Picking Pointers Selling the Berries 
Careful picking will pay. Careless picking is costly. 
Retain the full value of your berries by making sure 
of careful picking and handling. 
Avoid green sides and tips by selecting varieties 
that ripen evenly and without green tips. 
Have the pickers discard undersized berries and 
those which have soft or rotten spots (especially after 
a heavy rain) . 
Dirty or gritty berries (after rains) can be largely 
avoided by using a mulch which is even more effective 
if plants have been spaced so the mulch can be worked 
down between the plants. 
Berries look best in the package when the caps 
are left on and from one-quarter to three-quarters of 
an inch of stem is left. 
Bruising and mashing berries detract from 
their value and can be avoided by careful picking and 
handling. 
Well-filled packages not only make the buyer feel 
that he is getting his money's worth (even at a higher 
price) but they actually make the berries show up 
better. 
After being picked berries should be carried to 
the packing shed in a relatively short time. One 
hour's exposure in the hot sunshine will sometimes ruin 
an otherwise fancy quart of berries. 
In packing, face the berries some if you must 
but not too much, as a reputation for an honest pack 
will help you sell on any kind of a market. 
Clean, bright packages will make your fruit 
more attractive to the buyer than dirty, soiled pack- 
ages. Improved types of crates which do not cut and 
bruise the berries as much are being developed. If 
available it may pay you to try them out. 
Pick All That Are Ready. If this is not done soft 
berries like Aberdeen may be over-ripe or rotten by the 
next picking; others, like Fairfax, tend to get dark even 
though they remain solid. Careful attention to this 
point will help keep up the grade of berries throughout 
the season. 
Wholesale Produce Markets. Hundreds of car- 
loads and truckloads of berries are sold in the produce 
markets in large towns and cities. The outlet in these 
markets is very large. Usually canners or juice men 
clean up each day's shipments so there is little hold- 
over. Unlike many other crops, strawberries must be 
sold promptly. Peak shipments of one week cannot 
be held over to glut the market a week later. Prices 
for the best fruit even in low priced years are usually 
high enough to allow a good margin of profit. 
Farmers Markets. Many towns and cities operate 
public markets. In these a farmer can rent a stall or 
booth. In some cases it is only space at the curb for 
wagon or truck. At these markets farmers sell large 
quantities of berries and other produce, just their own 
or for a group of other growers. 
A brand or label will be well worth while if your 
fruit is of good quality and there is enough of it to 
make an impression on the market. This is true for 
farmers markets as well as wholesale produce markets 
in the city. 
Local Sales. These are made to many different 
kinds of buyers — hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, 
hospitals and institutions of various kinds. A busi- 
ness of this kind requires some time to develop but is 
usually a profitable outlet when once established. 
Roadside Markets. If on or near a well-traveled 
highway try a roadside market. Many growers are 
successfully disposing of their crops of strawberries as 
well as other things by this method. You will be de- 
lighted, as we were, by the results even the first year. 
Advertising. Signs at the farm or notices in local 
papers will be a big help in selling fruit to local buyers. 
We have reports from growers who tell us that one 
small ad has brought enough buyers to their farm to 
dispose of the whole crop. It will not cost much and 
should yield big returns. 
They taste like more. If you are growing high 
quality berries like Fairfax, Dorsett, Northstar, and 
others, give the buyer a taste. It's the surest way to 
make a sale. 
