Smyrna times., 1929-06-05
DELAWARE'S RECORD BERRY
CROP FORCES PRICE CUTTING
MARKET DIRECTOR ESTIMATE
LOSS AT S1.50 A CRATE
Nearly 100000 Quarts Passed
Through State Before Years
Picking Season Was Over

GfOWefS OF strawberries IN Della
ware are winding up their season
which has been one of the biggest
for twenty years and the berries
were marketed at g. loss. Monday
last was the heaviest day in ship
ping in history when 47,1f7 crates
We're shipped in express cars and
motor trucks. This is aside from
the thousands Of crates which are
"cold packed" the fruit put into
barrels, each layer being covered
with sugar. These barrels are plac-
ed in cold storage and sold for ice
cream and other favorings.
During the past week there was
decided slump in the price of
Strawberries. Prices dropped to
$3.50 a crate of 80 quarts in
Bridgeville asd Selbyville, the two
chief Sussex county selling points.
The expense of picking is three
cents per quart The crates cost
so cents each so at $50 crate
the producers figuares show a loss.
Bridgeville, the northern point in
Sussex county, presented a busy
scene. The chief selling point was
at the railroad station. There the
farmers brought their berries, in
all sorts of vehicles. A man might
drive up in a good truck or the
family pleasure car, or an old col
ored woman with her mule, but the
automobiles and wagons all con
tanned Strawberries. A short dis
tance from the street there was
such heavy traffic that the vehicles
had to stop.
Men without coats, most of them
collarless, threw back the lids of
the crates and the buying was on.
Representatives of the packing
houses were there, men who bought
for the retail trade and some who
were buying to ship to distant
points. One man would offer a
dollar and q half, tais possibly
would be raised five cents at time
until the price was as high as any
one would go The owner got a
slip showing how many crates had
been delivered and the team would
&c on to an unloading point. Back
Of the buying section were rows of
motor trucks. On the siding We're
express and refrigerated cars. It
depended upon how the load was
sold as to where it would be un-
loaded Then back to his farm the
grower would 60, for while he was
disposing of his crop. nimble fng-
ers We're nipping more fruit from
the vines.
A fast-talking auctioneer worked
first on his right side, disposing Of
the crop to the highest bidder
Prices ranged from $50 to $3.50,
according to size, condition and
quality. He then turned to the
fruit on the other side and dispos-
ed of it. In minute or less the
transaction was ended. The driver
took his slip and went to the un-
loading point.
4,50O Acres of Strawberries
There are over 1900 acres Of
ground in Delaware devoted to
growing Strawberries. The season
sometimes lasts three weeks. The
man whose crop ripens first gets
the highest price. When the mar
ket is flooded with berries, as it
was early last week, the price
comes down. The ground where
the berries are grown is fiat and
interviewer with weeds. The pick
ing Is done by "pickers" Before
the berries ripen, entirie families
of foreigners move into the sec
tions And the whole family works,
excepting the very youngest Of the
children. The mother with small
baby will cradle the infant among
the vines while she picks, stopping
only long enough, possibly, to feed
the child or quiet its crying Small
tots help fill the quart containers.
These are placed on carriers hold
ing twelve quarts. They are de
livered to the shed in the field and
q ticket given in exchange. The
tickets are "cashed" at the end OF
the day. From the time the dew
Is off the vines until the patch is
cleared of berries, or darkness falls,
the work goes on. Ir addition to
the foreigners there is always a
supply of colored pickers and they
know from long experience Just
how to do the job. They are fast
workers and there are some among
them who pick as high as 225
quarts a day, and at three cents
quart they earn S6.75 a day.
Berry Trucks Inspected by Police
Out along the DUPONT Highway,
long lines of motor trucks wend
their way. Closely inspected By
the Delaware State Police, under
direction of Captain H.C. Ray, each
load Of berries is weighed on scales
at sub-stations of the force. The
station outside Bridgeville does
ynuch of the weighing. The driver