Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-06-02
TOMATOES ARE A
SHY vegetable
UNUSUALLY SCARE THIS YEAR
AND COSTLY, TOO.
STRAWBERRIES NOT GOOD
Quality far Below Avcrngc--Drouth
Curtails Missouri CrOp-Lcmons
Get Call.

Don't figure too positively on hav-
Ing tomatoes for your Sunday or any
.othcr day dinner. Tulsa grocers say
that tomatoes are unusually scare
this year New cabbage, new pota-
toes, carrots, beets, turnips, okra, eau
lIflower, carrots, asparagus, are In
plenty. only tomatoes among fresh
vegetables are scarce.
The strawberry crop is also short
The grocers are complaining that the
~ erries received the last two or three
y weeks aro not Of good quality. The
drouth Is said to be responsible. A
R'cw dewbcrries and cherries are on
che market but the greater part OF the
'rop is not in yet,
"A Most Of the strawberries reach
Tulsa from South Missouri, where
growers at Neosho, Anderson, Sar-
Foxle and at other shipping centcrs in
feiouthwest Missouri lost approximate
ely 100000 through the long drought
which was broken by slight rain last
SMonday, but which was so severe that
Mt cut to ten days the period Of the
'arload shipping season, which should
Chaye run from four to six weeks Writ
ually every berry picker has left the
fields and only the natives remain to
harvest what little remains OF the crop.
hCarload shipments from the chief ber-
Cry centers quit last Friday and only a
few scattering express shipments are
Cnow being made. Usually the carload
shipments begin about May . and
continue until June 10. In excep-
ltionally good years the shipments have
Continued until June 30.
The drought turned a year OF great
sspromise into one of the poorest sea-
csons on record. At the beginning Of
Sthe season, about the middle Of May,
cthe demand for berry pickers was
stronger than it had ever been before
in the history Of Southwest Missouri,
and thousands Of men, women and
children, equipped with tents and
Camping outfits, flocked to the berry
fields. For almost a week, despite the
" dry spell, which began to be felt about
N!!May 10, the carload shipments were
mIunusually heavy and the quality Of
the berries unexcellcd. A drenching
rain even after the fruit began to feel
tho scorching rays Of the sun, would
have saved the crop, but the days drag
gcd without a sign of moisture and
last week the pickcrs began to return
from the fields. The close OF the
week saw the return Of virtually all
the pickers when. under ordinary
conditions, the would have enjoyed
lucrative employment for several
p.more weeks, No matter how general,
nor how prolonged rain might now
a4bc the strawberry crop Of 1917 in
Southwest Missouri cannot be saved
| from being a dismal failure.
There are no grapes yet hut ba-
% nanas and oranges are selling well,
, and there is a biz demand for lemons,
: Lemons are great sellers In tho sum-
{ mer time" said a Tulsa merchant yes
a terday People use them in serving
4 cold meats, with salmon, in ice tea
b. and fixing up salads and, Of course,
I in lemonade. A great many persons
h. eat them raw, also"
D Fish and meats are about the Same
v now as in the winter time. Chickens
are rather high, but there IS a good
demand for them. Dressed, they are
selling at 35c per pound,