Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-03-30
STRAWBERRY CROP
RUSHED TO MARKET
New Cooperative Sales Plan
Aids Growers, Who Hope
to Get SIS, 100000.
ny j. G, ROYLE,


Special Dispatch to The Star .,' ..-
HAMMOND, La, March 30.-The
straw berry shipping season began
here in earnest today, and within the
next 10 weeks growers in this great
fruit belt will have received between
1000, 900 and $4,000, 900 for their crop.
Prices now are well above IS a crate
and there is every expectation that
they will average around $3.50 for the
entire season.
The return to the farmer for his
fruit has been practically doubled in
the last year due primarily, to the
remarkable system of mark ting
originated by Charles Weinberger of
New Orleans.
New Marketing Methods.
There are today in Hammond be-
tween 60 and 20 buyers representing
fruit companies all over the United
States. Under the system installed
by Mr.. WeinbeTger. they gather at
I o'clock each evening and buy al
auction, under competitive bids, the
berries picked and shipped that day.
The farmer knows exactly what
price his fruit brought, and who
bought il. There is no chance that
any agent or commission man can
hold out" on him and he can" tell
a
stands on the season.
The growers start picking and
packing as soon as il is light. The
buyers visit the packing sheds, where
the fruit is being put in crates under
the eye of a State inspector, and
gain a definite idea of the quality
and condition of the fruit shipped
that day. BY II O'Clock the farmers
are bringing in their crates to the
frigerator cars. which have been
thoroughly iced the night before.
shipped 10 Rail Center.
These arc pulled out northward
| long before the berries are bought
| or their destination fixed. They are
| consigned to the Strawberry Grow
ers Selling Co, Inc,,' at Mounds, III.
| The buyer of q carload of berries
| has Is hours in which to determine
! it's final destination. since from
| Mounds il can be diverted North,
! East or West, as market demand die
/ tates.
| Through organization and financing
| of the Strawberry Growers Selling
! Co. Weinberger has brought ire
mendous progress TO the farmers OF
| this section in other ways. The com
| pany disposes Of about 65 per cent
| of the berry production of this sec
| ton. Many Of the growers are stock
holders, but it is not cooperative.
| The Company Owns Farms.
The company owns and operates
the Hammond Electric Light plant
| ice plant and bottling works. I
operates a complete box and crat.
factory, it manufactures strawberr,
| wine under permit for sacramento
purposes. and puts berries whicl
would spoil in transit into "colr
pack for sale later. Large farm!
are owned and operated by the com
pany itself, which also makes JAM
and jellies.
The corporation finances the farm
err. supplies him with fertilizer. seed
icups and crates practically at cost
ices the cars which carry his fruit o.
the warehouse where it is stored
sells and distributes ii for him, witt
charge of 10 cents crate for sell
ling.
The company provides houses fo
| the families working on it's owl
farms and has built schools for tn.
lchildren OF the district Many Of tn,
| farmers Of the section are of foreign
birth, Sicilians, Germans. Hungaria ms
| French and other nationalities being
represented.
For the years there existed deer
and bitter racial antipathics anc
hatreds, but these are now dying GU
and the farmers becoming American,
! lied, as A result of the operation o.
! modern business methods which have
produced prosperity and cooperation
Mr.. Weinberger has been decorated
| by the King of Italy for his work il
| behalf of the Sicilians.
| Other fruit growing districts ar.
asking Mr.. Weinberger, who is vic,
president of the United Fruit Co. FOL
! information to enable them to install
similar systems of growing and sell
! ing in Mississippi, Arkansas and Ten
tneSSee.