CROPS AND PRICES. 



7 



"The distribution of the peach crop this year has included 

 the territory from Richmond, Va., to Toronto, Canada, on the 

 north, and Chicago on the west. Within this district nine cit- 

 ies have taken over a million and a half baskets. Of these cit- 

 ies, New York leads with 600,000 baskets; Philadelphia took 

 about 480,000; Boston 210,000; Wilmington, Del. 120,000; 

 Pittsburg 48,000 ; Cleveland 36,000; Chester, Pa. 36,000 ; Buf- 

 falo 30,000, and Providence, R. I. 30,000 baskets, making a 

 total of 1,000,000 baskets. The total shipments by rail to 

 points lying within the territory named, to Sept. 5, were 5,773 

 carloads of 600 baskets each. A total of 3,463,800 baskets 

 have been shipped by water and hauled out of the orchard* in 

 traders' wagons. At least another 1,000,000 baskets have been 

 used in the canning establishments, the evaporators, and by the 

 canning of peaches done by private families; nearly 1,000,000 

 baskets of the fruit have been destroyed by storms that shook 

 it from the trees and made it unmarketable, and by railroad 

 accidents that destroyed thousands of baskets of peaches and 

 allowed other thousands of baskets to spoil because of the stop- 

 page of transportation. So it is that the most conservative 

 estimate makes the total of the peach crop of 1893 more than 

 6,000,000 baskets. The value of this great crop has been 

 $2,000,000. Perhaps a better estimate would be 35 cents a 

 basket, or $2,100,000 for the 6,000,000 baskets. Out of this 

 sum the growers have not received more than an average profit 

 of 10 cents a basket. 



"This great crop is a marvelous result, when it is remem- 

 bered that a year ago peach growers were lamenting the decay 

 of their orchards, and looking in vain for a cure of the peach 

 yellows — the scourge of the peninsula orchards. Because of 

 the failure of last year's crop thousands of trees were cut down 

 and their stumps pulled out as uselessly cumbering the ground. 

 Although the price received is a small one, the financial results 

 of marketing the crop has made the region of berry patches and 

 orchards prosperous during a financial depression. That the 

 business has been over-developed, so far as the grower is con- 

 cerned, goes without saying, but the great crop of peaches fol- 

 lowing a great crop of strawberries, and both crops demanding 

 immediate harvesting and prompt shipment, has given every- 

 body work. Everybody does work in the region of orchards, 

 canneries, and evaporators, and while each person has earned 

 only a small sum, the aggregate of small sums finding their 

 way to the stores and thence to the banks has filled the penin- 

 sula bank vaults with money." 



Exportation of Peaches. — A trial shipment of peaches was 

 made to England by State Treasurer Burnite of Delaware, Am- 

 bassador Bayard being the consignee. Part, at least, of the 



