New-York tribune., 1901-05-26
STKAW AWBERRIES
A SHORT SEASON EXPECTED THIS YEAR
DELAWARE AND MARYLAND
FURNISH MOST OF NEW
YORKS SUPPLY
YORK'S SUPPLY.


shihe' with either very wet very dry weather
10 make a good berry crop and as the condi-
LIONS nave not been favorable for the growth of |
the berry this spring the prospect is that the
season viii be a short one and the supply some
what less than last years. The height of the
strawberry season is usually during the week !
beginning with Memorial Day. and generally |
from seventy to eighty carloads day are
sent from Maryland and Delaware alone to
NewYork during that week
Strawberries be had from early winter
usually the latter part of January. until late in
July, but the first and last months of this sea
Son find them scarce and high priced The first
come from Florida, and this year they We're
poor and sweet. \ few weeks later the
berries in the Carolinas ripen: they usually !
sweeter and more inviting Next to come are
those from Virginia, and in and around Norfolk
vast quantity of berries is grown each year.
These often sandy and tart, but usually
highly colored and have ready sale. Before
the Norfolk supply is exhausted the berries
from Maryland and Delaware, and for
three or four weeks the supply is large and
the quality fine. After these the Jersey
crop. which is smaller than in the other States,
and, last, the berries from New-York State.
These always excellent.
Each section of the country has its favorite
strawberry, and each season sees varieties
put the market. In North and South Caro-
lima they grow the Hoffman, and this season
they have put out the Mckinley. which is
sweet but not of a very deep red. In the neigh
borhood of Norfolk and throughout Southern
Virginia the Lady Thompson is raised. In
Florida they cultivate the Laudy and in Mary
land and Delaware the Candy Prize. the John
sons Early and the Candy prime favorites
New-Jersey has for years been faithful to the
Charles Downing, and the Candy divides hon
with it in that State. In New-York the truck
farmers have several fine varieties. the Allan
tic grown in and near Oswego, being among the
best; il stands the long railroad journey with
LITTLE. damage
The farmer begins his work frost
leaves the ground, and not only does he put his
patch in order. but he provides himself with
quantity of boxes and crates. These he stores
the field, and just the berries
begin to turn red he engages his hands to
help pick. for the crop is short one. The fruit
IS put in the baskets just it comes to mar
ket and the baskets packed in crates, the
average size being thirty-two quarts. though in
some localities forty-eight and even sixty-four
quarts used. At the railroad station the
crates either marked for the commission
house in New-York that is handle them or
sold outright to the many Spectators who |
spend the season in these towns and buy fruit.
As the train starts kilograms sent
telling the price paid the number shipped to
each firm and the total number from the station.
In this way the merchant in the city keeps
posted to the supply in the country. In
order to do this every large firm keeps agent
at each railway station throughout the produc-
ing States Usually he receives a small per-
centage OF the commission charged for selling the
berries and thus it is to his advantage to pro-
cure as large shipments possible for the
firm
The carloads Of fruit reach the yards about
midnight of the day they are shipped, and the
carmen of the New York merchants on hand
to unload and carry the hundreds of crates to
the stores in the lower West Side of the city.
few are taken to Gansevoort Market but
the bulk of the wholesale fruit business in New
York City is done between Dey and Franklin
sts.
The berries are bought by iobbers, who in
furn retail them TO the grocers and venders,
and they are also purchased by the agents from
other cities who in wild rush to get them
on board the early morning trains or boats that
eo nm the river and down the Sound. All this
work is done before daylight and before u
O'clock each morning return telegram mas
heen sent TO the agent in the country town tell
ing him the price at which the berries have sold
AT wholesale and informing him how many to
buy for the next days supply.
Ferries like everything else, are regulated IN
,,e;r rrice by the law of supply and demand,