Mostly About 

 Strawberries 



A WELL TENDED PATCH, I. O. WOOD FARM 

 "The pickers get out at daylight work while it's cool.' 



In 10 Years Edgar County, Illinois, Has 



Developed Into One of the Big 



Strawberry Growing Centers 



of the United States 



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CHESTER BOLAND WITH ANOTHER LOAD 

 "A good yi'ld i* 200 cases an acre." 



By George Thiem 



'DGAR county's 1939 strawberry 

 crop is harvested, sold and the 



money spent by now. 



But if you happened to be around 

 Paris, the county seat, or the little town 

 of Vermilion the first days of June 

 what a strange sight would have 

 greeted you. Huge trucks open at the 

 sides and back standing all over town 

 ready for loading. Buyers from far 

 and near crowding the hotels and co- 

 operative packing sheds nervously wait- 

 ing for the rain to stop. Hundreds of 

 berry pickers of all ages and descrip- 

 tions from Arkansas, Tennessee, Flori- 

 da and nearby towns camped along the 



highways, riding in trucks and gelop- 

 pies to and from the farms, or squat- 

 ting on hands and knees in the berry 

 patches themselves racing to fill their 

 trays with the ripe, red fruit. 



Everywhere hurry and bustle, Decor- 

 ation Day and Sundays included. For 

 strawberies are a particular crop and 

 require more attention than a high 

 school lass getting ready for her first 

 formal party. 



For rear someone who reads this 

 piece might get the notion to go in 

 for strawberries to bolster his returns 

 from hogs, cream, milk, corn, wheat, 

 and what have you, we shall set down 



LESTER BURFORD 

 "He picked 132 qts. 

 6Vt hours." 



in 



MAY REEL IS PAYMASTER 

 "$80 in nickels cmd dimes in one 

 monting." 



here some reasons why that bonanza 

 story you may have read about the 

 strawberry king who made his fortune 

 and retired, is the exception rather 

 than the rule. 



Following are some reasons why 

 you are -not likely to get rich growing 

 strawberries, although there are years 

 when some growers turn a neat profit: 



1. High cost of production, picking, 

 packing and marketing. 



2. Low prices. 



3. Lack of rain and favorable weath- 

 er in the critical stages which 

 means low production and poor 

 quality fruit. 



m THE PACKING SHED 

 "Sometimes pan-graded, sometimes not.' 



— if 



