94 A B C OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



went in twice a day, so as to have them in perfect condition, 

 and we sold to dealers only, unless some one else wanted half a 

 bushel and we had too many for the grocer. 



The first berries we took in were carried to the store of Mr. 

 R. P. Williams, an old merchant with whom we had dealt for 

 25 years. He looked at them with considerable surprise. 

 " Why," he said, " I didn't know you grew any berries." 



" We shall have a few bushels to sell this year like these." 



" What do you want for them ? " 



" They ought to retail for 15 cents." 



" Why, we have been selling for 12^ cents for some time." 



" Never mind that ; I think these will sell for 15." 



Just then Mr. Williams' head clerk, Mr. Blackman, came 

 up and said : " Yes, sir ; those berries will sell for 15 cents." 



"Well," Mr. Williams said, "if they do I will pay you $4 

 a bushel." 



A clerk reported to me afterward, that the first half-bushel 

 went in twenty minutes after they were put in sight. Folks had 

 then got a taste of berries such as few ever get in market, and 

 there was no more trouble about prices. You see berries from 

 a distance have to be picked before fully ripe to stand shipping, 

 and in quality they can not compare with those fully ripened 

 on the vines. Again, in how many small towns can one buy 

 large choice Downings and others of our sweetest and finest- 

 flavored berries ? 



Having too many berries for Mr. Williams, I one day called 

 on another grocer, Mr. G. V. Miller, and asked him if he want- 

 ed any. He said he had been selling about a bushel a day, and 

 then had a bushel and a half on hand, and they were getting 

 stale, they went so slowly. He was retailing them at 10 cents 

 a quart. He wanted to know what I asked for mine, although 

 he could not use any more. I told him $4 a bushel. Well, he 

 looked just sorry for my simpleness, and look out and handed 

 me a bill from a Cleveland house which showed that his berries, 

 received that morning, cost him only $1.75 a bushel. In an- 



