16 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



little if any cultivation was given. They soon took 

 possession of the land and shifted for themselves during 

 the five or more years that the field was left in berries, 

 except that the weeds were mowed occasionally. 



The variety used in this unique and easy-going scheme 

 was the Crimson Cone, a form of the Scarlet. It also was 

 called Scotch Runner, Scotch Runaway, and Dutchberry ; 

 in New York these berries were called " Hackensacks ", 

 because most of them came from the New Jersey town of 

 that name. The Crimson Cone was fairly prolific of 

 medium sized berries with very long necks, which made 

 them easy to pick so as to leave the hulls on 

 the vines. This was considered an advan- 

 tage since strawberries usually were sold 

 after being "capped." The fruit was 

 marketed in the small, splint baskets for- 

 merly used for wild berries, but now holding 

 about half a pint. These baskets were 

 nested one on top of another, in hampers. 

 They sold in New York for three to eight 

 Fig. 1. — Crim- ccnts a basket. The average net returns 

 eon Cone ; grown from an acrc were thirty to forty dollars, 

 about 18^. °^ which was considered a good profit, and was 

 larger than that from most other crops 

 grown at that time. 



This free and easy method of strawberry growing sup- 

 plied most of the berries marketed in New York until 

 about 1840 ; then it was crowded out by more intensive 

 methods. There must have been other centers of produc- 

 tion tributary to New York, however, since William Prince 

 stated in 1827, "The bulk of the fruit sold in the New 

 York market is Early Hudson." 



At a few other points besides the vicinity of Boston 



