STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Ill 



pleted to exhaustion, allows them to fi^uit what they will the first 

 season, and soon his stock is run out. Now if B's plants have anj^ 

 value, A's have ten times greater value, at least we would advise 

 buying plants from A, but would not accept them as a gift from B. 

 So varieties may run out quickly under bad management. 



We would try strongly to dissuade any one from trying to get a 

 second crop from the same plants, as a small crop of inferior fruit 

 neither brings profit nor reputation ; therefore try for a large crop 

 of fine berries, and after the crop is gathered, plow under at once 

 and rotate with a different crop. 



Again we urge a suggestion before your organized agricultural and 

 horticultural societies, to wit: in connection with awards, offer if 

 you choose, a first and second premium for the best ten square rods 

 of strawberries and raspberries, size, quality and yield to be consid- 

 ered with a detailed verified statement to be reported. 



THE PICKING OF STRAWBERRIES. 



This ma}' seem unimportant to many, but the results of a crop 

 depend much upon careful handling. Expert picking requires apt 

 fingers and good judgment. Each berry should be picked at the 

 right time. Unripe berries and over-ripe berries should never be 

 found in j-our crates. The green hull should never be detached 

 from the berr}', and berries should never be massed or squeezed. 

 Eerries in this condition put into a cold room at fifty degrees may 

 easily be kept over Sunday and go into market Monda}^ 



A very important point in picking is not to disturb or injure the 

 foliage or green berries. Let your berries go into market in such 

 condition as not to discredit your name which may be prominent on 

 the crate. 



MARKETING STRAWBERRIES. 



Of course ver}^ much of the profit in strawberry growing depends 

 upon having a good near market of suflQcient demand to consume 

 the crop speedily as it goes into market. This is specially a crop 

 where overproduction may involve loss as the strawberry is a quickly 

 perishable fruit. Therefore if those in a given locality who have all 

 the requisites for the business supplj' the demand already, we advise 

 caution about engaging in the business there. If fifty crates per 

 day supply the demands of a given market at a price not less than 

 ten cents per quart, the addition of ten crates more may bring the 



