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Show PROPER PICKING OF BERRIES 6mall Fields Are Handled by Members of Family Commercial Grower Hire Help. (Prepared by the United Btntea Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) Hnrvest season for berries, ns wlta any other market crop, is a critical period, because upon proper methods depends the entire success of tho year's work. No matter If the vines or hushes have been carefully chosen, properly set, thoroughly cultivated, and scientifically pruned or trained, Uie grower will not be able to get the full extent of financial returns unless tho berries nro curefaily picked utid cnrrrully handled. Horry harvest oucw meant taking u tin pall Into tho wood or fields, filling '.t from tho wild bU3hcs and carrying tho 1'orrles to the house, whero tliej were prepared for tho table or emitted. If they were green or overripe, or if .here were sticks, leave or hulls In the palls, It meant no more than u little lit-tle sorting. In commercial culture berries ber-ries must be picked no they will stand shipping, possibly hundreds of miles and appear on the market with tin boxes reasonably filled and the berries-In berries-In an attractive and edible condition If they nre overripe when picked thoj are likely to break down and spoil before getting to market, and If they aru picked green they arc likely to be worthless. Ilrulslng mnkes them settle down In the basket and ulso lays them open to mold and heating. If the field In smnll the members or the family may he able to handle the crop, but If It Is largo It Involves engaging en-gaging pickers and their supervision. Unless they nre engaged well In ud vance of the harvest season, the grow er often is unable to secure a sulllclent uumher of pickers to harvest the berries ber-ries as fust as they ripen. If sorted out, the overrljxj berries uro usually a total loss, and If packed they reduce greatly the value of tho firm berries with which they are marketed. Local men, women and children are preferable to transient labor. Usually thoy can bo depended upon to remain through the harvest season. However, f there Is a large acreage of berries lBtt3?' wSnfr BYaVBBrEMrwTtaBYuB BBHaVflUBKM&B'raS" BWJnVYeBBHlH sbVbVavc IBHJBBadBBBBHjV $ BBBBBU Ba9VJRwMECV'''irBHBBB BBBbflKSffSVMffiiyaBr "flBBBBB BBBSSBkBVBKuBUN'BKjLl On Hrcpwr r-ickuyj iietnoo De-poniU the 8ucceis of the Berry Crop. In the neighborhood, outside heip fre-'quejitly fre-'quejitly must be secured. Home families fam-ilies who pick berries have camping outfits and travel from one district to another us the season advances. These laborers usually uro etllclent, but not always dependable. Many pickers stop work after tho height of tho season, or as soon as the best of the picking 1b over. In eomc districts a premium of a fraction of a cent a quart Is offered pickers who stuy until the end of the harvesting nc-iison. Proper supervision of the picking force Is especially important on account ac-count of the rlnss of labor ordinarily used nnd the ease with which berries are domnged. Usually a "row boss" or foreman Is placed In charge of n group of pickers. He sees that rows uru assigned as-signed to the pickers uml thut no ripe Ivrrieu uru left unpicked, that the number of green or otherwise defective berries placed In the boxes Is hold to Uie minimum, and that the pickers do not damage the vines or bushes. Special carriers to hold baskets while picking can easily be obtained. One method Is to take an ordinary quart banket and tie it about the waist, setting other baskets In it; but the best carriers are made to swing from the shoulder nnd hold two bus kets side by nlde. For currying berries to the packing died, n tray holding six baskets Is con venlent. nn tray W carried by a wlro handle, 'Hie picker ordinarily should not be permitted to curry more limn one tray from Ihe shed, and should be required to set it In the shade until full. Till will Insure ugnltist berries being too much wilted or suuhurucd. Keeping an urcount with the pIcK-Ing pIcK-Ing holp Is troublesome, unless a simple sim-ple sj'Hi'in l- employed. Many growers grow-ers get checks the shupe of shipping tugs uml printed with numbers repre M'litlng either the number of boxes or the amount to be paid, uml punch oui the figures as the quarts uie brought In, Others Issue curd tickets for euch quart or tray filled, und these often are taken In trade at local stores, making It easier tor the grower to II nance his tm nest lug. The berry harvest Is of comparatively comparative-ly short duration und Invokes long bourn und hard work on the part of the grower, und every effort ut cureful I supervision will (how Its effect when I the tins) checks come In. |