62 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



gather the entire crop and this year it took just about five weeks, 

 which is an average season's picking. The berries are usually 

 picked only when the vines are dry so that dull weather some- 

 times lengthens the season. 



The early berries are rushed to market in crates and from 

 one station alone over looo bushels of fruit were shipped this 

 season to all parts of New England and more distant markets. 

 Of course these berries bring a good price, averaging loc to I2c 

 per quart, which for the county will probably total some over 

 $8,000.00 this year. 



At the cannery the land owner receives so much per quart 

 stumpage. This year the price was i i-2c to 2c per quart. This 

 means that all the berries are accounted for as they arrive at 

 the cannery and credited to the tract on which they were grown. 



The average yield is estimated to be about 60 bushels per acre, 

 although with a little care and a favorable season that amount is 

 often increased considerably. This means that the owner re- 

 ceives from $25.00 to $35.00 per acre every two years out of 

 three, and his only expense is that of burning, taxes, and the 

 small expense of leasing the plots to the pickers. 



The most interesting scene is that presented on the barrens 

 at the time of picking when the territory gives the appearance 

 of an army in camp. It is the custom as soon as the berries 

 are ready to pick for men with their entire families to go to 

 the barrens and live in tents or small shacks until the crop is 

 harvested. All go into the fields except the smallest children 

 and pick what they can. Each person uses a berry rake which 

 is constructed of small wooden teeth with a flattish tray to 

 catch the berries. These rakes cost from $1.50 to $3.00. The 

 rake is swung forward with an upward lifting motion, which 

 collects the berries very rapidly. When the tray of the rake 

 has been well filled, the contents are emptied into pails and car- 

 ried to the winnowing machine. Here each person usually 

 empties his berries into the machine, which turns by hand, and 

 blows out all of the leaves and light waste which have been 

 collected with the berries. They are then poured into half 

 bushel boxes and hauled to the factory. Sometimes the berries 

 are hauled 30 to 40 miles to the cannery. 



Pickers working for a wager have been known to pick, or 

 rather rake, 11 bushels of berries in a single day. This of 



