33 



The term "Small-Fruits" is elastic and may be used to 

 include a dozen or more distinct fruits but at this time it 

 is used with reference particularly to such fruits as the 

 straAvberrry, iblackberryj^ dewberry, raspberry, including 

 rctl, black and purple, the currant and the gooseberry. All 

 ol" these fruits are grown to a greater or less extent in Mass- 

 achusetts and it is obvious that they are not all of equal 

 \alue. Such a statement is emphasized when we turn to 

 that dry but illuminating reservoir of information, the 

 government census, and find the following figures for Mas- 

 sachusetts, with reference to the fruits under discussion. 

 Strawberries 2015 acres producing .5,.518,867qts. valued $49-5,438 

 Blackberries and 



Dewberries 287 " " 307,987 "' " 31,454 



Raspberries 388 " " 376,136 " " 55,757 



Currants 243 " " 213,810 " " 19,904 



Gooseberries 42 " " 57,827 " " 5,007 



It is well known that these fruits are not fomid equally 

 distributed throughout the length and breadth of the com- 

 monWiCalth, but that some parts of the State appear to bo 

 better adapted than others to certain fruits. This is due 

 l)artly l)ecause of natural, favorable environments of climate 

 and soil and partly to man-made agencies having to do with 

 transportation, markets and available labor. Small-fruits 

 must move swiftly; railway facilities, including refrigera- 

 tion service when necessary, must be efficient and not too 

 expensive; markets must not be too distant and must not be 

 controlled by growers in regions more advantageously situ- 

 ated ; and the available help must be adequate. We are find- 

 ing more and more that Small-Fruit growing is an exacting 

 business and that profits depend fully as much on the skill 

 used in selling the product .as in its growing. 



Climatic and soil conditions are of supreme import- 

 ance; for when these fail, all efforts are nil. and these two 

 conditions pre-determine where Small-Fruits shall or shall 

 not be grown. The plants must be able to accommodate 

 themselves to all the varying climatic conditions and find 



