30 THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



tree, on this peninsula, the first orchard of which I can 

 find any trace was planted by Isaac Reeves on his farm 

 in the suburbs of Delaware City, now owned by his son 

 Clement Reeves, Esq., of that town, who has kindly 

 furnished me with information in regard to the Peach- 

 culture of that date. This was in the year 1832, and 

 about 1837 to 1840 Major Philip Reybold, a man who 

 has left an indelible mark in his community as an active 

 and progressive citizen, together with his sons, Philip Jr., 

 John, William, Clayton, Barney and Anthony, went more 

 or less extensively into the business, together with 

 other prominent growers of that day, among them, Jno. 

 C. Clark, Dr. Emerson of Philadelphia, Mr. Spearman 

 on Duck Creek, Messrs. Atherlee and Fennimore, 0:1 

 Appoquinimink Creek, and Jehu Reed of Kent Co., 

 Delaware ; all these had large orchards up to the time 

 the land refused longer to grow the trees by the method 

 of cultivation then used. My father, the late Dr. Charles 

 H. Black, was a pioneer-grower in Kent Co., Md. 

 Since 1850 the Peach has probably been generally grown 

 in the Delaware City region. I learn from Mr. Clement 

 Reeves that the trees were obtained from nurserymen 

 or grown by the growers themselves ; that they 

 endeavored to use natural seed even after budded stock 

 came in ; that they manured the land with barn-yard 

 manure, set out the trees, planted corn for three years, 

 manuring the corn in the hill, and that this was all the 



