Smyrna times., 1926-09-15
PEACH CROP Is VERY GOOD
Delaware's Late Fruits and Vege-
tables Are Doing Fine This Year

| ago were completely dlSSlpated last
week by the solid trainloads of Della
ware peaches moving out of Sussex
and Kent Counties to city markets. In
addition to the peaches many scores
of carloads of cantaloupes, which are
better this year, gave a most prosper
Gus atmosphere to the present season,
despite the hot weather and rain. A
most encouraging outlook for sweet
potatoes and late apples lends encour-
agement to the farmers and there is
every indication at this time that this
year may be another record-breaker
IN the matter of farm progress with
satisfactory financial results.
Some idea of how Delaware peaches
are moving may be gained from the
fact that last year there were just 13O
carloads of peaches shipped from the
State by rail. Compared with this 13O
carloads, was Mondays shipments of
peaches, which amounted to 136 car
loads in one day, or six carloads more
than for the entire season last year.
Until last Friday more than 700 car
loads had gone north. This doesn't
include hundreds of truckloads that
have been moved to closely markets
by motor
When the peaches first came on
there was some concern about the eff
fects of the rain, but the Elbertas
which have been coming to harvest
this past week, have produced so
abuntantly that the season this year
instead of being four or five times
greater than last year, will probably
be six or seven times more. Prices
for peaches have ranged pretty firm
One of the largest orchardists in Sus-
sex County who has had a large crop
Of Hale and Elberta said that he
would average $1.75 a bushel for his
crop.
The cantaloupe crop is much larger
than last year and in addition to this
and, what is more satisfying to the
farmer, is that he is getting an aver
age of 25 cents more a carrier this
year than last. Cantalope dealers ex-
pect the season to continue until Octo-
Der and that the general output will
be from 10 per cent to 80 per cent
more than last year.
Down about Seaford which is the
big sweet potato section, the farmers
are very much pleased with the out
look at this time. Sweet potatoes,
however, are crop that may be easily
affected by weather changes SO that
until the tubers are out of the ground
and in the storage houses, a canny
sweet potato grower will not be salts
fed.
Those who have examined their
patches say that at this time the
sweet potatoes are Of size that will
give them $50 baskets to the acre
With another two To four weeks more
to grow, this volume will be mater
tally added to- Some Of the growers
in order to reap the advantages that
may come with an early market, will
begin to dig about the middle of this
month. Those who are satisfied with
the tubers and who are not anxious to
sell them now, will put off digging IN
til late in September Sweet potatoes
got a late start this year and some
farmers found it necessary to replant
twice or three times. But they are
coming along fine now.
While the crop of watermelons this
year is a bit heavier than last year,
the rain has had the effect of wearing
down the carrying quality of the
melon 50 that the crop as a whole will
not be as encouraging one as last
year. Prices are fair, but nothing out
Of the ordinary.
Whether lima beans are done for
this year depends entirely on how late
blossoms prosper. During the two to
three weeks of rain the blossoms com
ing along at that time, were washed
off the vines. AS a result of this at
this time lima beans are scarcer than
they have been for many years at this
date. New blossoms are coming along
though, and if frost doesn't arrive too
soon, there will be plenty Of lima
beans late this month.
So far as is known at this time, r.
E. Wilson, of Dover, is the champion
wheat raiser of Delaware. Mr.. Will
son is one of the progressive farmers
Of East Dover and the active spirit in
the firm of D. NJ. Wilson & Son, we'll
known Kent county farmers and off
cials.
Mr.. Wilson, from a 15-acre tract,
obtained So bushels per acre, which is
considered a very remarkable produc
ton. When it is remembered that but
a few years ago Is to Is bushels an
acre was considered very satisfactory,
this achievement of Mr.. Wilson's is
out of the ordinary.