The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-19
Marketing is Most Costly Item
in the Bill.
THE CROP ENORMOUS ONE
Ground is Cultivated as Carefully as a
Garden, and Weed is Fought Like
Very Demon--Prlco Of
the Land.
fsnecinl tn rha Times. .plapntch

Especial 70 Inc llneh.DlBpatCn.D
NORFOLK, VA, May 1S.--Knee- deep
in Strawberries Strawberries by the
wagons load, the carload, tho boat-load,
the train-load! Acres OF Strawberries
Miles Of Strawberries! Millions OF them
cleaning red among the emerald of the
vlnes--the air OF the truck farms heavy
with the fragrance OF this queen Of the
berry lngdom-strawberries the one
topic on the farm and in the city. among
rich and poor, white and black
The foregoing paragraph may be re-
garded as the notes OF trip made to-
day through the trucking section Of Nor
folk county. on Western Branch The
farmers said that later In the season
they would discuss other things that
grow out of the ground. but that now
the strawberry must have the right OF
way And we'll the growers may devote
SO much thought and work to the berries.
There are many hundreds of thousands
OF dollars involved in the crop. And the
men who own the farms on which the
berries grow are not whit more m
terested than the thousands OF negro
men and women and children who pick
them in the field. For in the last analy-
sis 1t Is q question of bread and meat.
ENORMOUS CROP.
The crop this year is enormous. It's
value Is conservatively estimated at one
millions dollars. Tho prices have all
years. The crop has ripened very slowly
and gradually, so that 1t is possible to
nick the fields clean every day. In ordl-
nary year RS, especially towards the latter
end OF the season. a great many berries
are lost through the crop ripening 80
quickly 1t cannot be gathered before
spelling. AS usual this year, there has
been difllculty experienced in securing
labor but there has been no great COM
plaint on this score, and the crop has
been we'll taken care Of. AS result, the
farmers have secured large returns for
berries received in market in fine condi-
ton. !.
Though prices have been so good. IT
must not be thought that what the farm
er gets is all profit. 1t costs more to mar
ket Strawberries than wheat or corn or
potatoes For this aristocratic member
Of the vegetable kingdom has to pc
treated with utmost care In every period
OF Its life, especially when it Is In the
fullness at matured perfection. The
hundreds of negroes sprawling out IN a
field, filing square quart baskets with the
berries appear to be quite careless IN the
ma nner of handling them, but when they
bring the boxes to the shed, 1t is OBJ
served they set them down with great
care, and that a crushed berry cannot
be seen. And SO on until the fruit IS on
the table, tempting the palate or the
consumer. The quart baskets are care
fully packed in crates Of sixty each.
and the top of the big box is locked. II
the average baggageman were half as
careful of the trunks committed to MS
care as the farmers and freight handlers
are of the strawberry crates, the term
baggage smasher would not be so com
mon and 50 appropriate, The The orawny, AMY, ,
loads of Grated berries in the freight
sheds in this city do not appear to be
exercising care In the operation, but IT
may be noticed that each Of the big
boxes Is placed on the truck and lifted
off as though It contained Venetian
glass or Sevres china.
EXACT CALCULATION.
The cost of producing strawberries for
market, while considerable, has the ad-
vantage Of being capable of exact cal
culation. Mr.. John II. Bassett, who re-
sides on a magnificent farm of ol3 acres.
several miles from Portsmouth, called
attention to this fact to-day.
AFTER you have your field of straw
berries" he said, "you can always count
on 1t costing two cents quart to have
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