Pick-your-own plans have these attractions: 



1. Permit the consumer to obtain more berries for a given expendi- 

 ture of cash. 



2. The berries are fresher than would be obtainable in the markets. 



3. Serve as an outing for city folks. 



Several growers marketed part of their berries this way in 1949 and 

 1950. 



One grower marketed 73 percent of his crop in this way in 1949, and 

 many of these berries would have been lost had they had not been sold 

 in this way. 



Care in Picking Berries 



Many growers do not give enough attention to picking the berry crop. 

 They are often so busy getting the crop off and selling it that insufficient 

 time is given to individual pickers in showing them how to pick carefully, 



Table 8. Strawberries — Comparative Market Returns and Costs — 1950 

 (Assuming Two Methods of Marketing) 



Method A Method B 



Market Portsmouth On the vines 



Variety Howard 17 Howard 17 



Yield per acre 14,617 quarts 14,617 quarts 



Market price 29.7 cents quart ISY^ cents* quart 



Box cost 1.5 cents quart 



Picking cost 9.8 cents quart 



Sales cost 5. cents quart 2 cents quart 



Total costs above 16.3 cents quart 2 cents quart 



Net per quart 13.4 cents quart 16^/^ cents quart 

 Return per acre after picking, 



box, and sales costs $1,958.68 $2,411.81 



* One-half retail price of 37 cents quart or 18^^ cents on the vines. 



yet rap!idly. Less bruising is caused when berries are held in the hollow of 

 the hand and the stem pinched. Children with small hands often pinch the 

 berries and bruise them. 



A large percentage of the berries were found bruised in the baskets of 

 some pickers. These will spoil quickly. Some growers prefer to pay by the 

 hour, placing emphasis on care in picking instead of on volume. A few pay 

 a set rate plus a preinium where a good job of picking is done. A method of 

 payment is desirable which will give as much encourageinent to care in 

 picking as in the volume picked. Constant emphasis on this point is required. 



Spoilage and Damage on the Vines 



Spoilage of berries on the vines may increase with wet weather, insects, 

 damage, and careless or infrequent picking. When plants are very thick, 

 spoilage may be worse because more berries are missed by pickers and 

 dampness is held longer. Some varieties spoil worse than othejs and some 

 are dainaged more by insects. 



Data were obtained on these different factors in 1949. Weather was 

 sunny and dry for most of the season. Bad berries found on the vines (picked 

 every other day) ranged from 2 to 11 percent and averaged 4 percent. 



16 



