Evening journal., 1909-05-18

markablo thing that happened in 1868
to Edward c. Fcnnimore on the Rock
Field farm.
The Rock Field farm derived its
name from its being isolated from the
other large tract OF land owned q think
by Judge Milligan) and rented and
often farmed, seperate from the other
land. 1t being a large field, was large
enough TO make a small farm and was
bought by Joshua b. Fennimore at what
was considered a big price. He put
buildings on II and put his son Edward
G.. on It, and put the whole out in
peach trees. The soil being nicely
adapted TO the growth of peaches prov
ed a fine investment and l don't think
should exaggerate II / say that he
took enough out Of peaches, more
in a single year than. to pay for the
farm. But in 1868 the frost killed
everybody elses' peaches except his and
DR.. Stewards az Port Penn. Mr.. r. c.
Fennimore sold his entire crop of about
1900 basket in tho orchard for four
dollars basket, which would have paid
for his farm at the purchase price three
times over, but 1t bore itself out in the
latter seventies, and they had to pull
orchard in that section was following
in the wake till now an orchard in that
section is an exception.
There was quite a little company OF
statesmen that went from Odessa to
Philadelphia in peach time in the in
terest Of the peach growers, all Of whom
we're quartered at the Arch street
house. They were jolly set. The first
of whom TO go in the business was AL
derman Lard. who went there to rep
resent l1ldad Lore. Judge Lores father.
who had a fine orchard on the canal,
now known as Lorewood. which we pre-
viously overlooked i'm naming the first
growers. Thomas 4. Enos, represent
ed John Appleton and Daniel w. Cor
bit. Those who had archards bearing
during the latter fifties and early six
ties had as means of transportation.
little sail boats and they would send
them off in the afternoon or evening for
the next mornings market in Phlladel-
phia where the New Workers all come
those days to buy. and they would buy
those boat loads right through at S1.25
or $3.50 per basket They would run
the boats over TO Camden and ship
them TO New York by rail That count
cd very fast and It set tb- farmers on
fire almost with the fever. and they
went TO setting out orchards. When
the large number of trees came in
bearing In 1869. II was predicted by
some that the supply would so far ex-
coed the demand that they would not
pay They. however. started in at pay
ing prices. 35 TO so cents for the early
troths and the prices stood up pretty
we'll throughput the season. In 1870
with not so large yield we sold troths
for two dollars at first and for good
prices all the season and at the close
Of tho season | sold 900 baskets OF
Pattersons yellow for $3.50 per basket
and through II. 20 and "a the prices
ruled we'll. In 73 we had no fruit in
that section and the crop was below
Smyrna. That was the year that the
canal broke and they could not get
them TO market by rail for some days
and Il played smash with the growers
who had them.
one of the knotty problems Of the peach
was to save the baskets and get them
back TO tho grower before he needed
them to ship again. or be without baskets
to ship at all. A grower who estimated his
crop to be 5000 baskets in the orchard
would not feel safe IN entering into the
harvest without 1000 baskets. They became
| an enormous item Of expense and I had
heard so much about Il at home before
/ ever went there to sell that Il we'll inn
pressed on my mind the necessity OF
taking care OF the empties at all hazards.
When I first started in the business I did
not only look out for my own baskets.
but n was up town. or going through
the markets. and saw some OF my brother
salesmen's baskets where I thought they
were likely TO not find their way back 10
the caretaker. / could not resist the temp
tation TO pick them up and take them
along with me and the older statesmen
who had been at II for some years before
would smile and say. 10 me- "Bnlie. you'll
get over that" and I did. for ] soon got
10 know that had plenty to do 10 take
care Of my own.
i ! thought there was going to be a fiuss
there on the wharf one day, and the thing
looked serious. The crop was heavy, and
right IN the midst OF the picking. baskets
got scarce and they could not get new
ones to supply the demand. and some Of
the statesmen that represented some Of the
Kent county growers that shipped by sail
boat I'm their dire need OF empties gath
cred up whole lot Of the baskets that
belonged TO our New Castle county ship
pers and sent them down into Kent The
Kent growers very unwisely. instead Of
keeping them for orchard use exclusively
and shipping their own to Philadelphia
marked on the original mark and
put on their own and filled them with
fruit and shipped them back. Some OF the
growers went 70 Philadelphia with the
fruit and they were men that would not
stand and let you kick them out the road
or any foolishness like that. and did not
seem 10 realize how grave the offense was.
When the opposing parties got together
and began TO assert their rights over the
baskets they got to talking so plain we
did not know whether we were going 10
have a hand 70 hand conflict OF a whole
lot of arrests But they came to their
senses IN time to avoid any serious
trouble There was no more marking
baskets over.
The peach business in a good year was
a lucrative business. but was loaded I'D