Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-10-25
THE CRANBERRY BOCS.
How the Tart Assistant to Thanks
giving Turkey is Harvested.

~ L y u an DEhhr bOSRs
How the Tart Assistant to Thanks
giving Turkey is Harvested.
The beginning OF the cranberry har-
vest in southern and western New Jer-
sey is the terror OF elderly housewives
and the JOY OF the younger generation.
Unless restrained by an iron-bound
contract, domestics break away from
their temporary homes and hasten TO
join the small armies OF cranberry
pickers that gather on the various
plantations. In the western part OF
the state Italians often harvest the
crops. They arrive from Philadelphia
and adjacent cities i'm large numbers
and live In tents and shanties during
the six weeks they are employed as
pickers. But in Ocean county, which
contains more acres Of cranberry land
than any other county in the state by
a large area. the picking Is done en-
tirely by native New jersey young
men and women, girls and boys. Here
and there an entire family assemblies
at the boys during the first week in
September, and under an overseer pro-
ceed TO gather the pink and acrid fruit.
without which the Thanksgiving tur-
key would be esteemed very ordinary
bird.
The price for harvesting varies from
forty TO fifty cents a bushel. says the
\. I. sun, the larger sum generally
prevailing. larger sum Is paid
where the crops are more difficult 10 be
harvested because Of their more
springy and DOGGY condition.
AS the berries yield prolitically and
grow not unlike grapes, except that
the clusters are upon single stem,
the pickers earn considerable money.
The heads of families put it aside for
their winter groceries. the girls for
their finery, and the boys for horses
and buggies 70 treat their sweethearts
to frequent rides and for go-to-meetin'
clothing. A good cranberry picker
easily earns S2a day, and % is not un-
elucntly within the reach of the most
nimble fingers. The yield is rarely be-
low 100 bushels TO the acre, and few
years ago over 400 bushels were
harvested from single acre on the
Bunker Hill bog, four miles from this
village.
On almost every cranberry farm the
owners OF the boys issue tickets TO
their employees, the tickets represent
ing quarts. pecks. and bushels. These
bits OF pasteboard are intrusted to the
foreman. whose place is what is known
as the cranberry house, where each
picker must carry the berries as fast
as they are gathered There they are
dumped from usually peck box or
basket into a bushel crate, and a ticket
for four quarts is issued 10 each picker
as the berries are turned in. Some
notion OF the magnitude Of this indus
try in Ocean county may be gathered
from the fact that cX-Shcriff Holman,
one Of the largest growers there. re-
quires 10000 tickets 10 conduct his
business with the picGers during mar
vest time.
The scene ON a cranberry plantation
in the picking season is picturesque.
/ Down upon their knees in long zig
gag line stretching from one side Of
the bog to the other girls dressed in
calicoes and giughams, and with long
bonnets con,calng many pretty
faces pick berries next TO bright-eyed
boys. The pici;cr- chatter all the day
through. The setting Of the sun is the
signal for IA song in a chorus where
every voice il mingled. and The Old
Folks at Home, or some other familiar
plantation song rings out clear. strong
and sonorous. waking the echoes of
the hills around.
When the plantation is stripped Of
its fruit there is dance in the long
two-story cranberry storage house.
The girls. showering in ringlcts about
their faces or streaming in long. dark
tresses over their plain-cut gowns; and
the boys, beardless and moustached
congregate and await the pleasure OF
the floor manager TO give the signal
"get your partners for a plain quad
rifle" The fiddlers Cat least two, often
three of them. high above the foar
upon platform of packing crates, are
ready to begin the music. Away with
rush 60 twenty sets OF merry makers.
in and out through the figures OF the
old-fashioned dance. The only inter-
mission in the nights fun is the en-
joyment of the supper, spread on long
tables in the second story OF the build
ing.