, 1870-06-06
Tbtnl...,....... -. .......................$1 Is:
<. by "a quarts GaHbttI1cs. ................. 81


This t9 ut the rate OF 41.13 per bus bel Tor
tho be1rics On tho vine. II We take forty
bushels IL good far crop to the 1--WE have
.&45 per acre as the net retu1us. Many per-
sons obiain better crop thau tlis, but the
average for We1l-cultivated fields, one yosr
with another, is rather less than above this
quantity. The high price that is obtained for
one or two days no more than pays for the
extra freight from The south part
of the State over the above figures. That =
strawberry crop does not pay the grower d
batter profit than corn is pretty apparent to
those engaged in it; and yet should think
change in tho management Of this crop will
make it most desirable {eaiuze in suburban
farm economy.
THIS week tie prices have gone yot 1owcr FOR
common berries, aud in many cases paying no
more than the expense Of handling the crop.
It IL difficult to reduce the figures above and
yet have paving msrgin for the labor.
FreiGhts arc probably tho highest Of these
figures From this point berries, Of late, go
BY express, instead Of by tho night freight or
fruit t11ir. This has the advantage Of early
delivery, hut the disadvantage Of high ratea.
We may Rs veil come to tho conclusion, fret
as last, that strawberries will continue to rule
low in the market; 80 low, in fact, that ali
classes will b able to purchase them almost
daily. AS a humanitarian rejoice in this, 70.
its results will be highly beneficial, reaching
beyond the city, and filing eyor5 cottage in
the suburbs, the village, and in tho country,
With gladness.
An abundant supply Of this fruit will senda at
neEs, and by Increasing the general health add
So II, S&sAo
reasons am content to SEQ the producers OF
this fruit reap moderate returns. But, this is
not al !; it will change tho conditions OF the
business, and put the growing Of this favorite
fruit into tho hands Of another class Of per-
sona, who will, ut there low rates, make it pay.
The growing is now in the hands Of the cap
italists, who employ others to do the planting,
hoeing, mulching, picking and.packing, simply
experimenting tho busincss. 1t il true he
gives employment to many boys, girls. and
women, az well as few men. But would it
not be better for families who hare these
boys and girls to pick for other people, to have
4 small patch, to pick for themselves, and thus
aell their own labor in tho form Of fruit. These
busy pickers, OF their parents, Own much land
in village lots, in suburban homes, and in the
farms IN the vicinity Of the depot, and these
are tho very persons to plant, cultivate, and
market this fruit on their own account.
Let us see il we cannot plan 3 little for our
village and farm boys and girls. Suppose We
uot apart onc-eighth Of acre for this pur-
pose, have the plant in 1ows three feet apart
and sixteen inches in the TOW. This gives to
each plant ZIG square inches Of ground, and
will require about ], 400 plants to set tbs plat.
II this plat is rich, well drained, the plAnts
kept in lills md properly watched, ne may
reasonably expect an average yield OF ten
bushels, OF double that OF the present field
culture.
We will now see what the boy or girl will |
receive for the care and culture Of this plot |
when sold ut the village store on commission
To 800 quart boxss In nats, tacks ncludcd 81 20
Commission at cent. nt................--...-.. $40
Total. IS. 90
By 800 quarts berries. aa00
The corn stalks Of the garden and refuse Of
the stable mill supply the mulch, Or . half .
ton Of prairie baylor straw will answer tho Bame
purpose. |
The season for picking will run through at
beet twenty days, giving sixteen quarta day
on the average. It would not be very hard
days work to mako up the boxes, pick, and
market sixteen quarts OF berries. This wonld |
be for
I...... C;nts.
Saving of freight and carriage. gs.................A
Saving OF crate.
Iolaa..... .......---....----.....--I5
A sum equal to seyenty-fve centH day.
Now, you may say this is not high wages, but |
it is equal to tho wages Of the boy OF girl who |
goes three or four miles and picks thirty |
eight quarts OF berries at two cents quart |
for Nr. Jones, Who has the fortT-acre patch, |
and certainly much easier and more inde- |
pendent, for, in addition to the habit Of labor !
that it encourages, it teaches At the same |
time business habits.
, hare made this estimate email, for the |
purpose Of giving time to other employment, |
for in point Of fact this work will not occupy |
more than one-haH of the time OF the INDUS
trious boy OF girl, and yet it pays well for that
time, and puts these berries on the market at
Il price that compets Mr. Jones to plow up his
forty-acre field and plant it to corn or other
crops.
Ihad another object in making this estimate
on small sca1e,-to chow the farmer how he
could have = cheap and abundant supply Of
strawberries for twenty days. Should ho have
surplus it can be turned over to his grocer.
or to the dealer for shipment to the city.
, We look forward to the time when the Email
berry business will 60 into the hands Of those
who oWn the labor instead of those who
hire it.
j. In Chicago there are great number Of
commission houses for the sale OF fruit, yet /
the great bolk Of it is sold by less than fifty
Hns, These hafA, BY monpt Nd hnaesA 1