The Nevada County picayune., 1921-10-06

Prescott are interested in the growing of strawberr es commercially A meet ing was held last Saturday afternoon for the purpose of giving the matter consideration. There was suflicienC interest shown in the proposition to call another meeting for this coming Saturday afternoon when it IS hoped to get the organization started on it's way to success.
 Growing strawberries on q commer- cal scale for marketing in car lots is different proposition from growing a small patch for home consumption and supplying the local demands.
 First, m organization of the grow CTS will he required to make the proposition a success and the larger the number of growers who can be induced to go into if the better, pro vided they are in earnest and will do their part and be loyal to the organi zation. The organization should be ironelad, and formed and operated ac- cording to business principles. A loose gentlemans agreement will not do in d proposition of this kind.
 There is absolutely no question about much of the soils in this yicin- ity being perfectly adapted 10 the profitable growing of the strawberry, and, when the business receives the right kind of attention on the part of the grower, there is no question about there being large profits to he made in the culture of this crop. It will however, require persistent efforts on the part of the promoters to get the organization perfected, and determi nation and hard work on the part of the farmers to make a success out of the venture.
 commercial organization should not begin with less than 100 acres in berries. This should be the minimum. t does not matter how much there may be above 100 acres. It should be remembered that it is to he ear loading proposition, and the straw berry being highly perishable, must be placed under refrigeration as soon as possible after picking and crating. There must be sufficient acreage of good producing berries to load car every day after the season opens. The minimum weight on car of straw berries is 1000 pounds, and the standard 24-quart crate has an aver age weight of 3S pounds, which will require from 2S0 to 400 crates for a car load This would make an aver age of about ! crates per acre per day for ear loading on 100 acre basis.
 Strawberry growing is n perfectly safe business when given the proper attention The grower cannot expect to succeed if he negleets the crop and deyotes his attention to other things. The strawberry crop must have attcn- ton; still, the necessary attention is not hurdensomc. and exclusive of pick ing the fruit. not more than . hours per acre per week of labor will be required from April to September in order to keep the field clear of weeds and grass and the soil well pulveriz- ed
 Strawberry growing is not an eX pertinent. and il need not be so re garded in th's locality. It has been made very highly successful in the vicinity of Prescott. There are men right here now who are making a tremendous success of it. It is fool . ish for any man to touch it lightly. value. Large profits are being made out of the strawberry crop elsewhere in this State by farmers who are no better situated than the farmers around Prescott, and many of these farmers grow from ten to twenty acres each, the average being about 2 acres to the farm It would not, however, he advisable for inexperi- enced growers to begin with more than two acres, and gradually in- crease their acreage according to his experience and success in the venture. One man with the help of the mem bers of his family can handle from