The Mena weekly star., 1916-07-20
DISCUSSION OF
 THE STRAWBERRY
Hollister Full Contends That Sue oesefuj Marketing Depends on Uniformity in Variety-FayOrs
 inc Aroma for This Locality.

A room full of interested straw
 berrv men met last Thursday, July
 i9 over the Planters State Bank
 for the purpose of getting the
 strawberry industry started in the
 vicinity of Mena, Ark.
 It is conceded by any and all
 horticultural men that. when prop
 erIy handled as a commercial crop,
 there is none better than the straw
 berry It has often been said that
 fine Lord might have made a better
 fruit but that he didn't and we find
 in popularity there is no fruit to
 exceed it. unless it be the apple.
 The berry. as a commercial crop,
 must be handled systematically.
 Anyone can grow strawberries. but
 10 produce them commercially the,
 community must grow them, which
 means, unity Ill thOt and action
 To sell them successfully. the car
 load is the unit for which all must
 work. In buying, the other party
 wants a carload of uniform product
 little does he care if Smith, Jones,
 etc., each have few crates in the
 car He sells the car as a unit, con-
 sequently, must buy it as a unit.
 This phase of the industry brings up probably the most important thing to be considered when a dis eussion on the establishment of this industry m a community IS on, i. G.. a uniform variety for all. In the southern states, the most pODu- lar variety grown today is the Kl0ndyke. In quality, this is con- sidered a very inferior variety and for the home garden 1t would sell dom be planted, but when we study the conditions necessary to make the berry industry a success from a carload standpoint, we find few varieties superior to the klondyke, especially i'll its carrying qualities. In ripening season, it is considered to be a medium early In location, we find 1t seldom grown north of the Arkansas River in Arkansas, with but one exception, and that is in the so called Crawford county district just north of Fort Smith. It is grown in southwest Arkansas, east Iexxas and northeast Arkan- sas, largely on account of its ripen- ing season. It is also the aim of the growers in those territories to get their crop marketed before north 1 west Arkansas and southwest Mis- 1 souri berries come to market. In the two latter territories, the popu- 1 lar berry is the Aroma. As a mar 1 ket variety, this is one of the best | all-around varieties grown in the today. It's ripening | season. is a little later than the l Klondyke. 4 study of the ripening ! seasons show that east Arkansas, Crawford county and Seyier coun- 1 ty Klondykes all ripen before Polk | county Klondykes do and by the { time our Klondykes come to market, 1 the Aromas in the favorable loca- | tons north of us would be on the | and this would curtail the l sale of the KlOndykes. If we grow | the Aromas, We come in at a season | when the first of the crop is coming l t0 market and we can compete with | them in the northern markets, and l in addition 10 that feature, we san have the short haul and nearby | carload markets in the southern territory.
 This argument may be wrong, as it has never been tested as far as l Polk county is concerned, but with | our favorable geographical location ' we have access to markets in any | If the Aroma berry is | grown in carloads and came in soon { after the klOndyke berries from the ! same latitude of the state, it gives { Polk county a product against va rlety which is on the decline as re- | gards fruiting season, and which { will soon be of the markets alto- gether
 In addition to this feature, on ac- [ count of being so far south, tine Polk i County Aroma may be placed in the ! carload points of Oklahoma and | Texas in competition with any other i which might be shipping at 1. the same time.
 Both varieties, the Klondyke and ! Aroma, are good, but they have their i places and to make carload ship l ments success. one variety must { De selected. The Aroma's place on | the markets of the berry world cor responds to the Elbertas in the [ peach world, and the Jonathan or [ the Delicious apples. A good article | Of certain varieties will sell itself | and the sales over the Ozark terri tory the past spring show that car of good Aromas would bring fifteen | 10 twenty-five cents per crate over | the klondyke variety
 :, There is great deal to be said on ! thls subject, but growers should, If | possible, get started off right, If the | klondyke is to be grown, everybody | should grow that variety, but if | Aromas are to be grown, everybody | should grow that variety.
 The next berry meeting will be held oyer the Planters Bank at ? D. m on Thursday, July 27, and every body interested in this subject is | requested to be present. Tine ques- | ton Of sufficient acreage to make | car loads will be discussed and ey- eIyone expecting to grow berries should take part.
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