Year: 1869




TIE PEACH CROP.-The peach growers are
deeply interested as might be supposed, in the
prices their fruit is bringing. In fact, this is
about all they are interested in. The crop is
not paying them as mnch as it ought, and va
rious reasons are being assigned thcretor-th the
abundance of the crop, the high freight tariff,
the careless manner in which the fruit is ship
ped, the dishonesty of the dealers in the cities,
&c. Some attribute the small profit to one of
these causes and some to another, but really
all have something to do with it. The princi-
pal reason, however, is the immense yield. 1t
was propular idea few years ago, when the
enthusiasm ran higher than it does now on
this subject, that the market could not be over
stocked; that the demand would be equal to
the supply. At that time, however, twenty
or thirty arces of these trees were a large or
chard, and it was not an unusual thing for
growers to clear from $4,000 to $4,000 in sim
gle season. One of the first growers of the
truit in New Castle county realized $4,000 the
first year, clear of all expense, it is said. Such
handsome profits proved as seductive as the
gold mines of California or the oil-wels of
Penn, and every farmer thought there was
fortune in peach orchard, just as every one
thought or seemed to think, that the oil re-
giOn could make every human being on the
face of the earth wealthy, if each and all would
go there. The result is that the orchards have
been getting larger and the profits proportion
ately smaller every year. We believe peach
growing is overdOne, just as the oil business
was overdone, and that both are profitable if
kept within their spheres. The fact that the
farmers had rather have half crop of the
fruit than whole one is the best evidence on
this point. But the better plan would be to
have only one-h half Of the amount of land in
peach trees; then their wish would be gratifed,
while half the land now in orchards could be
pro6taLly titled in grain.


The peach precribes its own market. IF il
were like the apple OF the North, and could
be shipped all over the country, it would never
stock the market. But being "extra hazard
Gus" as the railroad men say, it can be ship
ped only certain distance from home For
Stunately New York and Philadelphia are within
the prescribed limits, but unfortunately for ou
immense crop there is only one New York ant
one Philadelphia.


The condition in which the fruit is sent t.
market also has much to do with the profits t
be realized. \ mall lot of poor fruit wi
sometimes condemn whole car Some of on
shippers here are advising the growers to thro'
away their poor fruit aud send only the good
A basket of peaches cannot be shipped froI
here to New York for less than forty cent
including picking, freight, carting commission
&c, and it cost as much to ship mean bask'
as il does goodone whilst the good ones al
judged by the company they are in, becau
they are not properly culled. Frequently the
are lots shipped at an expense to the grower


As to dishonest commission men, and 9th
parties, they cannot be avoided. Tney are


all branches of trade, and for anything SO va
asthe peach business, the wonder is that the
is not more than there is. a.t-.,.