9^ FEACH CULIU£B. 



CHAPTER XVL 

 TRANSPORTATION. 



The subject of Transportation has been, and still is, one 

 of great interest and considerable diflSculty, as well as the 

 source of no small amount of bad feeling to peach growers 

 on the Delaware Peninsula. The peach trade is itself of 

 comparatively recent date. In 1860 it was insignificant; 

 in 1870 it had increased to between two and a half mil- 

 lions of baskets; in 1875 it was estimated between six 

 and eight millions. Since the last-mentioned year we 

 have not had so large a crop ; not because we have not 

 had the trees to bear them, but because they have never 

 all borne at once; and it is safe to say that if all our trees 

 should bear a full crop at any time there could not be 

 found markets enough in which to sell them, nor trans- 

 portation enough to convey them to their various desti- 

 nations. At first, the charge for transportation by rail 

 to Philadelphia was six cents per basket, and to New 

 York twelve. But the charges have beeA constantly in- 

 creasing ever since, until in 1867 they were to Philadel- 

 phia thirteen, and to New York thirty-six and a half 

 cents. On a comparison of the charges on peaches with 

 those for transportation of other articles, the unreason- 

 ableness was so apparent that great dissatisfaction was 

 felt amongst growers, and means of redress were sought. 



For this purpose a convention of Fruit Growers was 

 held in the capitol at Dover, on the 15th of October, 1867, 

 and a permanent organization effected under the name of 

 the "Peninsula Fruit Growers' Association." One of 

 the main objects of this association was to obtain a reduc- 

 tion of freight to New York. A large committee of influ- 



