CHAPTER IX 



PICKING AND PACKING 



Because of the very perishable nature of the fruit and 

 the rapidity with which it ripens, timely picking and 

 careful handling are more urgent with strawberries than 

 with most other fruits. The cost of harvesting is the 

 heaviest charge against the crop, amounting in many 

 cases to over SI 00 an acre annually. 



LENGTH OF PICKING SEASON 



Primarily, the location and its climate determine the 

 length of the picking season; incidentally, the soil, 

 method of culture, age of plants and time of setting. 

 Proceeding southward, the picking season of a variety 

 lengthens. In latitude 34 degrees it rarely lasts more than 

 three weeks ; in latitude 32 degrees it may extend from 

 three to six months. In the tidewater Virginia and North 

 Carolina districts, all the crop is harvested in about three 

 weeks. In southern Florida, strawberries ripen contin- 

 uously from the first of December until June, but the 

 crop is not marketed after T^Iarch. In southern Missis- 

 sippi the season is three months ; in the northern part of 

 the state, five weeks. The season of ripening in Florida 

 and the Gulf states is determined very largely by the 

 date of the last freeze or severe frost. This kills the 

 expanded blossoms, and thus delays the picking season 



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