The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-20
THE sTRAWHEKRY cRoP.
Shipping the Red Eipe. Fruit TO the
H. ID slarE West. $50 \

Shipping the Red hipe. Fruit TO the
.BanH,ptae o EaterYri.e. tz'r7't Ess.
We are now in the height OF the straw
berry season, and the fields al around Us
are dotted over from early morning until
evening with scores Of children Of all lagos,
eagerly engaged in picking the lucious 6er-
ries, and for two or three weeks the town
will be almost denuded Of the younger part
OF its population. And this reminds US
that II the business goes on increasing, It
will soon be difficult to secure pickers Just
when they are wanted. 90 -, Z.
The season opened practically on We'd
nesday OF last week, when the first ship
mens consisting Of one bushel and q half
OF the Crescent Seeding was sent to Chi
cage by James Edgerton. They were sold
atlprices varying from five 10 seven dollars
Shipments have been made every day
since. On Monday about eighty bushels
were sent - s@' W ~ '4a -
The best sales so far reported were lit
tie above 81 per bushel, the most OF them
ranging from s. to $40. Its not probable
that the figures Of last year, when some Of
the finer varieties brought $l4 and SIS,
will be realized this spring. This Is mainly
owing to our berries coming more nearly
In competition with those from Michigan,
which will be at the best next week.
GAINESVILLE will realize the best prices in
Chicago this week, as the Southern Illinois
crop Is over, and Michigan will mot be in
force for few days yet. Nine houses, at
least, from Chicago are represented here
this season, and each one u doing all he
can to secure consignments to the house he
represents. .r .sIl
The railroad company is doing all It can
10 accommodate the growers, and berries
shipped on the evening arrive in Chicago
at seven O'Clock the next morning. Most
Of the growers, however, prefer TO ship on
the eleven train, as by that means they
reach the, early market. On Wednesday
the company commenced leaving special
express car here daily, and the growers put
their berries directly into the car as they
are brought in, and they are mot again
handled until reaching their destination.
The last year or two has witnessed con.
siderable change in the varieties grown,
and the old standard Wilson is rapidly los.
ing caste, the Crescent and the Downing
largely taking its place. Even the famous
old mammoth LUCINDA has seen Its best
day and Is dying out, and the Bidwell, the
Cumberland and the sharpless will super.
sede It In conversation with q number OF
growers, most OF them expressed the opin.
ion that the Crescent was taking the lead,
and 1t will probably be the berry Of the fu.
ture, for few years at least. It Is a little
earlier than the Wilson and will bear
picking before fully ripe, coloring up on
the way to market. It is undoubtedly the
lazy mans berry, as 1t will produce good
crop with less care than almost any other
variety. % ff5', no
The high prices realized In Chicago COM
pels our own people to be content with in
ferior berries which can be purchased at
twenty, fifteen, and some Of the most in
ferior as low as ten cents quart.
It was believed few weeks ago that the
crop would be short, owing to the cutting
off Of the first bloom by late frosts. Most
OF the growers now think that the season
will be fully as long as usual, and that at
least half rs many more berries will be
shipped from here than there was last year,
which put the shipments somewhere in
the neighborhood OF three thousand bush
els. Next year, from the large increase In
the number Of plants set out in this vici-
nifty. the crop will no doubt be more than
double the present year, and the railroad
company will be compelled, as they have
already promised, to run special train
from GAINESVILLE TO the Wet. 49,.