250 Tbaxsactions of the American Institute. 



freedom from disease, vigor of growth and production. Trees yield 

 here from one to two years earlier than further north, and for early 

 summer apples the prices received are almost fabulous. From a seven 

 year old apple tree seven dollars worth have been taken, and from a 

 twelve year old one, thirty dollars have been realized. Large orchards 

 are exceedingly profitable. 



Pear trees yield early and in perfect luxuriance ; all kinds succeed 

 to admiration, and are troubled with no disease, worms or leaf-blight 

 whatever. 



An orchard of 400 dwarf pear trees only four years old, averaged, 

 last fall, one basket per tree ; and from one tree three baskets ; all 

 were sent to New York, and averaged six dollars per basket, or $2,400 

 for the entire acre. Two pear trees at Milford yielded the owner 

 fifty-six dollars. 



Peaches, which form the largest orchard product of the State, are 

 exceedingly profitable, whether grown on small or large farms. Some 

 idea of the magnitude of this production can be gained fi'om the fact 

 that last year tlie entire crop sent to market by railroad and water 

 communication, reached the figures of 1,108,000 baskets by railroad, 

 and 750,000 by water. 



James Fennimore, of ISTewcastle county, sold from an orchard of 

 one hundred acres (10,000 trees), in four consecutive years, $87,000 

 worth of peaches. This is a positive fact. Another case is time, 

 where an orchard of less tlian 2,000 trees, yielded in one season 

 $4,000 net profit. 



Another near Dover, which I myself saw in crop time, yields from 

 seventy acres, a profit of $10,000 yearly ; the purchasers buying the 

 crop on the trees. 



There are other instances where a place of forty acres yields $2,000 

 per year ; one of three and a half acres yields $500 per year ; one of 

 five acres $1,300 ; one of twenty acres yielding fruit to the amount 

 of $4,300 annually, and one of five acres also, where the income from 

 the peaches is greater than from the rest of the entire farm of 350 

 acres. 



At Milford, between $8,000 and $0,000 have been cleared in three 

 seasons, from $2,500 trees. 



Orchards in the two lower counties, range from 5,000. to 20,000 

 trees, and one gentleman in Sussex county, put out 60,000 the last 

 season. It is generally estimated that peaches will average at least 

 one dollar per tree profit. 



