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The Fruits of Allen's Plants 



Is There Any Money In Growing Strawberries? 



Our answer to that question is, Yes. We believe the probabilities for 

 good profits and the possibilities for large profits are greater than with any 

 other crop we know about. One grower in this county told us recently that he 

 felt his season was below par if he did not clear up $400.00 or $500.00 per acre. 

 He grows mostly Chesapeake. Another grower in the same section told us that 

 he actually made over $1500.00 from two acres of Lupton in 1930. They are 

 both in what might be called a late strawberry section. We have received 

 many reports of high yields and high profits with other varieties, especially 

 Premier. Most of the record yields and profits are made with this variety. 



We do not feel justified in leading our friends and prospective customers to expect 

 from $800.00 to $1000.00 per acre profit from their strawberries. We do feel that with 

 good land, good care, and a good market from $300.00 to $600.00 per acre is a reasonable 

 expectation. If conditions are unfavorable even the low figure may not be reached, but 

 there is always a possibility of reaching the high profits per acre which you see blazing 

 forth in advertisements and many plant catalogs. We have had customers who have clear- 

 ed up $800.00, $1200.00, $1500.00 and even as high as $2000.00 per acre. As a mark to 

 shoot at, with the explanation that they are exceptional, these great successes are valu- 

 able, but to persuade anyone to go into strawberry growing with the idea that these figures 

 are average is not fair. 



As we see it this year the situation looks good. According to Government estimates 

 the strawberry acreage is down about 20%. The great drought has killed out a great 

 many of the carrying over, or two year patches. On very high land, or very hard land 

 many of the young fields have been hit so hard as to be a negligible factor in fruit pro- 

 duction this season. There are, of course, many good fields but a great many of those that 

 can be rated good for this year are still not up to standard. With this situation so gen- 

 eral we certainly look to see good prices for berries this season, and as mentioned on 

 page 3 it would certainly seem inadvisable for a grower to use his own plants this season, 

 even with a somewhat increased price for the plants he would buy. It would take more 

 rows than usual to dig a given quantity of plants, and the chances are that berries pro- 

 duced by those rows would command a higher price than usual. 



Of coarse spring 1931 planting means 1932 fruiting. But with an actual shortage of 

 plants and somewhat increased prices for them it seems reasonable to expect a considerable 

 reduction in acreage for 1932 fruiting which should mean good prices. 



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