Smyrna times., 1926-01-06
DELAWARE FARMERS RECEIVED
FAIR FINANCIAL RETURNS
RESUME OF YEAR 1925 MADE BY
STATE BUREAU OF MARKETS
Free Analysis of Seeds and Fertiliz-
ers and Inspection of Fruit Were
Factors That Helped Farmers

The year closing last week, was,
according to the best information OBJ
tainable, the most successful one from |
financial return standpoint, the |
farmers of this state have ever eX-
perienced. Through the use Of scien-
tifc and more modern methods, in |
planting, cultivating, harvesting, stor- |
ing and sale of fruits, produce and |
vegetables, the Delaware farmer in |
the past twelve months, has been able |
to overcome many difficulties, that
previously would have meant a bad
season and a loss.
From the time when he begins the
purchase of seeds, which are tested
free of charge at the laboratory of
the State Board of Agriculture, the
testing of fertilizer at the same sta
ton free of charge, which enables all
farmers to determine whether the
dealer has sold them goods that will
stand up under the guarantee made
for them, all through the growing and
harvesting season, he is protected, en-
couraged and aided by the agricultur-
al board and its many agencies, all of
which are directed at helping him
make the most of everything.
When the time arrives for his crop
to be harvested, the farmer goes to
the Bureau of Markets, where the lat
est and most accurate information is
obtainable and hundreds of them have
been helped to make more money
through the market quotations and
advice given, which service is a daily
feature of the Bureau of Markets.
Inspection of fruits and vegetables
and the storage of the products when
the market prices are off, have been
the two most outstanding facts in
helping the farmer the past year and
the coming year he is going to use
them more than ever. In giving a
resume of the year, w. T. Derrickson,
director of the Bureau of Markets,
said:
Starting with the crop of straw
, berries, which is one Of the largest
items of income in the state, the gen
eral result this year was better than
the average. The yield of strawber-
= ries was not so great the past year,
/ falling off from 80 to so per cent as
compared with the year previous, but
the returns received for what berries
were harvested was in like ratio, but
to the good of the falling off in yield.
The returns brought from % to 30
1 per cent higher prices. The hot dry
weather towards the end of the sea
! son caused may hundreds of thOus-
= ands of quarts to shrivel up on the
vines and they were not harvested
d However, towards the end of the sea
son one raiser obtained Sc a crate oi
80 quarts, which is a very fine return
"For trucking, the strawberry sea
son was not up to normal, becaus'
d the whether was so hot that as sool
as the berries were picked they wer
rushed to refrigerator cars at th'
q railroad station, and the railroad ser
vice was excellent. The same car
taken of the strawberry crop wa
demonstrated in all other crops by tn
: railroad company.
Storing Apples Paid Well
"Along towards the end Of Jun
came the early apples. Transporter
apples suffered like the strawberrie
from the hot dry weather, but whe
the returns were received the grow
ers got from $1.5O to $2.25 bushe
The average size for Mol apples
two inches and upwards, but becau;
of the heat the apples failed to d.
velOp normally and there were mo-
under two inches than above that siz
Following the Transparents can
the Williams Early. Usually there a
three pickings of this variety, but b
cause of weather conditions and ON
ing to heavy windstOrms that can
Just about the time the apples we
nearing their harvest, there was
huge amount blown from the treC
Consequently there ensued a glut
the market; and but one picking
many orchards.
"Apples that ought to bring 81.
could be bought for ninety cen
Then the Delaware farmer, who h
the moral strength, showed his JUG
ment. He placed his apples in ST.
=. age at the rate of ten cents bush
Within three or four weeks, these
H. pies were sold out of storage for 81
G. bushel and the farmer even af
~ paying the ten cents storage
made fifty cents more than he wO
if he hadn't had the nerve to ST.
them and take a chance. One farm
got $1.75 for his early apples sa'
from the glut by the storage plan
"When peaches arrived the ca
Delaware varieties faced the AlbeT
,,>, being sent north from Georgia
ON- North Carolina. Delaware grow
VOTE who had early peaches got but a
ma lar a bushel. But when the south
Also peaches were through and the be