120 ANNUAL REPORT 



but now we are in the midst of the season of green crops. Bunch 

 onions, radishes, lettuce, beets, etc.; peas to pick; strawberries 

 ripening almost or quite by the wagon load each day. Perhaps I 

 cannot do better than to describe one dayiu my own garden at this 

 season of the year. 



We receive our principal mail either about 10 o'clock p. m., or 

 about 6 o'clock a.m. There are orders for from 1,000 to 2,000, and 

 perhaps 2,500 bunches of green stuff, including asparagus, onions, 

 radishes, lettuce, etc.; bushels of peas and strawberries. Most of it 

 is still growing in the garden. The 7 o'clock bell rings and the 

 hands are supposed to be ready to go to work. There are from 75 

 to 100 of them; perhaps three-fourths of them boys and girls. 

 They are divided into gangs of fifteen to twenty-five each, with a 

 foreman to each crowd. They are started, some to gathering the 

 crops and bringing them in wheelbarrows to the packing house, 

 where another crowd is assorting, cleaning, washing, bunching, 

 tying, packing, and checking off from the order book and directing 

 the different crates to their different destinations. No matter how 

 large the orders are, we have only so many hours to get them all 

 filled and shipped, and each one is put to his or her best to get them 

 off in time. Another train calls for another lot. Before that is 

 put up a boat comes in, and word comes that some one wants so 

 much of this, that and the other, at such an hour for the boat. 

 We perhaps get these all off and ready to do some much- needed 

 work when a telegram comes from some good customer, send me 

 so many cases extra of berries to-night, sure, and such and 

 such of other goods. It is almost an impossibility to 

 get our berries picked for the standing orders. But by making 

 extra exertions we succeed. Teams are put to their best to get to 

 the different depots, boats and customers in time. Night comes 

 and tired and hungry, we gather around our table. The hands 

 have all gone to their homes. A neighbor comes in and says Mamma 

 is going to have some company to-night, and wants so many boxes 

 of nice fresh berries, and so and so of other things. You cannot 

 help feeling annoyed and vexed, but they are good neighbors and 

 kind friends, and so you go back to the garden and get what they 

 want. Well does that end the day? By no means. Your sales 

 are all to copy into the journal, bills to from 15 to 25 different cus- 

 tomers to be made out; letters of explanation to be written, &c., 

 and they must all go to the office in time for the mail. 



About 9 or 1(> o'clock your day's work is done and you are ready 

 to go and rest for a time; get up early in the morning and go 



