The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-01-17
MEssENER. FRIDAY JANUARY II. 1908

every year IOr SA years. w Aal oie
you going to dol"
81 want to figure little" replied
Mrs. Bowser as she got pencil and pa.
per.
"But what's the use? Scruggings and
I went over the figures three different
times to be sure about them"
"Yes, but Wen go over them once
more What sort Of a farm have you
In miud?'
why, about 200 acres TO begin On.
think we ought to exchange even up -
"Yes. but that leaves you without
capital to begin the strawberry bust.
ness
Capital! What do we want of cap
itaI?"
Perhaps you wont want any, but
well see. The first thing next spring
will be to prepare your ground. Ii
must be plowed two ways. dragged.
Ieveled and enriched Do you know
what the cost VIII be?'
"A mere bagatelle."
Just 50. If a man and 4 team pre-
pare two acres q week they are hus-
ting You'll have to buy the team,
Dlows, Grags and all that. If you are in
a hurry to get the plants in you'll have
to set four men and four teams at the
work You must have a windmill and
at least thousand feet of hose; mustn't
let your plants burn up in dry sea
son"
'There you gor' shouted Mr.. Bowser
as he rose up to walk around. Il knew
you'd he making figures before you got
through"
I'VE have to, you know. Wen say
your hundred acres are all prepared
and you have got your well. your wind
mill, your pipes and your hose. Now
come your plants. What did Mr
Scruggings say he should ask per hun.
dred?'
"He-he didn't say"
"Weil, put it at so cents a hundred.
They ask that even for the common
plants. think they put 400 plants to
the acre. That's 10000 plants. The
man who sets out an acre of plants per
day is doing well. You can keep one
?, oan at it hundred days or hire five
mo 4 for twenty days each. The cost
will be the same"
"By Thunder, Woman!"
"Rv thp> 7der, woman, by thunderw
o.sned NJ ,3owser.
"Those acres must be weeded and
watered and the runners cut off the
plants. Many will naturally die and
must be replaced. Yon must hire four
or five men to do all this
"Never. woman: never In this cold
world! You simply sit there making a
fool Of me. By John. but how you
would like to see me on the way to the
poorhouse! How you would chuckle"
And now" continued Mrs. BoWser, |
we viii say your hundred acres Of |
strawberries are ripe. They have got |
to be picked. You must figure on . |
GEMS Il quart f0" that and on at least ;
200 richers. Then they must be boxed !
and !
Enough! Enough! l won't listen to |
another WOrl!'
THEY must be boxed, carted to the |
depot and shipped. You must figure !
tidy sum f.: the boxes and the rackine |
and shipping, You ma also have to |
hire ez.t,o cams for thirty days. If |
your berries are rUt OF, on a firm mar |
zct. you viii y i good price; if not |
t!len you W0It set enough to pay for |
the sk,Dnia& Again
"t'i1c:e is 10 again about itr' shouted |
2Ir. BOWser
Again, if it should happen to be a |
rainy season.
'Will you stop?"
"Certainly. You said you could make
$4,000 out of Strawberries the first |
season. l was merely showing you
that
THAT you didn't believe it, that ii
couldn't be done, that 1 am the big |
yest jackass in America, that you
hats the part you think a wife ought
10 play. If some one offered me a gold |
nine for Is cents, you'd sniff at it |
BY thunder, woman
And he rushed down the hall aad
,lapped bis hat on his head and rushed |
outdoors and disappeared in the dark
less Of the autumn evening, and when
le came stealing upstairs four hours
ater he was whispering to himself:
""Ten shousand dollars first year, and
er Bowsher strawberry takes 'er cake
,ver everythingr' NJ. QUAD.