18 THE STRAWBERRY IN NORTH AMERICA 



covetousness of the modern grower. The Genesee Farmer 

 for 1833 reports : "A few strawberries were in the Fulton 

 Street market, New York, on May 21, and were selHng 

 at the rate of 12 shilHngs a quart." ^ In June, 1837, 

 strawberries were quoted on the Fulton Street market 

 at "12^ cents per basket, containing about a pint." As 

 a matter of fact, these baskets hardly averaged one third 

 of a quart. On the same date Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, 

 quoted : 



"Strawberries, per quart : Wood, 25 to 37^ cents. 



Keens' Seedling, 50 to 75 cents. 

 Common, 37^ to 50 cents." 



The lower price of strawberries on the New York market 

 was doubtless because all the supply was "common," 

 having been grown under conditions but little removed 

 from the wild. 



Strawberries could not have been over-abundant in 

 the home town of the Genesee Farmer (Rochester, New 

 York), or it would not have been moved to report, in 1833, 

 "A pint of strawberries of large size and delicious flavor 

 were picked from the garden of H. N. Langworthy, of 

 this village." ^ Nor would it appear that the standard of 

 size was high, if we are to believe the Poughkeepsie (New 

 York) Journal, which, in 1836, was "presented with several 

 mammoth strawberries from the garden of N. G. Carnes 

 of this city, the largest of which measures three and 

 three quarters inches in circumference." Nowadays 

 "mammoth" berries are over twelve inches in cir- 

 cumference. 



The mystery of strawberry growing. — Numerous ex- 

 periences like the following tended to discourage the exten- 



1 Genesee Farmer, 1833, p. 166. ^ /^i^., 1833, p. 175. 



