Evening journal., 1914-06-26
Days Delights
FOR VISITORS TO
LAND Of APPLES
Entertained at Reception
and Luncheon of Delaware
Apple &c. at Bridgeville
$4,000 Trees IN ORCHARD;
ONE OF WORLDS Greatest

ONE OF WORLDS Greatest
Many men Of prominence in this and
other States attended the annual re
ception and Dutch luncheon OF the
Delaware Apple Company, on its $50
acre farm near Bridgeville, Sussex
county yesterday. The visitors viewed
with pleasure the large eSpanse covered
with $4,000 apple trees or many varie-
ties and IN many stages of growth.
Former Judge David r. Marvel, Of this
city, president Of the company; II.
Ridgely Harrington, of Dover, the gen
eral manager, and William James, the
superintendent were congratulated
heartily by the companys stockholders
and guests upon the fourishing condition
OF what is concededly one of the largest
apple orchards in the world.
The guests were met at Bridgeville
station by Mr.. Harrington and staff
OF aides in charge Of many fag-deco.
rated automobiles and wagons. In those
vehicles the visitors were taken out to
tion course that was marked out by
hundreds OF American flags. After the
inspection the entire party repaired to
the old Messick homestead, where ali
luentary refreshment was served on the
lawn and in the house. Robinson's or
chestra, of Wilmington, discoursed
popular airs on the upper veranda.
Early in the afternoon the luncheon
~ a.. n.
by everyone. That was followed bv
speech making Frank NJ Soper, the
Apple King OF Kent county, presided.
Tie spoke in glowing terms Of the con-
dition Of the orchard and of the inn
mense revenue that would be derived
from it within a few years No fear
need be entertained, be said, that there
would not be a profitable market for the
hundreds Of thousands Of baskets Of
apples that the orchard would produce.
Reference was made to the great inn
portance of handling and packing the
fruit.
Put a little Of von sunday religion
into your week day PACKAGE Mr.
Soper said, sand IL will be an right.n
Other speakers were former Judge
Marvel. the president. and George Car.
ter editor Of 1HE EVENING JOUR
NAL. IT developed during those
speeches that the company is in neeo-
tiation with the Delaware Railroad
Company to build a line Of railroad from
Bridgeville out to the big apple orchard
II Ridgely Harrington. general
manager Of the big apple farm and
president of the Culture Company.
which has the contract for caring for
the thousands Of trees UP to the time
they begin TO bear, delivered his third
annual inspection address. He said,
in part.
"This farm a few years ago was
considered in the wilderness. having
cost Mr. Messick only about 81 an
acre. We paid him $40 and $50 an
acre. and I believe the majority of
these present today will say it is now
worth S100 an acre; and if you will
come back from year to year to at
tend our succeeding inspections l will
prove to you it will soon be worth
$500 an acre, and will pay enormous
dividends on that valuation.
THE Western apple boom will coll
lapse in the next five years causing
total loss to thirty thousand or
chard owners of the States of Oregon,
Washington. Idaho, Montana, Utah
and Colorado. with over one-half mil
lion acres of orchard costing the in
vestors over S25O,000 900. The Pacific
Northwest in 1912 picked and shipped
fifteen thousand carloads of apples;
this year it is estimated there will be
shipped twenty-three thousand, and
by 1920 their output should reach
fifty thousand cars, if their orchards
are not deserted in the meantime,
"These figures may be dishearten-
ing to the subscribers of the stock Of
the Delaware Apple Company, for it
looks as If the West could supply the
demand, and when our orchards come
into bearing the apples would be hard
TO place; but if you will carefully fol-
low my figures of the relative cost
OF growing, picking. packing, storing
and selling, you will readily see how
Eastern apple growers under efficient
management will drive out the whole
Western competition
"The average haul from the far
Western shipping points to centers Of
consumption is $500 miles, while that
of the Delaware growers rarely ex-
ceeds 300 miles, with most of their
best markets less than 200 miles It
costs the Western grower $500 to
move carload of apples to the point
of consumption, while our average
Continued on Page Five.