Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-31
YEARS BUSINESS
OF THE PENINSULA
Conditions Here About the Same
as in Other Parts of the
Country

According 10 X. y. Dun u 1O-i DuSlAtss
conditions on the Delmarvia Peninsula, I
COMPRISING the State OF Delaware. nine 1
counties on the Eastern Shore Of Mary
land, and two counties on the Eastern I
Shorn az Virginia, are about on par i
With conditions as reported IN other sec
tions of the country. The first six months {
OF the wear Just closing was featured by /
unusually high prices for practically all
commodities. but since about July Prices
have been on the decline until at the Pres
ent time a number Of articles, particularly
all food are being sold at quite loss 70
the producer, and while wholesale and re-
tail business is dull az the present time
large number OF merchants and manu-
facturers report that the gross sales Tor
1920 are about equal the past previous
wears. although the last few months have
been decidedly below the average.
The two Virginia counties and the lower
end Of the Eastern Shore OF Maryland
produce very large quantities OF white
potatoes. and during the past year num-
her of farmers received the unneard-oi
price of Sl2 and sl3 Per barrel Tor their
| crop, and price OF same renamed good
! until about June l5. The acreage OF wnite
! potatoes in this section was mucn larger
/ than usual the WELD about normal. he
/ acreage of sweet Potatoes was hgnter tnan
Previous wears and the weld OF TINS crop
about normal One of the largest PRODUCES
| shippers in this section reports their groS
sales for the wear at sl9,0O0000 as COM
pared with Sl3. 600, 600 for 1919, also state
as follows: For the past two or three
months practically all of our produce has
| bean marketed at loss to the Producer
| Conditions generally at this time are very
unsatisfactory and the outlook for another
wear is ANYTHING but encouraging WITH
Fertilizer about the same as wear ago our
growers are hesitating 70 plant anything
near the acreage for 1921 that was planted
during 1920.
soME PAYING CROPS.
Strawberries and early white potatoes
eppcar to have paid well IN lower Dela
ware and on the Eastern Shore Of Mary
land hut nearly all other crops with the
exception of peaches and apples We're s
failure in regard TO financial returns
! Fsnecially is this true OF cucumbers
cantaloupes, watermelons and tomatoes
II Is reported that hundreds OF acres Q
these vegetables were allowed 70 decay i
tho field or were pioughed under and Il
reported that hundreds OF thousands .
baskets of tomatoes were sold at ten
evolve and fifteen cents basket dehveret
At the railroad station, and It IS said tina
corn and wheat are selling at less than tn
, cost of production at the present time
Z 1t is reported there Is practically no mar
ket for white potatoes and the price
very low and the same can oe SAID con
;, eerning sweet potatoes
The past season has been dIsastrou
7 one for a number of Gamers, large nun
' ber of whom still have part, II not al
y of their 1919 pack on hand and a numbe
{, ~ cannaries were not operating this ses
a son II is reported that generally speah
inc the farmers purchasing power ha
greatly deprecated and sinoe this penn
S,la Is primarily an agricultural section a
q lines of industry are thereby affected
: Money in most sections Is reported scare
d and at a premium.
4 Conditions in the lumber business ,
J. the present time are reported 70 be vei
a moor. there are practically no orders an
,r the prices that have recently prevailed a
u below cost of production
n In the lower part of the peninsula it
i renorted that the crop Of wheat was b
low the average, although the yleia al
quality of corn was good.
In most Of the seaiood centres on q
peninsula the past year has been reports
ID as a favorable one, some OF the iare
r oyster packers in Cambridge report I
cs present season as good, If not better, tn
Or any of the previous years and that th
IS have been handicapped, owing TO the la
" al sufficient labor, although at the prese
Is time there Is a slump In the demand
loystsrs as is usually The case folo~l