486 



GROWING STRAWBERRIES 



monly used. Attractive paper-board quart boxes waxed and 

 lithographed, with slits in the sides for ventilation, are now 

 available. Pint baskets are also used to a limited extent. 



No general directions as to stage of maturity for picking 

 can be given; it depends on the variety and the distance to 

 market. A variety should seldom be picked with the tips still 

 green. Soft-fleshed varieties must be picked while still firm, 



(T7. F. Allen Co,) 



Fig. 191. The promise of a good crop. The row is full of strong plants, 

 and the plants are full of blossoms. 



unless for local consumption. Pick the fruit as soon as it is 

 dry in the early part of the day and at as cool a temperature 

 as possible. It should be marketed, or sent on its way to 

 market, the same day. For local market some growers have 

 found it best to pick in the afternoon, keep the berries in a 

 cool place over night, and deliver early in the morning. 



Pinch the stem rather than the fruit, and leave the hulls on 

 the berries. Pickers should be equipped with carriers holding 



