Evening journal., 1921-03-29
EARLY fruit IS
KILLEDBYCOLD
CONTINUED from first page)

ascertain just how far the damage
to the crops has gone but will prob
ably have to await developments be-
fore they are much more accurately
informed than they are today. The
hail seems to have done little dam
age. unless It was to the grape crop.
The drop in temperature from $40
o'clock yesterday afternoon until
early this morning was probably the
greatest ever recorded in this section
in the same period OF time The cold
wave had been predicted by the
weather man but II came so quick
yesterday afternoon as to surprise
everyone. II dropped from 80 de-
grees at $40 o'clock to SO at mid
night and was as low as 2S at an
early hour this morning.
At one time the drop in tempera-
degree a minute.
Sweeping from the southwest with
dark clouds before It high wind
came at $50 o'clock as a climax to
what had been one of the hottest
March days on record. At $50
o'clock the thermometer registered
i 80 degrees and at 4.1O o'clock II had
dropped to 6S degrees. II continued
downward and at 4.2O o'clock. thirty
minutes later, the mercury register
ed 56 degrees. a decline OF "a de-
grees in thirty minutes.
The falling mercury was recorded
from then as follows: 4.3O o'clock,
SO degrees; 6 o'clock. As degrees
o'clock, A degrees; $50 o'clock. AZ
degrees; II o'clock. 40 degrees and
midnight, 33 degrees At a. m. to-
day the mercury stood at 2S de-
grees.
Former State Senator John A.
Barnard, of near Wyoming, an ex-
pert fruit grower, in discussing the
possible result OF the storm with a
representative of The Evening Jour
nal over the telephone this morning.
said;
while Il Is sure that fruit has
been extensively damaged by the
freeze. just what extent this damage
is will not be known definitely for
, day or so.
Early apples and pears that
came out In bloom during the last
( few days are seriously hurt. II is
, possible that peaches may stand the
. freeze fairly well, as the buds have
been out several days. The young
wood. however, is frozen and how
, badly peaches are hurt will depend
on this. do not believe that straw
a berries are damaged much, as there
are only a few vines in bloom.
/, while there was some hail I do
= not believe much damage was caused
by II but most OF II by the freeze
!, II did not freeze much until about
. daylight hut from then until 7
: o'clock II froze considerable and that
. is when most OF the damaged was
done"
n Mr. Barnard said that he did not
a think much early produce was dam
d aked unless IL is peas. "There is a
e. good bit OF late fruit not out in
v bloom that possibly was not dam
= aged but II the freeze was hard
a enough 10 freeze the sap inside the
= buds. then all OF 1t is ruined. That
will not be known for a few days"
n Reports from sections OF rural
New Castle county this morning
n were 10 the effect that all early fruit
I and especially pears are damaged
h considerable
The following despatch from Dow
or is not so optimistic as is the opin-
ion expressed by Senator Barnard:
d Special TO The Evening Journal.
e DOVER. March 29.-The sudden
u change in the weather yesterday.
IS together with the rain and hail
n storm during the night. followed
y with freezing. has. according to
d fruit growers and early truckmen.
practically killed all OF the fruit.
II including Strawberries and some
b think Il has also affected grapes
II one fruit grower in the central
n part OF Kent county. after going
e through his orchard this morning,
o declared that It looked as though a
fire had struck the orchard. so
black were the trees where the buds
had been nipped.
The pear trees throughout Kent
~, county were practically all out in
y bloom. as we'll as the greater part
OF the peach trees.
q Considerable hail fell during the
IF night
l. Special to The Evening Journal.
DOVER March 29.-Reports al
noon from the fruit belt in central
Delaware varied as to the damage
~ done by the storm and freeze
, f. c. Bancroft. OF near Camden
=, large apple and peach grower. said
!, that upon investigation he does not
- find conditions very encouraging
=. with the thermometer to 26 degrees
4 and with peach and apple trees ou
in full blossom. he feels that the,
have been seriously injured. As tC
Strawberries and other small fruits
nj Il is the opinion that they were no
40 far enough advanced TO result n
We any serious damage.
is J. A. Frear. near Magnolia, apple
I'd peach and grape grower. also say
at that serious damage has been done
ly While grapes are not so far advance,
a as other fruit, he feels that wher
be the blossom was out, damage ha
IN been done. He does not hold ou
w much encouragement for a crop.
J. Leonard Soper west Of Magnolia
ON peach and apple grower, is incline,
ne to the belief that not so great dam
ne age has been done as anticipated
&c After an investigation OF his orchard