Evening journal., 1908-08-31
PEACH SEASON
WAS PROFITABLE
Passing Of August Will Mark
the Close Of the Fruit
Harvest
LITTLE BEHIND ESTIMATE
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Del. Aug. sl-The passing Of
! this month marks the end of the Dela-l
ware peach season Of 1908, in many in
stances a remarkable fruit year.
Much has been said and written as to
the decadence Of the peach in Delaware,
but the fact remains that, generally this
! has been fine peach year, and peaches
| are grown to-day with a greater degree
Of skill and to attain fine color. size and
flavor than In any year past
There was no material decline in the
crop from that estimated two months ago
except in some sections Of the peninsula
where brown rot, prematuring and the
yeliows got in their work after the esti-
mates we're made and cut short the late
varieties. This also accounts for the early
closing Of the season.
From wyoming the banner town Of the
peninsula for peach shipments because OF
it's position in the very heart of the Della
ware peach belt, there were shipped the
greatest number Of Delaware peaches.
II will be remembered that the Pennsyl'
vania Railroads estimate for wyoming
was so 600 baskets. Wiseacres gasped when
they read this estimate Of the railroad
agents and declared that II was terrible
exageration. The facts show that COUNT
ing out the prematuring Of the late fruit
and the loss from brown rot which struck
the fruit after it had entered the ripening
stage. and long after the estimate was
made. that taking all into consideration 1t
was a remarkable guess.
8 Just 22O carloads Of peaches were ship
ned from wyoming station, containing
los 600 basket Of fruit. To this must be
added the unknown number of peaches
shipped TO individuals and firms by ex-
press and those which have been shipped
during the season along with other freight
and not in cars devote solely TO peaches.
This would make at least 10000.
The Lebanon Navigation Company car
ried by boat from Lebanon, 10000 baskets.
Year a Profitable One.
The Delaware peach season OF lNs
therefore, particularly If Wyoming is
taken as an example Of the results. must
be considered as a great advance over
previous years, at least back to 1903. That
year was a phenomenally successful one
in this section and the Wyoming ship
ments reached 300 cars for the season
That. however is only eighty more cars
than the season Just ended brought forth
The last car containing Delaware
peaches for the season of 1908 went out
from wyoming on Thursday, although an
effort was made TO get enough fruit to-
gether for two carloads Saturday. but
without avail. The fruit that is to come
will be shipped along with general mer-
chandise freight and express aivi viii only
be accounted for as such. so the count
will now be lost The prices during the
year have held up TO the average. only
falling off and becoming low when fruit
that would not carry to market because
of evidence of the brown rot was offered
In many instances fruit which left The
growers hands in good condition, specS
ed before night en- route. and the grower
wondered why his returns were % ligh
and why the station commission buyers
were ordered 10 pay low marks the follow
ing day for fruit
In some parts Of Delaware notwith.
standing the great advances made in th'
peach business, in development Of size
color and flavor Of the fruit. and over ir
the Maryland end Of the peninsula, there
! is some marks Of discouragement among
the growers. Whether this condition Of un
rest will call for the uprooting Of or
chards or dssuade the young farmers
from setting out peach orchards is mat.
ter of conjecture. but, however It may
there will be no falling of in the business
in the Delaware peach belt, whose hub Is
the shady little town Of Wyoming
Persons who are inclined TO spread th'
feeling Of encouragement over the peach
7 industry point out various peninsul'
towns where there has been a gradua
falling off in the peach yields, averaginl
back for several years
At sudlersville. il is pointed out unit
1900 it was the usual thing to ship, fairly
from nine TO twelve carloads Of choice
fruit, for which the growers received from
fifty cents to si.25 the basket This yea
it is further claimed, the largest ship
ment in any one day has been two car
loads, and the returns showed that the'
only brought fifty cents the basket som'
going as low as twenty-five cents.
Peaches at the last-named figure arr
7 unquestionably a loss. when two factors
, Of their cultivation are considered-firs'
the abandonment of a section of the farm
for four years before the tree yields III
first fruit, during which time the orchar'
$ must be cultivated and sprayed at regu
e lar Intervals: and. second, the extra cos
, Of picking peaches by. hand and singly
s so that they will not fall into the basket
p bruised or "barked."
, At Prices It is further claimed by tn
= ''muck-rakers' Of the peach there wer
this year shipments of only two carload
of peaches per day, as compared witt
twenty one carloads ten and fifteen year
ago. At Barclay. it is further pointed out
only one and one-half carloads on tn
: average were shipped this season, al
though il Is admitted that this is not sucl
e a heavy falling of as from Prices ant
r sudlersville. The Pennsylvania railroal
! estimates, it is stated, at these points, ha
r fallen Off one half.
Philadelphia, Baltimore. Syracuse, Ney
{ York. Scranton and Boston buying agents
] who formerly kept the wires hot betweei
e the peninsula and their home Offices
, have become scarce over the Marylan
border This however, is not the fact a
wyoming, where probably the larges
company Of these fine judges OF fruit as
sembled this year and kept the fruit tn
. subject OF most spirited competition. Their
! are two opinions. therefore. about the Del
aware peach, but it will certainly be II
the market again next year.
------------