The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-01
STRAWBERRIES.

IulS Is the SIDJ6cG OIL Du16G1u 10 OI
Kentucky Station. From tests at
that station and data furnished by
130 of the largest berry growers in
the State, this bulletin is compiled.
Interest in the strawberry, both as
an adjunct to the farmers garden
and as market crop, is undoubtedly
on the increase. The large and grow
ing cities upon our northern border
afford a good market for early ber-
ries, which the fruit growers of Ken
lucky are in just the position to profit
by. Nor should the smaller towns
be overlooked when the strawberry
grower is seeking a market. Expe-
rience has shown over and over again
that in shipping to large cities the
farmer and gardener often neglect
a near but smaller market, which,
with some attention could be made
to return much larger profits, at least
for limited quantities, than do the
large city markets, which receive
such enormous quantities Of perish
able products that they must some
times be sold at loss.
The importance of cultivating the
smaller cities and towns as fruit mar
kets is further very emphatica1ly
shown by the replies of CORE
spondents. Those who have sold
their crops in smaller markets have
as a rule received 2 or 3 cents per
quart more than those who have
shipped to the large markets of Gin
cinnati, Louisville and Chicago.
The last season was an unusually
favorable one. From reports of 130
leading growers it is found that the
average yield was 3,4OO quarts, or
about 100 bushels per acre, and the
average price received 81 cents per
quart, average net profit ~ cents
per quart, or about $3.50 per acre.
Many growers exceeded those figures,
some reporting nearly or quite twice
X y
And it is a significant fact that those
producing the largest yield usually
secured the best price per quart.
They were up in every detail of the
business.
The pickers employed are men, wO-
men and children, both white and
black, and prices for picking range
from to 2 cents per quart. Near
the larger cities, where pickers are
abundant, they can be had cheap.
Less is also paid for picking large
berries than small ones, because it
requires less time to pick a quart.
The practice of branding each crate
of fruit with the grower S name and
the variety of fruit in some neat de
sign, is an excellent idea that has
been adopted by d few growers. This
is an inexpensive form of advertising
that helps to create a demand for a
growers product if his fruit is uni
formly good.
The varieties first in popular favor
remain about the same as they were
two years ago, Bubach still easily
holding first place among growers
for market, followed by Haverland,
Candy, Crescent, Michel and War
field.
The Michel, while not very much
esteemed in the eastern part of the
State, is generally of considerable
value in western Kentucky for ship
ment, because the entire crop can be
rinened and gotten to market before
the glut of later berries arrives, SO
that, although not a very productive
variety, it fills a very important place
| in their crop.
Of the varieties recommended as
| DOllinatOrs of such standard varieties
as Bubach and Haverland, the varie-
ties most frequently mentioned and
in their order are: Candy, Michel,
Lovett. Enhance and Woolverton.
One grower suggests removing the
mulch from Bubach and Haverlaud
at later period than from the Candy,
thus bringing their blooming period
into closer conformity.
The bulletin divides varieties into
three classes-good, bad and doubt
full. Following are the three lists
from a Kentucky standpoint:
Good: Aroma, Bubach, Crescent,
Enormous, Candy, Gardner, Green
vile, Haverland, Ivanhoe, Lovett,
Margaret, Michel, Rio, Warfeld.
Bad: Annie Laurie, Banquet,
Beecher, Chairs, Cyclone, Eleanor,