152 



Bulletin 189. 



Baker crate in its present form was invented by Baker Brothers in 

 1872, and cost in tliat year $2.25 each. At present the same pack- 

 age (36 quarts) sells for seventy-five cents." 



Statistics of the Osioego straivherry Ijusiness. — It is impossible 

 to secure complete statistics of the volume of business done in 

 strawberries in the Oswecjo district. The best that can be done is 

 to print the records of the express and freiglit shipments by rail, 

 which shipments may be assumed to represent four- fifths of the 

 commercial crop. The strawberry growing of Oswego County 

 probably covers 1,000 acres. The average net f. o. b. price realized 

 for berries ranges from 6 to 8 cents per quart. All berries are 

 shipped in 36-quart crates. Geo. A. Davis, Mexico, one of the lead- 

 ing growers, writes : " From observation I judge that ninety per 

 cent stay in the business, only ten per cent changing yearly. I 

 think, on the whole, chat the berry business compares favorable 

 with other branches of farming." 



Express Shipments of Berries from Oswego Co. Stations in 1896. 



Central Square. 

 Daysville. . . . 



Fulton 



Homesville. . . 



Mexico 



New Haven. . . 

 North Scriba . . 



Pulaski 



Richland 



Saody Creek. . . 

 Union Square . 



Totall896. 

 Total 1895 



Increase . 

 Decrease . 



Number crates. 



To Boston. 



4 



57 



263 



174 



35 



534 

 756 



222 



To New 

 York. 



592 

 24 



978 



290 



3 624 



2,951 



2,807 



307 



16 



85 

 86 



11.760 

 10,335 



1,425 



Weight. 

 Lbs. 



28,860 



1,440 



8,580 



21.100 



232,020 



187,500 



180,520 



18,420 



849 



5,160 



5,160 



689.609 

 665,460 



24,149 



Number of cars 1895 68 



Number of cars 1896 115 



