Milford chronicle., 1916-06-02
sEAFoRD.
Good and Paying CrOps.

CantalOupeS rev years ago were
sparingly planted in lower Delaware
but today it is one of the best paying
crops raised on the farm. Farmer:
in Seaford and adjoining hundreds
began several years ago putting theil
best fruit up in fancy carriers, ano
putting their names on each package
That il pays to advertise and ship
only good fruit has been shown by
the unprecedented demand for Sea
ford cantaloupes. Not only are the
growers labelling their cantaloupes
but all other fruits. This has been
brought about largely by the refusal
OF the fruit buyers to ship anything
but fruit packages marked with the
name of the grower, resulting in the
shipment of the best fruit only. This
applies to watermelons and sweet po-
tatoes alike, and both are large fact
ors in the profit of farming in lower
Delaware.
Pickers Make Money and Have Fun.
Berry pickers are being brought to
SeafOrd from the adjoining Maryland
towns in large automobile trucks, to
which are attached wagons filled with
the pickers, their children and acces-
sories. The laborers are being hOus-
ed in specially prepared tents erected
on the farms where they are employ
ed. During the berry season they will
be fed at the expense of the farmers
and a sum agreed upon in advance
deducted from their pay at the end of
the season when they cash in their
berry checks The pickers seldom
see any money until the season clos
es. as to pay them cash before the
season is over is considered too risky,
the farmer fearing the less fortunate
growers, who were unable to secure
enough help, may offer sufficient in
ducements to get his help. The pick
ers have little need for money during
the season however, as all their needs
are supplied by the farmer, and in
most cases the pickers would rather
trust the farmer to hold their money
than take chances of being robbed
by some of the numerous "roadsters"
who infest the country roundabout
the strawberry fields This is the
season of the year when the colored
people are in their glory Work is
begun early in the day to enable the
growers to ship their fruit to the city
markets but the whole day is by no
means devoted entirely to work.
When the large automobile trucks are
loaded and start for the station the
colOred people begin their days plea
sure by hunting shady spots on the
farms, where they hold concerts, |
dance, play cards, shoot crap and
keep the fun going until late at night. |
Some of the pickers earn big wages,
especially a man with a large family |
Of children. All work, and at the end |
OF the season there Is usually enough |
due to clothe the entire family, in |
addition to having spent several |
weeks on a picnic. The absence Of |
tn enegrOes in the berry fields works |
quite a hardship on the white people |
who depend upon them for washing |
and cooking. It is the one season of |
the year in this section when the |
housewife is compelled to do most of |
her work, and those fortunate enough |
to keep a wash woman during the |
berry season are envied by their less
fortunate neighbors
The bulk of the pickers this season
are coming from Virginia and Balti-
more, and within the next ten days
the population of the Seaford district
will be increased by several hundred.
Il is expected that the crop of berries
this year will exceed that of last year
by several thousand crates.
Reports from the larger apple grow
ers in this section are to the effect /
that the early crop. particularly the
Yellow Transparent variety, is al
most ruined by blight. as well as the
other early varieties, but while the
fruits have been damaged the cool
weather has not damaged the veget-
ables and smaller fruits as was first
expected. and the wheat and hard
hard grains have been greatly bene-
fitted.
Miss Ruby Williams has accepted a
position as clerk in the Western I'm
ion Telegraph Office here during the
summer months.
All section men employed on the
Delaware Division and its branches
have been notified by the Pennsyl7t
vania Railroad Company of an eight
per cent increase in wages becoming
at once. V
Miss Elizabeth N. Lank, who has
been serving as vice-principal of the
Lewes High School during the last
year, has been elected to serve in that
in the Seaford High School
seXt term.
Examinations have closed in the
SeafOrd public school and the schol-
ars dismissed for the summer vaca- :
ion. Commencement exercises were
held in the Assembly Hall last Mon
iy night and the baccalaureate ser
non preached by Rev. ] J. Bunting
IN Sunday night
Since the United States Govern
nent issued a bulletin a few days ago
stating that dog sharks were good to q,
at, the industry is being INDUCED in :
o very extensively. especially in the
Fishing Bay and around Tangier Is 4
and, where they are caught in great =
numbers. Many and large shipments .
ire being made to the larger cities.
where the shark steak is taking the
,lace of a great amount of pork and
Ieef. 1t costs less and is more nour-
shing.
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