The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-27
Strawberries.

In front of one of our grocery stores on
Illinois street, Yesterday, were few little
boxes of stale strawberries, labeled 40
cents. They were the first we had seen
exposed for sale here this year, and were
probably brought from the South. And
this leads US to say that the finest straw
berry market in the world is in New York
Clty-and in fact for all kinds of fruit, veg
etables, meats, fish, etc From April to
the last of July, delicious fresh strawber-
ries can be had there, if you have money
enough to buy them. They are not plenty
and cheap, however, till about the middle
of May. From that time the large ship
loads from South Carolina and Virginia
begin to arrive, and then everybody can
have strawberries. The SIN of the 2lst
has an article Of interest in relation to this
trade, as follows:
At daybreak yesterday morning steam
er from Norfolk, Va. ploughed into the
| harbor. having on board over thousand
crates OF strawberries, The dealers bought
them all In a hurry paying twenty-five
cents quart for the ordinary and thirty
and thirty five for the seedlings, and the
strawberry season for 1874 began. The
| berries that have been sold for six weeks back
were from Florida, South Carolina, and hot
| houses, and brought from seventy-fiye cents
! to 81 quart. Yesterday retail prices
were forty for the best and thirty five for
the second best seedlings, and thirty for
the Stewarts. The seedlings are higher
priced, principally because they keep long
er and are better for shipping to Boston
and Northern cities.
| The strawberry season which fairly be-
gun yesterday will continue till after the
4th Of July. The Norfolk berries are
raised by Northern men, who went into
the business since the war. They have
planted large tracts and employ an army
of men to take care of them. Being the
first berry in the market they command a
good price. Labor is cheap in Virginia, SO
! the boxing costs but little. Two cents a
quart is paid for the picking, and the cost
of transportation by water is comparative
| ly small. Hence the strawberry raisers
are in financial clover and are getting rich.
Their season will be in its glory in about
ten days Charlie Maurer, of Fulton
Market, who has sold strawberries tor
thirteen years, says that the prospects Of a
| big Norfolk crop are good, and that in a
few days the market will be glutted with
berries, which be thinks may be retailed
for fifteen or eighteen cents quart. About
the time the Norfolk season closes, the Del
aware crop begins to be rushed into New
| York by rail. They are nicer berries than
the Norfolk, and come in much larger
quantities. The Delaware crop promises
to be larger than for several seasons. The
raisers say that they shall have to let some
| fruit rot on the vines tor want Of means to
pick and transport The Delaware season
is at its height the second week in June.
| About that time the Monmouth county,N.
D., fruit, which is especially fine, begins to
/ rpen. Alter II the Long island, then the
! Connecticut and Hudson river, and lastly
the Rochester and OsWego berries are re
ceived. The Delaware and New Jersey
are the best and cheapest. Norfolk ber-
ries never sell for less than eighteen. The
Delawares are frequently disposed OF
for twelve. Those that raise them say
that when they sell fer less than eleven
cents there is no profit in raising them. An
Oswego man last year bought the crop in
that region, and chartered special train
to bring them to New York. He solo
most Of them for twelve cents, and lost
heavily.
The retail trade was not brisk yesterday
Its too cold, yet, said Fulton market
man; the folks haven't begun to buy
When they do begin they want berries
every day, and then they will make it lively
for US.
How much profit do you make p
well, we cant sell for less than fv,
cents quart above buying price. W,
have to run the risk of getting bad lot
and Of not selling before they rot on on
hands, and a thousand little thing of tina
kind. -
When will berries be cheaper
Next week there will be plenty of Nor
folks. and they will sell for eighteen o
twenty cents 1t retail After that the Della
ware crop will be on hand, selling for fiji
2 teen or eighteen.