New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23

AN INDUSTRY CARRIED oN RY ITALIANS
~ THE NORTHERN WARDS


perhans the smallest surely one - me most
uncertain and meagre I'm its results OF ih' dozens
Of little Industries Of Now-York and rs suburbs Is
rho nicking OF field mushrooms. Not even the hum
hlest old woman or the poorest man could mop" 20
make a living az II. and yet up IN me northefn
wards of the city where there are broad helds and
soggy bits of ground untouched hy ne builder.
some scores OF people exc ont their pre'arois i've
lihoods I'm hunting for these table deli'a'l's once
a bosketful is collected. they are sure OF 5000
nr,ce at some Of the big grocery stores uptown or
down I'm Washington Market. sometimes As mu'n
ne 20 TO % cents pound even. for th"r" Is no oh''
market that fuctuates Ike that FOR mushrooms'
one day down to 10 cents and "A plentiful supply on
hand: three days later held up beyond the Holar
mark and the wholesalers have most Of m" -'ock
So it has come to pass that the thrifty Italians
scattered beyond the Harlem RIVER nave many u
them gone into the mushroom trade. ana knowing
TO "a nicely just where these rare vegetables fr" .
be found keep watch over these places. ospecaiy
from this time Of the year on. Days WI 20 by
when not a single mushroom VIII rear ~ "hii'h'-s
above the dank soil in which they hest grow. and
tho prrnv Italian pickers VIII turn 10 other JOBS.
The next trip they make. perhaps only i' t''''"-
ing day the ground will be dotted with mushrooms
and the baskets will be full upon their return
II IS one OF the curious thingS about IN" mush-
room trade In New-York that while most OF 10
nickers i'm the suburbs men. the sellers are OH
women and boys. Seldom f. a man laden WIN
mushroom basket seen toling along m" sFe''S j"
the vicinity Of Washington Market, though some
afternoons a score OF bent "ialanas. NrihN"l
and dirty. and as many ragged boys. may b" found
vending their way 10 the vegetable dealers "ho arc
known 10 buy mushrooms by the quantity An
other thing equally curious is that n one Of these
women or boys appears in sight. I'D" dealers Aio"
that mushrooms are COINS 10 Do plenty f'r' -
closely do these ans-muShroom PICKING Is
pretty well confined TO them-keep track ~ no
fI,rsss hat trh
crop" Is gathered and the ground swept c''an
within a few hours after 1, has come out Of ne
earth.
one mushroom basket after another appears \.
the entrances to the stores on such afternoons anu
the bearers OF them are eagerly "el''h"i Ff"
mushrooms by no means supply the N'"-iofA Or.
mand which + increasing every year. many of
the cheaper restaurants now serving them ou'
they help out the stocks I'm the markets very ma
terially Despite the high prices mushrooms "hs
h.re-far higher than IA Franc" mushroom Gun,
walton I'm this country has never been mncn oi p.
success. Twice tho present supply roHl ,'a1'sy
be disposed Of and The know l"fge oi mn. has n.
past wears induced several Fr'nchn'i to som'
over here FOR the express pUrpos" ~ raising mem
But none OF these men has mot WIN ntcn ~"
despair There seems 10 he somcthirs wrong N
this country for mushroom cultivation. so me." ~
I'm the soil and atmosphere Just what d"
body quite knows 49,, ,,...,on
Nevertheless eNlsrimen's 90 ms dlrecuun
have turned ont well There IT, nis musnip9 si
farm" out at Jamaica Long Island ana on ss,
sado-ave Hohoken. "A naiiv" ~ ftn.' W. n,
had layge experience In this lin" iA- nuulue, "a
caves" a. the, are called. literally iunn's a"t
cellars whore I'm wet soil and one 30 me t''err "a.
the suns RAYS mushrooms are best sro"h, -,
is said to be the biggest mushroom 50 49,
i'm America There - also COMPANY ~ - A.,
them in Northern New-Jer~'y ana ah'N'i ~ ~.
of the Penn,y lvania towns mat grow H., <eu.
and has contracts with some oi m. 't ~ ,t.r, a
York hotels aud restaurants 20 iNrh''a ..,,'-so.,
many hounds a week ~ nN'i iil'. ','.ei,,iy
the year The good prices mus Nio'n. ., *,
furnished viii bring can he seen rom I'D" ii, ~.
the company gets - cents a pound IT. ~ ,,,,ds
contracts call for from fifteen - '"'"N '~''
each week . Lob, A. there 10
Hardly a more strangely forrisi ~sis ~ .,o,rsa
be seen I'm the streets OF the ciif ln"h - ,h.ra
and boys bringing IN their wares ma i'''.'.N 80
to the dealers from door 10 door IL ]. . xew.
town markets OF Italy brought over il,o 80,
York FOR these people OF mo in"t"Hs 800
peasant type and the women. ola arg ~. ,esr
their nationality In the gay k'fcf'gl- oF'' -.
heads n not I'm other ways a. Vel ln'n IT,, ~. ls
men securing the fields. beniins over %" ".ia
swampy regions present sight mar one -
never expect 10 see beyond the frontiers 4" NV
Continent