1907. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
377 
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 
Part IV. 
Paying the Pickers.— One will be 
governed somewhat by circumstances in 
this. It took me some time to learn how 
best to manage the matter. I had no diffi¬ 
culty in securing and holding pickers 
when the berries were plentiful and they 
could average four bushels in a seven- 
hour day. but when the berries grew 
scarce and but two bushels or less could 
be gathered the pickers began to drop 
out; and when prices were coming back 
to the highest I would be left with berries 
rotting on the field. At that time other 
producers were paying one cent per quart 
for picking. At the beginning of a sea¬ 
son I made my pickers this proposition: 
“I will pay you one cent a quart every 
Saturday evening for the week’s picking; 
then if you stay with me every day, un¬ 
less I excuse you, and do j'our work as 
the superintendent directs until the har¬ 
vest is done, I will pay you a premium 
of one-half cent a quart for all you will 
have picked during the season.” I had no 
more desertions, and the work was much 
better done. I had my superintendent 
keep their accounts with cards having the 
numbers from one to 32 printed on the 
margins, and the name of the picker writ¬ 
ten in the center. When a carrier of ber¬ 
ries was brought in he punched out as 
many numbers as there were baskets in 
the carrier. At Saturday’s pay these 
cards were taken up and filed away to be 
counted at the end of the season, when 
the premiums were paid. I furnished the 
superintendent with a conductor’s punch 
that cut a peculiar figure not easily imi¬ 
tated with a nail or other instrument. (It 
is wonderful how smart some male kids 
become.) 
Marketing. —One can retail to private 
customers, wholesale to grocers, ship to 
commission merchants, hotels and restau¬ 
rants, depending on his situation, ac¬ 
quaintance and business ability. More 
money can be taken in by retailing to 
private families if one has the time and 
patience. To deal with commission mer¬ 
chants is often hazardous, and few are 
so situated as to deal safely with hotels 
and restaurants. My best way has been 
to sell exclusively to the leading grocers 
in my own city. I had but two miles to 
haul, and with a wagon equipped with 
soft springs I could deliver twice a day 
and have the fruit in prime condition. 
Reaching my grocers at or before 11 
o’clock A. M. they could make a dinner 
delivery of berries fresh from the vine, 
with some of the morning dew upon them 
and their fragrance perfect. Another de¬ 
livery between four and five P. M. gave a 
supper delivery of fresh fruit. If the 
haul is to be not more than five or six 
miles over smooth roads this method, 
upon the whole, will be most satisfactory. 
But in any case an understanding should 
be had with customers in advance, so that 
one is not caught peddling—wandering 
around with a load of fruit and not know¬ 
ing what to do with it. I seldom load a 
crate that is not sold in advance. Ship¬ 
ping them by rail is more hazardous and 
expensive. I want to keep in sight of my 
customers. By selecting the best market 
varieties, that is, large, uniform berries 
deep in color' throughout, sweet and 
fragrant, growing them in hills to in¬ 
tensify these qualities and ripen them 
evenly, assorting and handling them as I 
bave indicated, never disappointing my 
customers in the time of delivery, I soon 
.secured the inside of the trade, and not 
only had advance orders for all I could 
harvest, but received a good advance in 
price over the general market. The first 
item, securing steady, reliable orders, is 
of as much importance as the securing cf 
a good price. 
Fancy Berries.— I like to run a “side 
line” in the form of fancy berries for 
fancy people on fancy occasions. It grati¬ 
fies one’s pride as well as his patrons, 
and adds more rapidly to the little bank 
account. When one can sell a bushel of 
berries for five or six dollars instead of 
two and a half it is worth the pains it 
takes to produce them. Of course, such 
trade is limited; but in every town of con¬ 
siderable size and wealth there are those 
who would purchase them; and when 
one can secure a few orders from the 
“400” the 200 will soon follow. And 
since there are so few who will try to 
produce such fruit, those who do will be 
amply paid. My own experience has 
been limited to four or five varieties of 
what may be classed as fancy berries. 
Chief among these is Marshall, though 
Nic Ohmer, Brandywine and Gandy were 
good seconds; while Brunette, for ex¬ 
quisite flavor, though not for size, leads 
them all. If I were limited to three 
varieties I would take Marshall, Nic 
Ohmer and Brunette. The Marshall com¬ 
bines the three popular qualities of size, 
color and flavor in a higher degree than 
either of the others, though for size and 
color the Nic Ohmer is a sharp competi¬ 
tor, as is the Brunette in form and color 
while superior in flavor, and is an ex¬ 
cellent producer. Nic Ohmer leads in 
the single quality of color, being very 
dark throughout, and glistens as though 
varnished. But these varieties, especially 
Marshall, require the highest quality of 
soil and culture to reach their best de¬ 
velopment. In rows three and a half feet 
apart and at least 18 inches apart in a 
single row they should have their run¬ 
ners kept closely clipped. They need a 
heavy sandy loam well filled with clover 
humus, and heavily fed with phosphate 
and potash during Summer and Fall, with 
more or less nitrate of soda in the Spring. 
The soil should be stirred every week 
after picking, and if at all dry in the 
Spring and early Summer they should be 
irrigated. Since these are second early 
and midseason varieties it will be well to 
add a few plants of Gandy, which will re¬ 
spond well to the above treatment and 
yield fine, uniform, red fruit for a week 
or two after the others have finished. 
Customers for these berries will require 
stems to the length of two inches left on 
the berries, to which I never object, since 
they are no hindrance in filling the bas¬ 
ket, a dozen to 16 rounding up a quart. 
These berries are served by laying them 
in a circle on a plate, with the stems 
pointing outward, and a few minutes be¬ 
fore serving they are covered with pul¬ 
verized sugar. No spoon is used, each 
guest taking the berry by the stem and 
conveying it to the mouth. Such fruit 
is so delicious and yet so rare in the mar¬ 
ket that I am sure any suburban pro¬ 
ducer would be well paid for producing 
it. _I. A. THAYER. 
CEMENT FOR ROOFING. 
I saw an inquiry, page 209, also your 
reply thereto, regarding the advisability 
of using cement for roofing. You ad¬ 
vised against it on account of its crack¬ 
ing. I live about half a mile from the 
Helde r bergh cement works. They have 
been using cement for roofing for I think 
five years, and so far it is a complete 
success. In case of its cracking on ac¬ 
count of the building settling, or any 
other cause, it can easily be repaired by 
mixing a small quantity very thin and 
going over the surface with a whitewash 
brush; all cracks would be filled, as we 
have repaired cisterns that way, and they 
never bothered since. They use a 
woven wire about one-half inch mesh, 
and on old shingle roofs simply nail it 
on the old shingles or cover with 
boards on new roof, and cut lath three to 
four inches long and nail on roof boards 
then the woven wire on that, then plas¬ 
ter on the cement about three-quarters to 
one inch, and the work is done. They 
also have one building where the wire 
netting was nailed to each rafter and 
then boards were fitted under, and as 
fast as the cement set the boards were 
moved to the next pair. That roof seems 
as. substantial as any so far. That was 
built two or three years ago. They also 
use it for siding; the woven wire is 
made in shape of siding. It is a little 
slow putting on the siding, but it looks 
well when done. If lumber gets much 
scarcer or higher priced we shall be 
obliged to use cement and iron altogether. 
Hows Cave, N. Y. m. b. f. 
In this instance it is Telephone Talk. Talk to all your neigh- ^ 
bors about a telephone company for your own use in your own 
locality. As few as ten men could organize a telephone company 
on a paying basis with the investment of but little money. 
Just as soon as a line is completed and in Operation, all of your 
neighbors and friends who have stood off and said they did not 
believe they needed a telephone, will be asking you to take 
i them into the system, and this is where you will make more 
money. 
If you cannot get a telephone line to run past your door, we 
will help you get it there. 
Stromberg-Carlson Telephone Mfg. Co. 
make it a very simple matter to construct and equip the best practi¬ 
cal and most efficient telephone system. It costs very little to 
operate it and almost nothing for repairs. Connection with the 
village exchanges gives you profitable advantages. We have 
assisted hundreds of companies to organize and may we not • 
,assist you ? Our attractive booklet, C-213, “How the Telephone 
Th< 
Helps The Farmer”, mailed free upon request. 
Branch: ' Stromberg-Carlson Telephone Mfg. Co. 
T oronto—Canada. 
Rochester. 
elepno: 
, N.Y. 
Chicago, Ill. £^| 
• •• •• ....i-mi 
MAKE YOUR OWN GATE FOR 
We furnish patented 
attachments with which 
you can make a slide or 
swing gate that does 
not bind, sag, or have 
to be carried. Operates 
as easily as a door. No 
strain on post, and no 
need of extra walk gate. 
Endorsed by hundreds 
of farmers and rail¬ 
roads. We also sell a full line of complete gates in 
galvanized steel, or wood, plain or ornamental. Sold 
on 15 days’ trial. Special prices and freight paid on 
large lots. Write for catalog and full information. 
WESTON GATE COMPANY, Box 10, North Dover, Ohio. 
HEAVIEST FENCE MADE! 
I All No. 9 Steel Wire. Well galvanized. Weighs/^ 
more than most fences. 15 to 86c per rodj 
SeUvered. Wo send free sample for inspec¬ 
tion and test. Writ© for fence book of 133 . 
^styles. The Brown Fenced Wire 
Co., Cleveland* Ohio. 
When You Buy a Fence 
/*nV». . it’s just common business sense 
to look for the fence that gives 
you the most for your money— 
the Anchor Fence will do it. 
Send for free fence book D. 
Anchor Fence & Mfg. Co. 
Cleveland, Ohio. 
ROOFING 
“Old Style Iron** 
SEND FOR CATALOGUE 
Z -T “ ~ „ CHICAGO, ILL*. 
Sykei Metal Lath & Roofing Co. nilc«, ohio. 
Help the Horse 
No article is more useful 
about the stable than Mica 
Axle Grease. Put a little on 
the spindles before you “hook 
up”—it will help the horse, and 
bring the load home quicker. 
MIGA AXLE 
GREASE 
wears well— better than any 
other grease. Coats the axle 
with a hard, smooth surface of 
powdered mica which reduces 
friction. Ask the dealer for 
Mica Axle Grease. 
STANNUM ML COMPANY 
I»corporated . 
HUBBARD’S FERTILIZERS 
ARE 
RICH 
IN THE BEST 
PLANT FOOD 
FORMS OF 
HENCE THEY GIVE 
RICH CROPS AT HARVEST 
Send for 1907 Almanac and Prices. 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD GO., Fertilizer Manufacturers, Middletown, Conn. 
A Confidential Price 
Farmers 
If you want the 
best Cultivator 
FOR YOUR OWN 
USE, we will 
quote you a price 
lower than the 
regular whole* 
sale price to 
dealers. ■■■■ 
want yon to know that the New American 
hasn't an equal at any price. There are imi¬ 
tations and we don’t want yon to take a sub¬ 
stitute when we know the New American can 
and will prove to you on trial that it's the only 
Cultivator that will give you real satisfaction in 
every way—every time. The N ew American is 
the standard. Every 
user will tell you that. 
Take a New Ameri¬ 
can. Use it as if you 
owned it. If it doesn't 
make good in every re¬ 
spect ship it back and 
you won’t be out a cent. 
We pay the freight 
both ways. 
Our direct-to-you selling plan has naturally 
brought us a rush of orders. So get in early 
and have your New American when you want 
it. Write today and we will send you our 
free catalog and quote you price by return 
mail. 
L ET us quote the new 1907 direct-to-you 
price on the original New American Cul¬ 
tivator. Write us a postal now before 
you lay this paper away.. Simply say “make 
me your confidential price on a New Ameri¬ 
can Cultivator for my own use.” We will 
come right back at you with a price that will 
open your eyes. We 
don’t give the price in 
this advertisement be¬ 
cause we don’t care to 
let dealers know what 
an astonishingly low 
price we can afford to 
make, on the New 
American this year. 
But you can understand 
why we can save you so much money when we 
tell you that our factory-to-you plan saves you 
all traveling men’s salaries and expenses, the 
dealers* profits, rent, clerk hire, etc. 
We’ll send you a New American to test right 
in your own fields for 30 days. Because we 
AMERICAN HARROW COMPANY 
1655 Hastings Street. Detroit, Michigan 
30 
Days' Free 
Field Test 
