The Van Buren press., 1893-06-10
CRAWFORD co.'s sTRAWBERY cRoP
Something Of the Yield and Cost u
Production.

Y
straw berry interests Of Crawford coun-
ty, Ark, have assumed such vast pro-
portions aud have proved such mines
Of wealth to those engaged in the cul-
ture Of this most delicious Of all small
fruits. that brief statement Of the
rise and progress Of this business and
some facts and figures Is to Its money
making qualities may not be uninter-
esting to the readers Of THE Press,
aud may be the means Of inducing
somo of the frostbitten farmers Of the
North. or the blizzard stricken, grass
hopper ourssd husbandmen Of the
Northwest, to forsake their wornout
lands and uncong .nial climate and
cast their lots In . country favored by
climate, water and everything that
makes life worth living above that Of
any other section Of Gods greeu earth,
|. 9. IN Crawford County, the banner
county Of this State for society, moral
ity, health, fruits, vegetables, etc, etc.
THE FIRsT Strawberries
grownin this county, except . small
patch here and there Tor home con-
sumption. was In 1855. In that year
Rev. c. Fl. Gregory, the President Of
the Hiram aud Lydia College. ut Altus,
In this State, moved to Crawfo Coun-
", and - an experiment, set out sew
on acres Of rawberrles for shipment
abroad. Our native farmers looked
on In wild-eyed wonder when the
reverend genflemen began to talk of
the profits he expected to reap from
the sale Of his crop; they regarded
him ~ visionary and but lltt!e remov-
ed from crank. The Parson fearing
the talk was only too true, sold out
to NJ. #. H. 6meltxer, who put his time
IS we'll as all his finance into the busl-
ness, and. needless Of the many jokes
cracked ut his expense, and the pre-
tiictions that he would glut the mar
ket and not make enough to pay ex-
press charges, kept to his. work,
attended to his business well aud the
second year his bnsiness nettUd him
81, 100. Then 1t was that our farmers
eyes were opened, and the succeeding
year others began to follow, and some-
thug like one hundred acres were
planted. Thus, from the small Begin
ming of seven acres In 1885, this in
dustry
HAS STEADILY INCREASED.
until to-day 900 acres would not re-
present the srawberry acreage Of
Crawford County. In fact, It has grown
to such proportions that this year .
regular straw berry train was put on
tho Missouri Pacific Road for the &C
comm0datio of the ahippers, which
made daily trips with refrigerator cars
to Kansas City, Denver, st. Louis, st.
Paul and other markets during the
season. This, too, In addition to the
Immense amount carried by the Pacific
and Wells Fargo Express Companies
over the Missouri Pacific and st. Louis
and SAN Francisco Railroads.
The great advantage Crawford Coun-
| ty has over other sections of our favor
cd State is the excellence of our fruit,
both in size and quality, its earliness
In ripening beginning this year the
18th Of April, and our superior trans
portation facilities, requiring but
twelve hours to reach the market.
And by the use of refrigerator cars our
berries 60 through as fresh as though
but one hour from the vine. The rates,
tn, by this mode Of shipping are we'll
worthy Of note. When refrigerat, v
cars are used it costs but little more
than
ONK-HALF EXPRESS RATES.
and the berries reach market In better
condition, not being subjected to the
atmospheric changes consequent upon
distant transpor tation by express. We
have before 10 photograph taken at
the strawberry farm representing
seven refrigerator cars being loaded.
Stop and think for . moment what
seven cars Of strawberries represent /:
Six hundred crates, Of twen,y-four
quarts each, to the car 10O, 800 quarts
vt 10 cents per quart, which represents
$40, $50 for one days shipping. And
this not IN average price, either, ~ II
10 estimated that the average 10 $3.50
per crate, while some years the more
early ones bring - high ~ $40.
One Of our largest growers. and he
10 perfectly responsible, Informed us
that four years ago he had three acres
OF berries. of which he was particular
ly proud; that he plowed and hoed
them thirteen times, and pulled up all
| the grass, and from those three acres
his gross receipts were over 81, 900.
Another grower has six acres from
which his gross receipts this year were
over 81 800. Those, Of course, are ex-
cepti0nsl cases, but show the possi-
bitities of this crop and demonstrate
that with proper care and culture you
really have . gold mine instead Of q
strawberry patch. Sixty cars were
required to transport the awberry
crop of this (Crawford) county this
season, which In round numbers net
ted the growers $00, 900. Few realize
the net profits that are made from IN
acre Of straw berries until the expenses
are calculated, beginning with the
preparation Of the land which, when
once D anted lass from six to seven
years. The following estimste Is about
ALL THE EXPENSES NECESSARY
to the cultivation and marketing an
acre:
Preparing ground
Plants and setting Il
| Culuvauny y
Picking, 1c per quart a
Shipping and commission 2;
Gross average receipts per acre lO(
Net profit for FIRST year q
This 10 liberal estimate of the ex-
penses, and from 1t will be seen that
on an average . grower will net $50 m
acre, where his land, except In berries,
10 worth but one-third that amount,
and aftAr the 7rat wear hiS land al.