New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-22
B6RRY PICKING IN NEW JERSEY.

Uammonton. ~ j. July 81 epecian- Hammonton
Is rapidly becoming the centre OF the sma'i 'r"i'
Industry Of NewJerSey. especially berries ana at os
season the whole region IS hive OF indnstrS' Ha''
from NeU.York and Philadelphia are employed az
p,cSers and though their pay Is small they are SO
a,nert that they are able 10 earn good wages nom
the Italian point OF view. They bring their wives ana
children Including Infants and aside from what tnfy
earn they thoroughly enjoy the outing which Is u
them a picnic at once satisfactory and cheap
IIammonton is a sleepy old town. which has had
past and as u small fruit metropolis, now promises
to have q present and future. LAST easoii'
500 s5s quarts OF strawberries, 465,1l8 quarts OF
rasplerres and l37Os53 quarts Of blackbernes were
shipped from the town OF other fruits, lo'oo9
barrels OF pears, 49, 02 pounds OF grapes and lO23
baskets of peaches shipped TO the cities The
growers paid the Italians for picking Strawberries
slo4O7 "a; for picking raspberrtes. about the same
amount and S2O, 662.70 for picking blackberT1es.
A berry picking family doesn't trouble itself much
about baggage. An old bag made of bed ticking or
A greasy red bandanna handkerchief. amply serves
for trunk or vallse few pots and pans are strung
on stick and carried on the shoulder. II Is needless
to add that portable bath tub is never found among
their belongings, and the nearest they get 10 soap Is
,Se occasional use OF an empty soap box As Trunk
In lien OF the tick bag The c0mmssariat department
Is equally simple Enough Roman cheese, onions. ana
few venerable links OF bologna sausage are taken 70
last day or tWO ana IN aIdliOn 10 tlese, H" vi o
aristocrat have Jug Of red wine Some weeks before
the the growers tell the Italian agent
who farms the pckers how many pichers he
win want The agent then GOES 10 the cities and en-
cages tho hands required That they picturesque
lot, from merely artistic point OF view may be admit
ted but is pretty certain that they have not the most
remote consciousness N the fact. During the present
II Is estimated that there about 1000 Italians
working the fruit farms Of Atlantic and Camden
Counties who earn from 30 cents 10 S1.50 day, &C.
cording 10 their skill And they sleep In barns and
do their own cooking In outhonses or by the roadside
their living expenses not very heavy. Dinner Is
the prime pal meal and often be smelled long dis
lance away. and 1t partakes largely Of the nature
of social function.
The Fruit Growers Union was Incorporated IN 1885,
and has a membership ot nearly 600. Its store
and warehouse IS Of the finest buildings In Ham
monitor. II aims 10 protect the grower and supply
Nm with what he needs at nominal figure II also
relieves him u the trouble Of shipping the fruit.
The fruit picking enables the tramp TO earn
a little ready money In very easy way. Along the
Pea shore" they numerous, and paid Is cents
q basket for picking peas receiving checks for their
money. which interchangeable at the groceries for
provisions. Contrary % what might be expected. they
work hard but they eat and drink generously,
they little cash with them.