Smyrna times., 1924-07-16
DELAWARE MAY AGAIN LEAD
IN PEACH GROWING INDUSTRY
ACREAGE OF NEW ORCHARDS
BEING SET OUT DOWN STATE
Diseases Which Played Havoc With
Orchards Years Ago Are Being
COmbatted With More Success

strides are made within the next five
years that have been made within
the past four or five years it is be-
lieved that the acreage set in orch
ards will be nearly as great as it was
two decades ago.
Peach culture many years ago was
abandoned to a large extent by the
extensive growers owing to the fact
that plant disease could not success
fully be combatted. For several sea-
sons, when the industry was at its
height, the crop was almost an en-
tire failure because of diseased trees
coupled with climate conditions. |
Within recent years growers have |
learned how to combat the San Jose |
scale and other diseases that played |
havoc with the peach crop, and once !
more farmers are turning their atten-
ton to the peach industry as a source
of revenue.
Scarcity of the fruit within the past
ten years has caused a great demand,
and has resulted in high prices being
received by those who have been sue
cessful in having small orchards.
The constant demands and good
prices have stimulated an interest in
those who years ago grew them eX-
tensively for commercial purposes,
and throughout lower Delaware many
young orchards will come into bear
ing for the first time this season.
Last year and this year many acres
of young trees were set out which
will begin to bear within the next
three years. One of the largest
young orchards to be found in the
central section of Sussex county is
the one of the Swan Creek Orchards
Company, between Millsboro and Oak
Orchard, where hundreds of trees
have been planted within the past
two years. Many young orchards
have been set out in Lewes and Re
hoboth and Broadkiln districts within
the past two years.
Industry Doomed 25 Years Ago
Twenty-Five years ago it was not
: uncommon to see from ten to fifteen
} cars of peaches leaving many of the
E shipping points each morning during
2 the season. In those days they sold
at the shipping points from ten cents
to fifty cents per basket, depending
e on the grade of fruit. Growers in
those days figured that they could
e make money growing the fruit for
fifty cents per basket for choice
= fruit.
Indications point to large crop OF
e peaches throughout lower Delaware
: this year, in all the orchards, anc
o growers are expecting to realize good
= prices for fancy fruit. While the
acreage is not more than one tentf
l. what is was two decades ago, yet i
S is believed that the supply will b'
n sufficient to meet the demands of low
i er Delaware folk and several carload
Il shipments will be made.
p Chandler Orchards at Milton a Mode
q The famous Chandler Orchards
near Milton, among the largest Oh
{ the Delmarvia Peninsula, are so lad
u en- with fruit that wOrkmen have bee
Is engaged to pick off much of the gree
d fruit in order to prevent the limb
le from breaking and at the same tim
u to allow the fruit remaining in tn
" orchard to attain a marketable siz'
, The Chandler orchards are among tn
- few large ones on the Delmarvia Per
- insula that annually produce a Gro
'S of fruit. This is brought about b
nc the constant care that is given tn
trees in the early spring. They al
ne sprayed for disease and blight, an
L. at the season when the trees pu
VI forth the buds old smudges are keI
- burning at night in order to prever
" "hu the frosts from killing them. Whe
e other orchards are devoid of frui
Il rs the Chandler Orchards during tt
III season ship out daily from one
nu three and four cars Of fruit to Il
lu northern markets where fancy price
ay are received. The crop each ye;
, ,io from these orchards means Thousand
ny of dollars to the owner, and it is a
~" due to the proper care that is give
the trees.
Harrison Orchards, Berlin, Prolific
,d What is true Of the Chandler o
chards is equally true of the orchar
~ at the famous Harrison Nurseri6
's near Berlin, Md, where they annus
a. az " produce a crop of peaches of di
~ ferent varieties, and for which th
~ receive good prices. Probably one
"a the greatest varieties grown in Su
~ sex county, and one from which t
he growers realize high prices is the
Iov berta, which has a fine flavor, col
at. and attains good size.
an