464 



DELAWARE 



DELPHINIUM 



The center of the peach belt in 1890 was along the 

 southern border of Kent county, where the trees were 

 comparatively healthy, but in 1890 the yellows had ex- 

 tended into northern Sussex, where it has remained sta- 

 tionary for several years. In 1896 the Delaware division 

 of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore railroad 

 carried over two million baskets of Delaware peaches, 

 which was over 90 per cent of the total crop, and esti- 

 mated that there were between four and five million 

 bearing trees in the state. 



The peach -yellows has been responsible, primarily, for 

 the shifting of the peach-growing centers. No sys- 

 tematic, cooperative effort has been made to suppress 

 the disease. Yellows legislation is inoperative from 

 a lack of public and political support. Intelligent grow- 

 ers remove trees at the first indication of infection, but 

 the efforts of a few individuals have not been effective 

 in checking the progress of the disease. The ultimate 

 remedy for the yellows in Delaware lies in a more 

 diversified horticulture. 



The principal varieties of peaches are : Hale Early, 

 Foster, Crawford Early, Oldmixon, Moore Favorite, 

 Mountain Rose, Reeves Favorite, Elberta, Brandywine, 

 Crawford Late, Stump, and Smock. 



Next to the peach in commercial importance are the 

 small fruit interests, which are most extensively de- 

 veloped in the southern half of Kent and the western 

 half of Sussex. There are between 7,000 and 8,000 acres 

 of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries in these 

 counties, and in 1896 the Delaware Division of the P. W. 

 & B. R. R. carried 9,500,000 quarts, or over 90 per cent 

 of the total product of the state. In 1898, this road car- 

 ried over 24,000,000 quarts of berries, and a still larger 

 quantity in 1899. 



Since 1896, the Lucretia dewberry has been set out in 

 large quantities in both Kent and Sussex counties, while 

 the blackberry acreage has fallen off in consequence^ 



Among the principal varieties of strawberries are Bu- 

 bach, Tennessee Prolific, Gandy, Greenville, Michel and 

 Haverland. The Souhegan, Palmer and Mills com- 

 prise the prominent black raspberries ; the Miller, 

 Cuthbert, London and Brandywine the red varieties ; 

 and Early Harvest and Wilson the blackberries. 



In Kent county the pear industry is a prominent 

 horticultural feature. The Kieffer is the leading va- 

 riety. Its adaptability to various soils, its early and 

 precocious bearing tendencies, and the cheapness of its 

 production give it unusual commercial value throughout 

 the state. In the fall of 1897 more than 40,000 Kieffer 

 trees were sold in central and southern Kent county, 

 and young orchards are not infrequently seen in Sussex 

 and New Castle counties. Sussex county will develop the 

 Kieffer to a large extent in the near future. In 1899, 

 there were about 100,000 Kieffer trees under 3 years 

 old and 60,000 trees over 3 years old in the state. 



Previous to the advent of the Kieffer, the Bartlett, 

 Duchess, Lawrence and Anjou were the leading kinds, 

 the orchards existing in the two upper counties. 



The introduction of the Japanese plum has opened 

 the way to plum culture. Scattering orchards of Bur- 

 bank and Abundance have been set in Sussex and New 

 Castle counties, but an extensive development is under 

 way in Kent. In the vicinity of Clayton and Smyrna 

 there were 6,000 trees in bearing in 1897, since when 

 10,000 trees have been set. There were 32,000 trees in 

 the state in 1899. The Japanese plums, as a class, are 

 well adapted to the state. They are destined to prove 

 an increasingly important factor in the horticulture in 

 the future, but with their concentration in neighbor- 

 hoods, their weak points may be expected to show more 

 prominently. Burbank, Abundance and Ogon have been 

 the leading varieties, and Red June, Chabot and Hale 

 are growing in popularity. 



The native plums of the Hortulana and Chickasaw 

 groups, which ripen before the northern Domestica va- 

 rieties, are rapidly attaining deserved prominence. They 

 are hardy, easily grown, and generally command re- 

 munerative prices. Milton, Whitaker, Newman, Smiley 

 and Wild Goose comprise the bearing orchards, but 

 other^varieties are growing in favor. The later ripen- 

 ing natives are worthless for Delaware, as the markets 

 are then supplied with Domestica plums. 



In the vicinity of Smyrna and Clayton there are from 



150 to 200 acres of grapes, where the history of viticul- 

 ture began about 1855. Grape culture has been a 

 profitable industry in this neighborhood, the net income 

 frequently exceeding $100 per acre. Recently, however, 

 the profits have been somewhat less on account of the 

 lower prices and the grape diseases. Many of the vine- 

 yards are models of intelligent tilling, pruning, spray- 

 ing and training. The principal varieties are Niagara, 

 Moore's Early, Concord, Brighton, Agawam and Wyom- 

 ing Red. 



Delaware is widely known, not only through her ex- 

 tensive orchards and small fruit plantations, but also 

 through the products of her canning factories. In 1895 

 the tomato output amounted to 280,000 cases ; peaches 

 to 50,000 cases ; peas to nearly a like quantity; corn to 

 over 50,000 cases ; and a large amount of berries, pears 

 and other fruits, not separately classified. Since 1895, 

 the amount of the various canned goods has not fluctu- 

 ated widely, except with canned peas, which in 1898 had 

 reached 144,000 cases; and with tomatoes, which have 

 steadily increased. 



Although Delaware is preeminently a horticultural 

 state, its capabilities in horticulture are largely unde- 

 veloped. Its physical environment makes it a natural 

 fruit garden. There are several industries that could 

 be profitably introduced or extended to larger acreages. 

 Apple culture ; plum culture, of the Japanese and early 

 native types ; sour cherry culture, especially for can- 

 ning ; nut culture, on cheap land ; vegetable growing, 

 and glass-house gardening all offer opportunities for a 

 greater horticultural diversity. The various fruit inter- 

 ests are gradually extending over wider areas, and it 

 may be expected that Delaware will not only maintain 

 its present horticultural prestige, but will be an in- 

 creasingly potent factor in American horticulture in the 



future. 



G. HAROLD POWELL. 



DELPHINIUM (Greek, a dolphin, from the resem- 

 blance of the flower). Ranuuculacece . LARKSPUR. A 

 genus of beautiful hardy plants, with large, irregular 

 flowers. About 60 species, native of the north temperate 



i, 



m 



685. Single Larkspur. 

 D. grandiflorum. 



j. Double Larkspur. 

 D. grandiflorum. 



zone. Annual or perennial, erect, branching herbs: Ivs. 

 palmately lobed or divided: fls. in a showy raceme or 

 panicle; sepals 5, petal-like, the posterior one prolonged 

 into a spur; petals 2 or 4, small, the two posterior ones 

 spurred, the lateral ones small, if present; the few car- 

 pels always sessile, forming many-seeded follicles. Full 

 double forms are very common in a number of the spe- 

 cies (compare Figs. 685, 686). 



Delphiniums thrive in any good garden soil, but are 

 improved by a deep, rich, sandy loam, exposed to the sun. 

 Deep preparation of the soil is very important. The 

 annuals are propagated from seed, which are very slow 

 in'germinating, and often should be sown in the fall to pro- 

 duce flowers early the next season. The perennials may be 

 prop. : (1) By root division in the fall or spring. (2) By 

 cuttings, about which J. B. Keller says : "Take a few cut- 

 tings from each plant in early spring, when growth is 

 about 3 or 4 inches long, or else use the second growth, 

 which has come after the flower-stems have been re- 

 moved. Cuttings root readily in a shaded frame, no 

 bottom heat being required, but an occasional sprinkling 

 during dry and hot weather is necessary. When rooted 



