Smyrna times., 1926-04-28
OUT IN ORCHARDS AND FIELDS
Peaches and Apples Are Out in Bios
sOm--Interest in Strawberry Crop

sOm--Interest in Strawberry Crop
Delaware orchards, starting this
week and probably reaching their
greatest beauty sometime next week,
will be the mecca for motorists and
others who want to see peach and ap-
pie trees in blossom. Down in Sussex
county peach trees are already in
bloom. If it hadn't been so cold they
would have been out couple Of weeks
earlier. It is expected that the trees
will reach their greatest perfection as
far as blossoms go some time this
week.
Early apples are beginning to show
signs of blossoming, and some may
come forth this week, but, according
to growers, the greater part of them
will not bloom until next week. Both
peach and apple trees look to be in
fine condition at this time. There has
been no premature termination
among peach trees this year and the
crop ought to be one Of the best grow
ers say, in long time.
With apple trees they are heavier
now than for many years. There will
have to be thinning out of the buds
on the apple trees because the trees
are too heavily laden and cannot be-
gin to produce all the apples for which
there are buds now. Unless some
misfortune hits the orchards the crop
Of apples this year in Delaware will
be the best the State has ever enjoy
ed.
As the time for the strawberry sea
son approaches, growers are becom-
ing anxious about the crop. Advices
from Maryland and Virginia, where
Strawberries are raised extensively,
indicate that the crop in these states
of this fruit will not be as good as
wished for. For that reason Della
ware growers see better opportun-
ity for marketing their strawberries.
So far as known and can be judged
from the vines at this time this years
berries are coming along splendidly.
1t is expected that the strawberry
crop will be at least two weeks delay
ed. Last year the first shipments
were made on May 20. This year,
even though the weather might be-
come normal spring weather this
week, the berries will have to come
very fast in order to blossom and de
velop in time for shipments the end
of May.
Gamers are preparing to pack
Strawberries as extensively this year
as last when the amount put up in
cans and barrels was large. There
are some Gamers who pack strawber-
ries only in acknowledgement barrels
and whose proficiency and skill en-
able them to preserve the berries in
barrels in such fine shape as to make
the fruit in demand from soda water
fountains which serve the best trade.
Cherry trees look fine. This is the
first fruit crop that is harvested in
Delaware, but the volume isn't very
large. The trees look good and, ac-
cording to those who raise both sweet
and sour cherries, the profits are quite
satisfactory.
Tomato growers are still up in the
air. Some packers during the past
week contracted for tomatoes at 20
cents basket, which is cents lower
than was offered few weeks ago.
The reason for the apparent indiffer-
ence on the part of packers and brok-
ers is due in some measure to the
foreign invasion of tomatoes into this
country from Italy. During the past
week Congressman Robert G. Hous-
ton, in Washington, advocated tariff
on imported tomatoes, claiming that
such protection was needed in order
to protect tomato growers of Mary
land, Virginia and Delaware Those
who have considered the situation
agree with Mr. Houston that some
such protection is needed. Last year
Italy shipped 100000 cases of toma-
toes to America and sold them al
though the American crop was 6,000,-
900 cases ahead of the year before.