e best efforts of the
novice cannot possibly bring the results so easily accomplished by the
more skillful laborer. Except in a few cases, I have found inexperienced
help a discouragement.

In hiring pickers who had to come quite far each morning, I found that
if the morning had been wet and rainy, but had later turned out to be a
nice day, they would not come at all. The sun coming out after these
showers would cause the berries to become over-ripe and to drop from the
bushes, or if still on the bush would be too ripe for shipping. These
same pickers, when berries were scarce, would rush through the rows,
merely picking the biggest and those most easily acquired.

Having tried pickers as mentioned, I decided that to get pickers from
the city and board them would be the better plan. While they seemed to
work more for the pleasure connected with life on the farm than with the
idea of making money, yet after a little training and a few rules, most
of them would make splendid pickers, and my berries being carefully
picked and in first class condition, would readily sell to the best
trade.

Leaving the subject of berries and berry picking, I will dwell briefly
on my experience with the winter covering of the plants. At first I
would cover the canes in an arch-like manner, which would require more
than 18 inches of soil to cover them, and it was necessary to shovel
much by hand. In the spring I found it quite a task to remove all this
soil and get it back in place between the rows. After I learned to cover
them properly, that is flat on the ground, I found it required but a
small amount of soil to cover them, and in the spring it was only
necessary to use a fork to remove the covering, and with a little lift
they were ready to start growth again.

After getting more and more fruit, I found I could not dispose of it in
the home market, and tending to the picking and packing of the fruit did
not leave enough time to warrant my peddling it. I had been advised to
ship my berries to two or three different commission houses in order to
see where I could obtain the best results. I frequently divided my
shipments into three parts: consequently some of my fruit would meet in
competition with another lot of my fruit, and not only would one concern
ask a higher or lower price than the other, but they would not know when
to expect my shipments, which they would receive on alternate days. I
finally came to the conclusion that I would