25 



hour, though the larger growers are sometimes able to hire 

 them for as little as 25 cents. 



Small hand-picking machines, known as "snap machines," 

 are frequently used for gathering the berries on thin vines 

 instead of picking by hand. These are very useful, for they 

 gather the berries comparatively quickly and cheaply and with- 

 out much injury to the vines. They do, however, injure the 

 fruit more or less seriously and impair its keeping quality. 



Marketing conditions are such, and the possible harvesting 

 period is so short, that it is probably necessary, especially if 

 the season is late, for many growers to begin picking while the 

 berries are still partly green. Many believe that very ripe 

 berries will not keep well, but it is to be seriously questioned 

 whether they will not keep as well on the vines, if they are 

 protected from frosts, as they will in the screen house. Between 

 the 1st and the 15th of September, during the period of color- 

 ing, berries of the Early Black variety will increase 10 per cent., 

 and sometimes more, in size. They make a much more attract- 

 ive appearance and are of much better quality for the table 

 after they have become colored. Probably many growers 

 would, therefore, be wise to postpone their picking for two 

 weeks later than is their present custom. Early Blacks for 

 late shipment should probably not be picked before the first of 

 October, for late picking would largely prevent the loss by 

 shriveling, which is usually considerable if the berries are picked 

 early, and then held in storage for some time. 



Berries which grow on vines bordering the ditches are gen- 

 erally considered to be, as a rule, poorer keepers than those 

 from the other vines. These "ditch row" berries, as they are 

 called, should, therefore, be gathered first, and be packed and 

 shipped separately from the rest of the berries. It would 

 probably be a good practice to devote the first day of picking 

 to the gathering of all the "ditch row" berries of the early 

 varieties on the bog to be picked. They would then be out of 

 the way, and it would be unnecessary to keep further track of 

 them. 



To harvest a 15-acre bog, 15 scoopers, a foreman and three 

 helpers are necessary. Two of these men are engaged in taking 



