Evening journal., 1922-06-01
SURVEY SHOWS
PEA CROP HURT
Sussex Growers Will Get
Only One-Quarter Crop,
Experts Say
EXPERIMENTS ARE
NOW BEING TRIED
Special to The Evening Journal.

Special TO The Evening Journal.
GEORGETOWN, June 1.-Unles
all signs fail canned peas are goinl
to command good prices next fal
and winter because the crop in lowe
Delaware, which will be on in abou
one week is rs per cent. a failure
The Delmarvia Peninsula pack'
nearly three -fourths of all the peas
used for canning purposes in the
United States, and at seaford, II
miles from here. is located Greena-
baum Brothers factories, the second
largest in the world.
A survey of the pea fields by Dr
J. F. Adams. plant pathologist OF
the University OF Delaware, and NAL
10y c. Vaughn, county agent for Sus-
sex county. reveals the fact that
growers will not realize more than
one-fourth Of crop II that much.
The cause for the failure Is at
tributed to the pea-root rot, lice and
dry weather together with the lack
of plant food and preparation of the
soil before seeding.
A survey of the fields of extensive
growers in the western section of
Sussex county shows that the vines
in many Of them are parched and
what few that show signs OF thrift
are being sapped by lice and the root
rot. Failure of the crop will mean
the loss of thousands of dollars 10
the growers and packers as well as a
shortage OF the product in the mar
kots for winter use.
Growers at this time are CON
fronted with the task OF battling
against the causes for failure, and
in this are beig assisted by plant ex-
perts OF the University of Delaware
and later may call on the United
states Department of Agriculture ex-
perts TO help them.
Experiments are being conducted
in Sussex county with different va
rieties Of western peas to see II they
viii be resistant to root rot and dis
tase.
at the following farms in lower Del
aware: Harry Cannon. Milton; 7.
p. Lofand. Milton; Col. f. c. Ross
and Robert J. Allen. near Seaford.
II looks as il two OF the western
Varieties Rice's $50 and Horsford
&will be rot resistant. II these va
rieties prove successful. they will be
introduced by the growers in lower
Delaware.
Just as the fruit growers we're
driven out of the peach industry be-
cause Of their inability to combat
the scale and other plant diseases.
so they find that II is hut a question
of time before they will have to
abandon peas-one OF the greatest |
money makers for them-unless 1
they can cope with the disease sit I
uation which has been confronting
them for the past two seasons.
Lower Delaw pea growers were
late in seeding tn crop this year be-
cause Of the unfavorable weather
conditions in April and as a result
the crop is from ten DAYS TO two
weeks late. This is a handicap to
them. for in the western section, es-
pecially, which Is devoted to grow
Ing Strawberries. on an extensive
scale. the pea crop will be on before
hey have finished with the late va
-ieties of berries.
What they are seeking TO find is a
'ariety which will stand the varied
Weather conditions in the early 4,
ipring 80 that the crop may mature {
IND be harvested two or three weeks I
earlier than they have been able TO ,
harvest them before. If they are ,
uccessful in doing this. the pea in
iustry will become one Of the lead ]
srs in this section and hundreds OF ]
acres win be seeded in excess OF what I
growers have planted heretofore. :
Lower Delaware expects within J
the next ten years TO be one of the 4
greatest apple growing sections IN :
the United States and with the rep
utation for growing strawberries and :
tomatoes well established. It is the
desire that the peach may come into
It's own and the reputation as great
center for growing peas may be
maintained.