The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-16

tIclets they demanded cash for them
and went their several ways until the
money was gone. The poor farmer saw
his. delicious berries rotting on the vines
Sor want of hands to pick them.
This has led to the adoption of an
arbitrary system in wage paying that,
Il applied to any other business would
BAH for the intervention of a labor union
But the Italian strawberry pickers have
no labor union; and the system adopted
by the farmers suits their thrifty ideas.
When they come home in the autumn
khe funds in the little banks in the Ital an
colony wax fat, and the remittances
across the sea become prolific.
STRAW berry growing is a great deal Of
gamble for the farmer; almost as
much so as the stock market is to the
broker. There are so many contingencies
between the weather and the commission
merchant on which his profits depend.
He must watch the clouds and the usual
heralds of a storm as closely as g cap
tain on the bridge of his steamship at
sea. A heavy shower may sweep away
g weeks profits. A careless servant
who misses the berry train may make
that particular picking a dead loss.
The pickers are a sensitive lot Of per-
sons, apt to take offense at some fancfed
slight and go off to some other fssza
where they know ready employment
awaits them. This is not so easy now
as it was before the growers prevailed
upon country storekeepers not to cash the
wage tickets Of the pickers But If
eight or ten hands are dissatisfied and
want to quit they usually find some way
of collecting their money, and the farmer
81 Is helpless. Finally the grower has 30
bay the commission merchant 10 per cent
of the selling price, including the cost
of transportation, which the commission
man settles with the railroads. If there
is anything left the growers get 1t. But
in spite of all this in many localities the
farmer finds the strawberry crop the
most profitable crop raised.
GOOD AND BAD BERRY PICKERS.
Picking berries seems such a simple
thing that almost anybody could do it.
Not So The berry picker who does not
know his business can do more damage
to a farmers vines in day than he can
earn in wages in a month. There is
distinct lnack in picking berries, par
ticula.ly strawberries. Each berry must
be picked separately, close to the stem,
and still not short enough to spoil the
look IF the fruit as it lies in the box.
Strawberry stems are very tough, and
strong fingers are required for the work
For the first three or four days the
fingers of the women and children be-
come so tender that they cry with pain.
uhe Italians nave q IeHltTy OF II4elr OWL
for tougheniug the skin. They burn Il
piece Of ordinary glazed writing paper on
the bottom of a plate. or saucer. When
the fame has died out a dark colored oil
will he found adhering to the crockery.
The picliers rub their fingers in this oil
until they become as callouS as a horses
hoof
Berry picking is also a tremendous
strain CT the back The pickers are not
allowed to kneel down, for fearing Of
crushing the vines. They must bend to
pick every berry At first their bucks
become so sore that they cannot stand
up straight, and suffer all the pains OF
acute rheumatism For tcis, also. they
have their own remedy-a vile smelling
liniment, so pungent that it is enough
to drive anybody not accustomed re it
to tho woods. But IL cures.
The farmer and his assistants IN the
berry shed can tell bad picker the mo-
ment lie brings in his first crate of ber-
ries. In the first place his hands wifi
be stained. showing ;h@t ks mas not