A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. . 93 



bushel (to some neighbor who calls here, as we do not retail in 

 town) we weigh them instead of measuring, giving 1^ pounds 

 for a quart. This saves all extra handling, which, of course, 

 is injurious to the berries. When picking, our folks put either 

 a quart or two-quart tin can in one end of the basket, and into 

 this they put all small berries, and any that for any reason are 

 not strictly first class. We have used these for canning, or sold 

 them at a reduced price to others for that purpose. Parties 

 have told us that they found them far superior to common, 

 shipped in market berries, as there was no waste to them. I 

 do not thiuk they are quite as nice for canning, unless you 

 mash them up and make strawberry jam of them. However, 

 the difference is mostly in the looks. I hardly think one could 

 often tell the difference by the taste alone, if his eyes were clos- 

 ed and the berries mashed up.- But my wife thinks the looks 

 fully as important as the taste ; and I am sure that, if she could 

 see them, small canned berries would not taste as good to her 

 as large ones. 



These small berries (not very small, by any means) do not 

 cost any thing except the trouble of picking separately, as the 

 large choice ones will bring in our market as much as or moie 

 than the entire crop would unsorted. We live near a town of 

 half a dozen or so stores and groceries. The first year we grew 

 berries, not a word was said in advance to any dealer about our 

 having any. They knew nothing about it. Many readers of 

 this little book will know that the writer has always preached 

 that there is plenty of room for excellence in any line, and he 

 determined to test this matter in the berry line in our little 

 town. There is never any scarcity of berries here, as we are 

 close to Cleveland, and there are several small local growers 

 also. Now, into this market, where it would seem that a new 

 man stood no chance, we determined to go, entirely unan- 

 nounced, and st 11 what we had, on the merits of the article. 

 Nothing but large, fine, choice berries, just ripe enough to be 

 at their best for eating, were taken. With these we usually 



