Milford chronicle., 1926-08-06
2O,OOO,OOO QUARTS OF STRAWBERRIES
HARVESTED in DELAWARE THIS YEAR
m Prices Ranged From IS To rs Cents Box For Total Gross
Receipts OF Four To Five Millions OF Dollars Growers To naug
urate Inspection Service Next Spring

shipped largely Missionary, Kellogg,
Lupton and Candy berries. Bridge
vile which this summer developed
into a very active strawberry ship
ping center shipped chiefly Premier,
Lupton and Candy.
That the farmers of Delaware who
raise strawberries want to obtain the
same added profits in proportion for
their fruit that apple and grape
growers receive because of Govern
ment inspection, are now working on
plans to inaugurate U. S. Inspection
of strawberries next spring. So far
no state has had its berries inspected
and Delaware farmers in making this
arrangement will vie with strawber-
ry growers of Tennessee and North
Carolina, who are also planning to
have their berries inspected next
summer.
To Inspect Berries
The inspection service will be in
augurated at Selbyville, and if it is
as successful as it is expected to be,
it will probably be continued at
Bridgeville. For the first time this
year strawberries were sold in some
shipping points on the auction plan.
The farmer drove up to the station
with his fruit and the auctiOneer
asked for bids which were received
and the fruit sold Immediately thus
eliminating higher prices that in
years past had been offered by sub
seQuent buyers. Under the U. S. in
spectien method the Government
officials will examine the strawber-
ries on their way to the station and
mark them u. S. 1, 2, or 3. Then
when the grower reaches the station
he will tell the buyer that he has
gained the 1 or 2 or Missionary or
2 and the price and other details of
the sale will be effected much spec
der.
The plans for the inspection will
be worked out during the winter
months and arrangements made with
the Bureau of Markets of the State
Board of Agriculture to have the
necessary number of inspectors
ready when the strawberries are
ready next spring.
Factors In Good Season
The question has been asked, why
Delaware berries produce such Won
derful returns to the growers this
year. According to officials of the
State Board of Agriculture, there
were many reasons that entered into
this condition. While none of the
states where strawberries are a big
crop were short this year, Delaware
berries seem to be just a bit better
than many others. The cool weather
made it possible for Delaware ber-
ries to reach market in fine condi-
ton and the fact that growers have
realized it doesn't pay to top off,
crates but that the fruit shall be the
same on the bottom layers Of crate
as on top, has added to their credit
in the big city markets.
Another reason is that through the
Bureau of Markets the distribution
of Strawberries this summer covered
a much wider territory than ever
before. While the truck service COW
cred shipments Of berries within a
few hundred miles, the railroad
transported Delaware berries as far
west as Chicago and to many points
in Canada. The Canadian market
seems to have developed considerab-
ly in the past few years. Buyers
from Canada Commission firms came
to Delaware and remained in the
strawberry section throughout the
shipping season. They were thus able
to obtain the kind of berries they
wanted.-Sunday Star.