The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-08-21
Making strawbcrrie. Profitable.

First. Plant the right kind, setting
them thiclly enough in the rows to
fill up the rows evenly.
Second. Mulch heavily just before
the fruit ripens with leaves and straw
or hay, or green grass.
Third. Keep ground well worked
up to late in the fall.
Fourth Keep out green berries
and small fruit, and lastly, pick the
fruits us soon as il turns.
We have sent out fruit this season
to markets where on certain days
prices have fallen low, yet ours have
sold well, as our assignee could assure
his customers of the good condition of
our fruit We formerly picked halt
of our plantation every alternate day,
that IS, one half to-day and the other
half tomorrow, but becoming salts
fled that the practice allowed them to
get over ripe and soft, we have this
season gone over our entire bed every
day, and by so doing marketed our
fruit in firm and not over ripe condi-
ton. We clip from an article in the
Farm and Fruit Grower the following
in relation TO Strawberries "Thous-
ands of cases of berries have been de-
livercd at our shipping stations this
year in leaky condition. The APP
pearance of these berries when they
arrive at Chicago cannot have been
very inviting to buyers. \ gentle
man who saw this fruit unloadcd
every day, tells us that the car floors
We're often absolute y sloppy with
strawberry juice the cases themselves
being stained and drenched rs if they
had been under ii slaughtering plat
FORM
All this can easily be remedied by
gathering the fruit every day before it
gets over ripe. We have heretofore
had our pickers pick all ripe fruit,
but it don't pay. In the first place
small berries don't fill up ANY more
than small potatoes. One may take
bushel of Wilson's Albany, when
properly grown, and pick out all the
small or "nubbinn fruit, and it won't
lessen the bushel more than three or
four quarts, while if left in they will
many times make difference of % to
50 per cent in the price. This year we
have passed among our piclers while
picking and watched them and their
boxes closely, and have prevented the
picking Oh green ana Sllldll lfult, ana
tits astonishing to see what Il difference
it has made in the sale Of our fruit,
and our reputation.
But you will say, "with as many
varieties rs you grow, yOu.must: have
some small kinds, and how do you
manage with these"
Simply keep these sorts in separate
crates and mark them "small.n There
is class of buyers and consumers
that will take them at the lowest
price they sell for.
We mulched heavily this year after
vines had got their growth, and just
before fruit turned, with leaves from
the forest, and this has kept the sur
face moist and given the fruit Il rich
glossy appearance, and kept them
clean from dirt and grit.
Another point is to have the pickcrs
turn the stems down on top of each
basket. If they come in and it is not
done, make them do it before accept
ing the fruit This shows the condi-
ton, color and kind of fruit plainly
and gives them very attractive APP
pearancc. Plant mostly of the greatest
yielders and finest sorts, and remem-
Der if Strawberries get little over ripe
they decay and spoil quickly, while
gathered as soon us they turn they
will 90 into market with a good shape
and keep 24 to Sc hours.