Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1888-08-30
HOW RAsPBERRIEs ARE PICKED.
A Pleasantly Deliberate Occupation
for Ulster County Tramps.
[From the N. Y. SUM-

Ulster county's greatest industry-the
harvesting of the raspberry crop--is now
at it's height. At this time of year tho
county, from Newburg in the south to
Kingston in the north, and for miles
back from the Hudson among the noun
tains, is one vast berry patch.
The crop of raspberries this year is
comparatively small, large portion OF
the bushes having been winter killed.
The blizzard of last March did an in.
calculable amount of damage to the
young canes. In consequence very few
of the fancy varieties of berries will be
sent to market. OF the harder varieties,
such as the Natives-which nothing can
kill-there is fair crop. The picking
OF the Natives began week ago. Next
week the delicately- favored Marlbor-
ough and the large and luscious Cuth-
bert will tempt the appetites of New
Workers.
The gathering of the berry crop gives
employment for from three to four
weeks every summer to thousands of
men, women and children Formerly
the growers had considerable difficulty
in obtaining pickers, and were obliged
to hire them IN New York and other
cities, pay their fares to and from the
berry country, and give them their
board, in addition to paying them for
picking the fruit. Now all this is
changed. OF late years the work is
principally done by tramps. Toward
the end of June the county is invaded
by an army of the knights of the road,
who are by no means averse to earning
few dollars at such light work as pick
ing berries.
The growers furnish them with lodgr
ings in shantd~s built for that purpose,
but the men board themselves. They
get a cent cup for picking the berries.
A cup is little round wooden box,
with the bottom so near the middle that
it is sometimes difficult to decide in
which end it was intended the berries
should be placed. Three of them are
supposed to hold a quart of berries; but
they don't. At this price man can
earn from fifty cents to $3.50 day.
Their food does not cost the pickers, on
an average, more than fifteen cents a
day. Female tramps are employed as
well as male ones. They are more ex-
pert pickers than the men, and they
don't get drunk so often. In some cases
whole families from the nearby vii
lagos are employed, and the money they
thus earn forms no inconsiderable item
toward the purchase of their winters
supply of provisions.
Berry picking is a lazy sort OF work,
and one that is just suited to the ener-
getic temperament of the average tramp.
Work begins at 6 or o'clock in the
morning. and seldom lasts longer than
until 3 in the afternoon. During the
rest of the day the pickers can lie
around on the grass under the shade OF
the trees and sleep. The capacity of a
berry picker for sleeping is something
truely marvellous.
The storekeepers in the villages
throughout the berry country DO rush
ing business during the picking season
in supplying the pickers with provisions.
Everything sold in the stores here is
very dear, and it is alleged that advant.
age is taken of the berry pickers' neces-
stiles to elevate the prices at this time
of year. The storekeepers Indignantly
deny this, and say that their prices only
vary with the ordinary fluctuations OF
the market. The market always fuctu-
ates upward at this time of year.
1t would be impossible to give an esti-
mate of the quantity Of raspberries
grown in this region, but it is some
thing enormous. On an average, $780,
600 quarts are shipped daily from this
valley alone. Raspberry growing is at.
tended with less expense than any other
kind of farming; but growers, when
questioned as to the profits of the bust
ness, almost invariably reply that it
doesn't pay. Yet with strange faulty
they keep on growing berries year after
year. The bulk of the fruit is shipped
to New York, but many growers ship to
Boston and other Eastern points.
The berry country at this season
should be congenial one for Hebrews
and Seventh Day Baptists, for no pick
ing is done on Saturday, although Sun
dayis busy day. The reason of this is
that berries picked on Saturday would
be apt to spoil if held over for Mondays
market. The local clergymen have long
inveighed against the prevailing practice,
but their protests have no more effect
than the whistling of jigs would have
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