Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-09
PICKING STRAW BERRIES
How the Luscious Fruit is Gathered
Packed and Shipped.
ft as Early and Busy Work and Men,
Women and Children Are En-
gagged 1n 1t.


The strawberry season commenced ten
Gays earlier this year than last. consequent
ly lovers Of peace and quiet. who object 10
the cries Of the strawberry man, can con-
sole themselves with the fact that # will be
over ten days sooner. Unless there Is a fur
ther succession OF rains. the 18th OF June
will witness the departure of the straw
berry from the boarding house shortcake
and even as a high-priced luxury 1t cannot
possibly hold sway much beyond the 10th.
for though the crop is very abundant the
end thereof is likely to be sudden.
TIC the cultivator and the dealer II has not
been profitable season. for many reasons.
| The market price has varied as much as
stocks in Wall street, but much OF the time
crates OF sixty quarts have been selling at
wholesale for sl.Jo. which is only .02 IL a
box. At this rate the profit of the raiser is
extremely small, IL ii exists at all. The
least picker is ever paid is .0l per quart
consequently the possible profit Of the cul-
tivator is .o1 1-2 minus the expense Of tend
| ing the vines. the price of the boxes, the
| freight and incidental expenses. The huck-
| ster's profit IS more tangible, and is largely
| due to nice discrimination in the choice
4 OF boxes. All things are not what they
| seem, and many strawberry boxes do not
| hold quart. When the contents of small
| sized crate. holding thirty-two quarts, is
! emptied into the smaller boxes there Is a
| gain Of thirteen boxes per crate That is
! one reason why the strawberry man ad-
vertises his wares S'five cents a box in
] stead OF five cents a quart"
The supply for Washington.
| Washington is supplied principally by Nor
folk. by Fairfax county, Va. and Anne
| Arundel county. Nd. The commonest vari-
cites are the Sharpless long, pointed ber-
1 ry, and the Crescent a small, sweet one.
The Gandey. which heralds the approach
4 Inc NJ &c ,psI kzoas
preserving. The Early Lovetis the Eureka
| and many other varieties are also seen in
| the markets. Every year more people are
1 going into the business Of raising small
| fruits, and the strawberry seems to be a
| favorlte, perhaps because Il does not require
/ a great dcll of attention. The vines. in
4 the first place. are rather expensive, but
| they perpctuate themselves by sending out
| The same vine viii bear three seasons.
| after that the patch Is usually plowed up
and put into something else for year or
! two.
A day spent In a shanty of a strawberry
patch would render the frinest believer in
| the honesty OF mankind skeptic. The story
Of how the li,tle strawberry comes to mar
ket at the bottom OF the box and the big
| one on top would be a treatise on the moral
| obifqufty Of the human race. All along the
| line. from the shanty where they are pack
4 ed to the table where they are served eacn
| change of scene lie marked by the shiftinl
| Of the biggest berries to the top.
The Pickcrs at Work.
| II il an interesting sight to watch the
pickers at work. There are men, women
| and children of every shade, between lily
] white and ebony black. 1t is quite likely
that some Of Coxey's men are reaping q
| small harvest during the absence OF their
leader. as the farmers say there are many
| strange faces among the pickers. The work
commences at 4 O'Clock in the morning, in
| order TO get rid OF the "set'' in time 20 catch
the early trains and boats into the city
The earlier the berries get into market the
more likely they are to be disposed OF sc
the farmers would rather have 800 pickers
for six hours than half as many for double
| the time. A row lis assigned TO each one
and the overseer attends to Il that il is
picked Clean" as far as II is picked at all
| Armed with wooden trays, containing ten or
| twelve boxes, they Get to work on their
iswink." As the boxes are filled, they are
left In the row until the last quart is picked
when they are collected and carried 10 the
| shanty on the trays. 1t sometimes happens
That the man who has picked twelve quarts
| nnds only eleven boxes awaiting him In the
row. and then dark suspicion falls on the
pickers In his immediate vicinity.
II the overseer. or boss. as he is callei
now. does not interfere. the end sometimes
| social notorfety. though for the most
part the picksrs are too busy to be quar-
relsome.
Some Interruptions.
Strains OF Swing Low. Sweet Chariot"
! and 'Old Grimes is Dead" are occasionally
interrupted with the question. How many
| has yer picked?' or blocked by the entrance
| of luscious berry into the mouth, for a.
many of the pickers come without their
breakfasts. the biggest berries seldom reach
the city. Some bring "cole snack" with
them. and eat 10 at about 10 O'Clock when
they have become weary with well-domg
One producer has adopted the plan Of hav-
Ing on hand box Of horse ginger cakes.
knows nre thf best and the biggest cakes
that can be bought for a penny Not only
the little picker ninnies," but many Of the
older pickers as well. are glad to exchange
| q ticket for a cake. To make money is not
the idea; II Is simply TO keep up thier
strength 30 that they will not stop work.
Some Of the children, however, ind them 60
tempting that they pick all day and 20
home at night with neither q ticket nor a
cent In the little calico bags they Invariably
wear on q string round their necks In lieu
OK carrying q pocket book.
Sending Them TO Market.
The NEST exciting time OF the day is lust
before the wagon starts for the train.
The order goes forth for all hands TO s,op
work and bring in their boxes, whether
they have only one or a dozen. In they
crowd. many taking the trays on their
heads. The berries are deposited on the
fmprovised counter as fast as a pla,e can
be cleared for them. the ticket agent"
keeping q sharp eye on the pickers. for the
crucial test OF honesty is this general
press when II is almost impossible to count
the boxes of one before another commences
to unload. The packers hustle the boxes
into crates-takins time. however to PICK
out the incest ones for the upper layer:
the driver, with several volunteer assist
ants, leads the wagon and the strawberry
Is started on its journey TO the city
Whether his neighbor has gotten his or
an hour earlier, whether the commission
agent was able to dispose of the set" sent
the day before and how much longer tie
season Is likely to last are questions OF
great importance to the farmer
Then the pickers must be paid. The cal
leo bags are emptied OF their contents and
the tickets carefully counted-both BY the
picker and the packer. who also acts as
assistant cashier. Frequently they make as
much as 81, sometimes more and some
times less, according to the price paid per
tox and the number Of hours they are al
lowed to pick. for after the orders have
been gotten of the pickers are usually
dismissed till the next day.
ETHEL PATTERSON WRIGHT.