PEACH AND THE PEAR. 33 



the very finest fruit is raised, and the trees are flourish- 

 ing, if the red-clay soil is chosen. There is much iron- 

 ore and potash in this red soil, the land is often light 

 and stony, and is not in a high state of cultivation. 

 The Megget and orther orchards, in this neighborhood, 

 are celebrated in the Wilmington market for their fine 

 fruit. 



There are at present on the peninsula probably 

 between two and three millions of peach trees in 

 bearing, and very nearlj'- as many planted, but not yet in 

 bearing, making in all, say, five millions of trees. The 

 trees in the upper section are generally larger than those 

 in the lower section, and by the large trees going out in 

 the upper section, the present capacity of five millions of 

 trees is not what it would be did the lower section trees 

 grow to the size of those about Middletown, for 

 instance. Thus the increase in the number of trees 

 does not increase the fruit-yield as rapidly as one might, 

 at first thought, think, and so the oft predicted glutted 

 markets of the future may be avoided. 



The past season (1885) there have probably been 

 raised and marketed on the peninsula three millions of 

 baskets of peaches. The prices realized have been very 

 handsome, and the business has received a great 

 impetus. Many outside influences have this year aided 

 the peninsular growers, and chief, of course, because the 

 crop was almost a failure in other sections of the 

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