The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-09-22
Strawberries Will
Have Important
Place At Fair

Inc folh county falr VIII nave
as one of its attractions Strawberries
from which Polk county draws it's
greatest revenue consistent with the
acreage planted. Strawberries are
in demand at attractive prices from
November until April and of course
can be furnished by Florida only
during this season of the year. Prices
early in the season, at Thanksgiving
and Christmas range above 81 per
quart and then gradually drop off in
price to not less than Csc per quart
at any time. At even the lowest
price there is good profit in ber-
rles and the man who can contract
his entire crop at zoe per quart de-
llvered at the platform usually
shows good bank account at the
end Of the season.
The berry grower in the north
considers himself lucky if his crop
or picking holds out for from three
to four weeks, whereas the growers
OF Polk county begin picking in
November and can continue till late
III July. Furthermore, with the in
tensive cultivation practiced in the
single and double row paintings, the
crops are much heavier and of finer
quality than those harvested from
the matted row as practiced in the
| north. The matted row, owing to
the great number of plants in
row, would appear to give about 20
| times as many berries as the rows
containing only one or two plants to
the foot. but owing to their con-
gested growth they very seldom
make a large berry and the small
berries they do make are insipid and
tasteless as compared with real
Florida strawberry.
Inc time is now ripe to have early
varieties planted, for if set too late
the bush will be too small to bear a
large number of berries. However.
any varieties. set in time will be in
! good condition for market and exhi-
bltion purposes at the time of the
fair in February.
In order to produce more interest
in strawberry culture, the Fair As
ISOLATION is offering some very at
tractlve premiums, in fact, more for
this exhibit than for any other which
will he listed. A premium of 81 for
the best quart of Missionaries, Klon-
dykes, Aromas, Mic Ohmre, Lady
Cannielle and Uncle Sans exhibited
each day. This is done so that
there shall be fresh exhibit of ber-
ries every day during the week. The
above you will note gives a premium
OF So for each variety. Besides the
individual quart premium there is
a grand prize of $40 offered for the
best exhibit made during the week,
points of winnings to count as well
as other quality features 1t there
fore behooves the growers to bring
in fresh berries every day of all of
his or her varieties and thereby
stand an excellent chance for the
grand prize to be awarded at the end
of the fair.
Owing TO unavoidable circum-
stances, our premium list has been
somewhat delayed getting into print
but it will be out the early part of
October and it is hoped that every
one seeing these articles will drop
the secretary, Mr. Edwin R. Schur-
man, a postal asking for a copy as
it is the intention to have every
grower in Polk county get a copy
and if possible show what he is do
ing in truck or citrus fruit. Our
premiums are all of good size in cash
besides which we have many special
premiums of merchandise and cups
which every exhibitor has an equal
chance of winning.
G.. j. LEWELLIN