308 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
box—many of them without experience or judgment, often damaging 
the sale of fruit several times the value of their labor. 
A person who will not pick fruit clean from the vine, clean in thg box, 
without bruising and without stain or dirt should be discharged at once. 
If fruit growers would in the beginning insist on thorough systema- 
tic work, pickers would soon become educated to do their work well, and 
many dollars thus be saved. 
There are various methods of keeping accounts with pickers. In ord- 
inary plantations tickets representing the number of boxes are given as 
the boxes are brought in; others adopt the plan of a card representing 100 
or 500 boxes, punching out to correspond with the number of boxes filled. 
Uniform prices, as far as possible, should be paid to pickers, and one 
thing bear in mind, large fruit can be picked for one cent per quart, easier 
than inferior fruit at one and one-half or two cents. ; 
Therefore, good varieties in good soil, well trimmed and cultivated, 
will save you money in picking. 
I will give you my method of managing pickers, which has proved very 
satisfactory. 
A person wishing to pick signs the following agreement: 
“THAYER FRUIT FARM. 
SPARTA, WIS. 
All persons employed to pick berries must conform to the following 
RULES AND REGULATIONS. 
The boxes must be free from stain and contain no leaves, stems or dirt. 
All ripe fruit must be picked clean from the vines. 
Green, imperfect or soft fruit must not be put in the box. 
All fruit must be picked carefully without jam or bruise in any way. 
Fruit must not be picked when wet with rain. 
Fruit must not be allowed to stand in the sun. 
PRICES: 
One cent per box, payable in tickets, to be redeemed when presented in 
sums of even dollars. 
One dollar extra premium will be paid every person picking 1,000 boxes 
under above rules. 
I hereby make application to pick berries, and if accepted will conform to all 
Rules and Regulations, and will give at least three days’ notice before quitting 
the job. 
TRAE, sSBATO; WSs a sion o hess altte Stns a 
cece eecesee ee eeeseeesresrseeesreeeeesesee se eee 
This application if approved is placed on file and numbered with name 
of applicant. 8 
Tin cases holding a single quart box are provided each picker and 
‘strapped around the waist, leaving both hands free. A wooden case or 
carrier holding six boxes is also provided for each picker, and all cases are 
numbered to correspond with number’ of applicant. When ready for 
business all pickers, having their own numbered cases and carriers, are 
formed in military lines of twos, the order ‘‘ forward march” is given, and - 
all are marched to their wor. 
