The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-31
THE HUCKLEBERRY TRADE.
yoURNEFING AMONG THE FRt"H
PICKERS OF the BERRIES'

che Rnrrcns Down TO the trc", -,
In the City-Somc Of the Picker- p'''
The supply of huckleberr1os III tne 'iu'
markets of New York has been RleA'0,
year than ever. This Is owing many 10 '''o
80. Len and TO there having been more
80 T., ,ho buckleherry grounds and barrens.
ma number Of pickers has been inereaseu ny
a.. man Of the buck cherry producing regions
III, have this year been thrown out OF employ
u,o,, I'm the same way that men have been else
hero nv the general stagnatiOn In business Oh
ali kinds stiIl, In spite OF the glut In the mar
net. the actual consumers the housekeepers
and pie bakers. pay now. In the height OF the
SEASON. from twelve to fifteen cents quart Tor
bsrtics, while the producers, the pickers, get
only nve cents a quart. Last year the pickers
we're paid from six to eight cents, while the
consumers paid from eighteen to twenty. These
aeures arc about correct for tho height OF the
Two seasons. The large dealers In Washington
Market say that although the supply Is SO penti-
tul. bucklcberiies continue lively" while the
plckers Of the barrens OF the sbawangunk
Mountains say, 1--WE can sell all the berries that
We can picS at Ave cents quart"
10 obtain an idea Of the extent Of the buckle
berry trade. one must walk through Washington
md Fulton Markets, and chat with the Dealers
HE men and women who handle the berries
Asa general thing, large dealer has berries
from but one section for Instance there are
Asslers in Delaware berries. and dealers In Penn
ylvania berries, In New jersey, and In Maryland
berries-or southern berries, as these last are
sailed in the market-and dealers In shawan-
tunk Mountain aud Barren Mountain, and Cats
XII Mountain berries, aud there are also small
de- lers mostly women, in Long Island berries,
which they say they get from OF the ROckaway
boats All these make up thousands OF bushels
- which ready eala IL found
not In New York city alone, but they are shipped
10 berry dealers In all the Eastern cities, from
Albany and Troy to Boston, Providence, New
port. Fall River, Stonington, Bridgeport, Hart
4 ford. New Haven, and other New England
II towns. There Is singular capriciousness' too,
n In he huckleberry market for instance, Bridge
n port. Conn. buys many moro bushels Of berries
Il N n Boston, and Albany and other Hudson
II ryer towns buy their berries in New York,
utuoueh 1t would seem that they could get
i them cheaper fresher. and better from the Cats
4 Nll Mountains, or from Rondout. the great
nnckleberry depot OF the Catskills. from
whence they are shipped to the dealers
IN New York by the agents, who buy them
from the pckers. 1t must be understood that
the berries ARE
HANDLED ny FoUR PARTIES
| before they reach the consumer. First. the
p.tkers: secondly. the agents who buy them
from tho ptckers: thirdly the whOlesn le dealers
Aud lastly the retail dealers, the green Crocers
and uedder-. IL Il not an easy thing To- buy d
fe~ quarts from picker. Before the buckle
H berry season begins eve ~ year the busy agent'
n vino live in the small towns adjacent To the
buckleoerry grounds. swamps, and oarrens
travel through the country. and engage all tla
sarh family can gather, Offering them mark II
/ prices. Of course. A picker rarely violates bis
has engaged the berries. We never see the fines
i ~, cimens Of huckeberries In the New fo1b
nSrkets. rot that he 1ge .ts fail IN purcha-inl
L the anest but although the huckleberry is one OF
II the best small fruits for transportatnn the high
Il ~, favored aud best oerIle,' the blue huckeoer
Il MS from MARYLAND ani Delawars, are too juicy
II 10 Roe ar transportation we'll This give as my owr
Il opioion from having tested the berries
/ let. beginning a. the stall Of Messrs
i wooley & Newton, in yesey street row
ssrris which he sanqlss rank the be-, nfn ne /,
SneHeb Isr n, ' in New JERSEY ana who
II deals in Jersey berries only, declares th'
berries Of that state to be the best In tue
market. NJ. Van wickle, another West wash
Ia. ton Market dealer, AYERS that the berries
n r. m the shswangunk bartens outrank all 9th
cts. having "A nrm. tender, succulent down
tkin aud white pulp, with little or no seed
whiie Messrs. Barker liaumann, dealers II
n ADMIT ali that Mr.. Van wickle claims for u,
II mountain berries. but at the same time the
II dr,w my attention to the sur erior havor OF IN
II u lswaes aud Maryldnders. After sampliu
| berries haf day In West Washington Marke
II the huchleuerry question assumed large proper
II iions In nv mind and alter Mr.. Noolleys Nvi'
II descriptions Of his own boy life as huckleherr
u picAer, when ne used TO pick uusael a y, f.
Aw-tk 10 a time IN the heiglt of the season an(
II Ar. Barker's lively pictures OF the pleasures an.
y lsitudes Of "a mountain berry pickeTs lie,
III became fired with the ambif ion Of going to IN
NJ VT, YlttOm # the huckleDcrry business de
tetnined 10 see the ickers on the Held OF tibet
W. ions, AMI sci ect-d the shaw in5unk noun
p --d excursion, which would pace me am %
:ae huchleoefry eusaes' ana IA TIE midII 81 To
reached Port Jeryis on the Delaware river
el-nty- eigtt miles from New YORK, at ll:N A. N
| M there took tue Huckieberry Express. as IN
hIaircllO Branch Railroad Is called Ia tn
,,ts2". 1? the village u Monticello sever
uuCKLEBERRY PICKERs
II were on board the train Of four cars. Tn
motper u one OF these families, with whom
| eha ted on the way, told me that most OF III
pic. r. VINO went out to lick berries to 81
Utft.d at an earlier hour for the smaller bai
reA- tnat lie on the side OF the shawangun
ho.hlaIn. near it, southern end, where II drol
OF arfdply II the Junction OF tue NeNerslu
am Del ware river. near Port Jerys. 4
tr0"k o. the Hucklepetry Express Is up the vii
II gore through wn,ch tue Neyers,nk river wlhd
braNlug over the stones, or dimpling in IN
dosu tue gorge u deliver It's tribute waves INT
the Delaware. For eiSnt or ten mi the raj
totI runs along tue bank OF the Delaware IN
HudsOn canal. whose On tnnel Is lar ABOVE tu'
VI Inc NeyeTsink river. hus We had the can
al mo side twenty or thr'y feet below US,
erl-r mountain along whose side "
III Wnlnl on the other. the fOaming Ne'
tr- 4 far below, aud the Iine-crowne
III mig. II the snawaneunk defined again
the nine sky beyond. Inc up grade u n
Tai|lIu rom Port Jeryis To Monticello Is at Il
i TIiru $50 feet t. the mile In many places. MO
/ tcel ,'lf j. lilo feet above Port Jervls, AL
u IINtd auput - miles long. AT Hartwoo
wni.n b.. Il great nuckieberr 81 ton, the pickle
Lett If~ nam; tut as / had been advised tn
Mon .tlIJ Ma the great huckleOerry centre
tnHi .r'.. tu, lul the tirrens are luconslderao
an H.n4 itt"N went on. We let, Il
N New -.1e t.w m.e, before reaching Mont
eel'. ils-ihs uptne s,rge OF one Of It's sma
IN III u.a.F streams, called, / believe, BushSi
ere Do. li'icnei Monticello In time for the moo
uh u u.tiiu dinner Even t. this remote an
II is"i1trl mon. an village the waves
N"" TX itsItouahls life have hoated.
II iolNl a large, airy, well-kept hotel, vii
Ill 't ttiu lawn on one side, elegt
Ill co'ia euhONeted in trees aud now
lii rsid n-, tho town hllsd with SUNNI
lii guests, the lawns dotted over with croqu
iii piaitr-' aud the KAY uniforms Of u company
I'LL Pas pA pldYtr- enliysniug the green level u
I'll 1ei4 ~ glOuud STAGED II Tor their use on Ol
hde II tue street that runs from the de pot
ihc nntel. Dinner dc-pntched | mounted
aIr.-, a. / was told II was Impossible To get in
H. llIIeus whore the plckefs were vi n even
hsht wagon, and started for the hucklsLef
81 4uds, which was informed would nnd
~. g.cu pine Daffens, hmle beyond tue Md
Is lrii-'-. fix milef beyond Montlce 10, ON q
s,-. lido Of the Neversink river, ! found
Ig tllrs. measured by Two tolgates whicu
pa q ON the way tour miles apart nut g
3ctu., Of the scenery, the hneness a. the pa
G.Olutain air. ana the lOyeliGess OF that 81
Ihluy daf, compensated for the roughness
IL No. o.. /. Iu and lWu hill on horse tudt we