estimate of Pennsylvania Railroad.
The detailed estimate of the two
principal fruits to be thus harvested in
Delaware and shipped over the
, branch es of the Pennsylvania Railroad
= is as follows: Delaware Railroad,
| !, ,165, 1876 baskets: Queen Anne and
: Kent Railroad, extending from Town
send to Centreville, 25O, 900 baskets
: the Baltimore and Delaware Bay Rail
: road, extending from Massey's tC
Chestertown, "a, $50: the Delaware and
Chesapeake Railroad, extending from
1 Clayton to Easton and Oxford, 716, 1876
f upper Delaware, Maryland and Virgins
3 Railroad, extending from Harrington
y to Lewes and Rehoboth, 234, $50; lower
Delaware, Maryland and Virgini,
y Railroad, extending from Georgetown
s to Franklin City, Va, 3O,715: Cam
o bridge and Seaford Railroad, extend
J. ing from Seaford to Cambridge, SO,
o $40: making a total of ?, $50, 99j baskets
Il =, Prolific Keiffer Pear Crop Seems Assured.
It The other fruit crop in which est
n mates are madein detail is that of pear
g now becoming one of the great output
lr of the peninsula. The pear estimate
er as follows: Delaware Railroad (mai
TO line), 3O4 225 baskets: Queen Anne an
re- Kent Railroad, extending from Towr
III send to Centreville, 81 $50: Baltimor
er and Delaware Bay Railroad, extendin
IN from Massey's to Chestertown, 2S,SO
nt Delaware and Chesapeake Railroad
be extending from Clayton to Easton an
:" Oxford, 70, 500: upper Delaware, Mar,
land and Virginia Railroad, 90, ,23
rs lower Delaware, Maryland aud Virgin
Railroad, 12, 100; Cambridge and Sc
'or ford Railroad, 5,430, making total
400, 253 baskets ofpears. To above est
mates of Pennsylvania Railroad may
- slfely added about 100000 baskets
= peaches which will be shipped by wat
u and at least 100, 600 baskets of pears. Th
- does not include, either, the peach
and pears conserved at home or us
-, "a on the tables of Delawareans.