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

farmer. He is usually employed as over
seer in the field at wages of 81 so a day.
The farmer pays this, and gives him
his board. From the laborer he gets so
cents for procuring the job, Is cents a
month as an Offering of good will, and
sUndry profits from food and supplies
that are brought down from the city. Al
together he makes pretty good thing
of it.
A farmer usually requires three berry
pickers to an acre. The strawberry beds
on farm run anywhere from 25 acres to
goo acres. If farmer wants 200 picke.s
he oonsults a contractor, who knows
where to put his hand on them in Phila-
deIphia. Some of the berry pickers live
in New Jersey the year around, and trust
to luck in finding odd jobs through the
winter, but the majority of them come
back to the city when the berry season
is over.
When q farmer can do so, he likes to
have family pick for hi1n-say man,
wife and three children. 1t simplifies the
problem of housing them. A family of
this size by working five hours a day
while the season lasts will often take
home $500 for their bank account as the
result Of the seasons work after paying
all expenses. The rate never varies-one
and one-haf cents a quart, whether the
season is good or bad, or the berries large
or small.
AS fast as the pickers bring the berries
into the shed they are given tickets show
! ing that they are entitled to pay for so
IS very much like the miners ton Of coal
Heaplng measure is required of him. The
quart of berries sold by the city huckster
is nothing like the quart of berries ship
ped at the farm, so far as standard meas
urement is concerned. The growers say
| it is by manipulation Of measurement
that the city huckster can buy berries
that cost cents quart at the farm
and sell them at cents In this city and
still make a handsome profit. There are
! tricks in all trades.
HOW THE PICKERS LIVE
It is nothing more or less than camping
out for these pickers in berry time, but
they seem to enjoy It and thrive under
it. Aside from their wages the farmer
gives them nothing but shelter water and
straw. 1t has been found more profitable
supply, and they prefer it. The farmer
| has large barn for their accommoda-
ton, partitiOned off as the eXigencies of
the families and single men require.
About all that can be said of 1t is that
it is waterproof Some of the pickers
bring beds from from the city with them
The majority do not, They get plenty Of
clean straw, and they prefer a shake
down. In the hot weather they sleep out
of doors.
! The women take turns N doing the
| cooking. They live much more after the
true Italian fashion than they do In the
! city. The soup is always on the fire,
| Gypsy fashion, swung on poles out of
! doors. Weekly shipments Of spaghetti
L 7.
There are half dozen places around the
! strawberry fields where they can bake
the Italian bread, valued chiefly for it's
staying powers. 1t is not baked in tins.
A stone oven is heated with brush and
! wood to point that only an Italian baker
! understands Then all the fuel is swept
out and the oven is washed. After the
washing the stones are hot enough to
bake the huge loaves of dough that are
put into it. When they can get this
bread the Italians will eat no other
The average days work of Sthe straw
berry picker is five hours. They must be
! in the field when the dew is on the vines
The farms are divided into patches, each
| of which is gone over every other day.
! Sometimes, when there Is a rush on the
market, the pickers work overtime, but
! it is exhausting and they do not like it,
After work is over they sleep in the aft
ernoon. In the evenings they camp I'M
der tree nea. some saloon. sing, dance
and "chase the duck"
The overseer usually advances money
ffor, this, and orders the picl1ers home
If he sees that their amusement Is like
/ ~ to interfere with the next days
picking. He is the autocrat of the straw