The Little River news., 1921-04-27
Strawberryland Now in
 First Flush in Sevier

DeIue6n, Aprll Zo.-Ino people WnO live in Strawberry Land are fortunate indeed, for what could be more satis- good meals, than dish of large, full ripe, luscious strawberries, just from tue vine, sweetened to suit the taste and with the right amount of good rich cream, or goodly amount of strawberry shortcake? It is small wonder that the American Indians, who were so fortunate as to inhabit .his wonderful strawberry country, were wont to offer up special thanks giving to the Great Spirit, for the con- ing of the strawberry; we read that this was their custom, and we are in- clined to believe they must have lived in sunny southwest Arkansas.
 But a short distance north and northeast from DeQueen the county seat and metropolis of Sevier county, are gravelly hills, covering a consid- erable area that only dozen or so years ago was considered of very little agricultural value whatever. But the, far-sighted wisdom of a group of busi- ness men of DeQueen has demonstrat- ed the fact that there are few, if any, Localities in any state that will pro- duce better strawberries than the gra- velly hills mentioned.
 The writer took a drive a few days ago and felt well paid for the effort. Three miles out we came to the Pet Berry Farm of 40 acres with 20 acres in bearing. Adjoining the Pet on the north is the DeQueenland farm of 16O acres with so acres of bearing berries. Adjoining this on the north is the Big Four farm of 40 acres with 20 acres in bearing. All these farms are in one body, so that from the time we entered the Pet farm farthest south, we had been driving through one continuous strawberry field of 20 acres, just strawberries everywhere on every side. All three of these farms are owned by a group of DeQueen business men, with J. l.. Cannon as business mana ger for all three of the farms.
 Small City of Tents.
 At the north end of the Big Four farm we found tent city of about 100 new tents with several hundred persons. Some of the tents were occu- pied by families of father, mother and several children the larger the family the more they can earn when in the ] field. Here also we found that A. L.. Middleton, local picture show man, had established a moving picture show, | and we were told that he had as many | as 225 in attendance at one time. We also found commissary that furnish ed groceries and supplies, conducted by G. o. Alyea, a DeQueen business man.
 In going out to these big farms we had passed numerous farms owned by l individuals. They had from two to l lWClUy dCIcS Ol Dcdl OCli y PAuhIo, and they are still increasing their ac- reage Just off to the northeast of the 1 Big Four farm and adjoining it is the Hill Crest farm with B acres of bear ing berries owned by group of resi- dent railroad men, with J. T. Clayton as business manager.
 To the east of this group of farms, about one and one-half miles on the
 Wilson highway is the Klondyke Berry farm, with 35 acres of bearing vines, with J. T. Lamb business mana ger.
 Swarms of Workers.
 On all these farms are swarms of | pickers and packers, gathering in the luscious fruit and preparing it for | transportation to town in trucks, where it is loaded into cars and ship ped to the Northern markets, to find a ready sale at good prices, and it is needless to say that the financial re- turn from these gravelly hills is of no small importance. It also goes to prove that a thing as small as a strawberry, when produced in large quantities, can become an industry of large proportions. It has been but four or five years since this industry was started and no one can conceive of the proportions to which this in- dustry may be carried in the years to 1 nn,,n nc thnro ara still th0u sandc of