Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-29
SUDDEN COLD SNAP
WORKS HAVOC WITH
FRUIT PROSPECTS
Continued from page i


varieties were In bloom. and where that
! far advanced were killed. There is n
large acreage In berries in that section
/ 1t is reported that wheat is also dafnag-
cd. and that the present growth of al
falfa is killed All vegetation had been
| far advanced by the warm weather.
Jacob Rosa of Milford is Of the opin-
! ion that apples are not much damaged
by the cold snap, as they were not far
enough advanced Other tree fruits
| he believes have been cut considerably
| by the freeze. Orchardists are fearful
of even colder weather tonight
The extended spell of warm weather
had induced early gardening. and many
! truckers had peas. beans. beets and
other early vegetables above ground
! 1t is believed that these were badly
! damaged. If not killed entirely
The damage to flowers lis also reported
to be very severe. Many were In
/ bloom. and are showing the effects to-
day of last nights cold
The full effect OF the cold snap on the
| fruit crop and early vegetables and
berries will not be known until the sun
| has shone while II is feared. how
! ever, that the prospects for fruit on
! the peninsula have received the sever
! est blow in years, and many growers
! this morning were of the opinion that
/ the damage would amount TO three
/ fourths If not more
Later Reports.
Later reports from the fruit belt In
central Delaware give varying opinions
as to the damage done by last nights
rain hail and electrical storm followed
/ by freezing
j. A. Frear, near Magnolia. large ap-
pie. peach and grape grower, also feels
that most serious damage has been
/ done. While grapes are not 40 far ad-
Vanced as other fruit yet he feels that
+ where the blossom was out damage has
! been done. He does not hold out much
/ encouraeement for a crop. however
/ J Leonard Soper. west of Magnolia.
large peach and apple grower is in
clincd to the belief that not 80 great
damage has been done as Mt first antici-
pated. After an investigation through
his orchards after sun-up, he claims
that the damage docs not look so had
as first supposed. The thermometer at
the Soper farm registered % degrees.
Frank Maloney. Just south of Dover.
who owns part Of tho large Ferry and
Cooper orchard. claims that not az
much damage has been done as might
be supposed. He figures that with the
wind blowing ne II was nv fast as the
rain fell II waa blown from the buds
and did not have time to freeze He
| Is making tests Of both peach and apple
branches.
At the Henry Ridgely farm, JUST
across the railroad from Dover. with
large peach and apple orchards. tho
tenant Thomas Cook. Is inclined to tho
hqlfaF a Il
One branch from peach tree. with "a
blossoms. shows but three live buds
Apples arc not thought to be affected 50
much. The thermometer registered n
degrees
Later investigation of fruit buds by
Mr. Soper shows peaches practically
gon. Apples that were open show
! blossoms all destroyed The later vario-
ties Of apples. including Winesap. stay
man. Paragon. Ben Davis. and Yellow
Transparent are all right unless some
thing develops later. Pears are practi-
calfy gone. as Wen as the following
varieties of apples: Red Strakan,
Dutchess. Early Ripe
On the Frank Maloney farm and in
the Cooper and Terry orchards, lust
south of Dover. out Of one branch cut
from peach tree on which were II
buds but one was found to be dead
From a branch one and one-half feet
I long from the Terry orchards. on which
were II buds. but one was found dead
Mr. Maloney still inclines to the belief
that the heavy wind blowing kept the
water from the buds and from freezing
The most damage done seems to have
been from hail cutting the buds from
the trees
Apricots and plums. which were in
fun bloom. and we'll advanced. are sun
posed TO b. destroyed
The proprietors Of the Chandler or
ehards a Milton. where there are some
600 or 5000 peach trees. are Of the
opinion that 90 per cent Of the fruit IS
killed
The swan Creed Orchard COMPANY
near MilIsboru where there are : GOO
trees also say that 30 per cent OF the
fruit IS killed. The same report comes
1" Georgetown from the Nassau or
ehards. at Nassau
senator oliver Newton at Rridp4,III..
reports the fruit buds frozen. and thst
he loss will be nearly total.
Former Governor Townsend of S.lhx
vile and Senator &. W Mitchell report
hat the loss in their section viii prob
ably be not less than three fourths
Ihere has been no thorough eXafnina-
ton made in that scctiOn according IL
word coming from Georgetown. but
iruit growers are very pessimisti,. and
heiieNe that the crop viii be almost a
total loss The County Farm Bureau
agent is now engaged in making a sur
Ney of conditions following the freez.
last niEht and is expected t. make a
report right away
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